Waterton Biosphere Region

06/11/2026

Little brown bats have returned to their summer roosts now with females getting ready to give birth. WBRA staff are ready too, starting our first round of maternity roost counts this week.

We know that the fungus causing white-nose syndrome is likely widespread in Alberta now. So monitoring the health of our population numbers and roosts is more important than ever.

If you are in the Waterton Biosphere Region and have never reported the roost in one of your buildings before but would like us count it this year, reach out to Elizabeth at [email protected].

06/10/2026

This story reflects something we see every day in the Waterton Biosphere Region: the strength of community, culture, science and connection to the land. We are honoured to work alongside leaders like Api'soomaahka whose voice and experience continue to shape a more resilient future.

With funding from an RBC Foundation grant to the Canadian Biosphere Regions Association, the Prairie biosphere regions are walking alongside First Nations partners like Api'soomaahka to understand how we can best support their efforts to ensure persistence of sweetgrass and other sacred plants used in ceremony, purification, and traditional medicine.

If you have sweetgrass on lands you manage, reach out to us about how those plants can contribute to these efforts. If you don't know how to identify sweetgrass, stay tuned for an upcoming post on that!

Known as "sipatsimo", sweetgrass faces pressure from drought in Alb...

06/09/2026

This is not our event, but one we’re excited to share!

The Grassland Restoration Forum is marking 20 years of incredible work with a special celebration at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump on June 24. From guided tours to Indigenous cultural perspective, it’s a beautiful opportunity to connect with the land and community as we celebrate GRF and the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

GRF 20th Anniversary Celebration GRF 20th Anniversary Celebration, June 24, 2026 Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump UNESCO World Heritage Site 18 kilometres (15 minutes) north and west of Fort Macleod on secondary Highway #785 (paved)The Grassland Restoration Forum is celebrating 20 years! We warmly invit...

06/09/2026

06/04/2026

Fields, forests, and wetlands around the Waterton Biosphere Region breathed a little sigh of relief with this week’s rains. And where there is pooled water, mosquitoes are soon to follow. And where there are mosquitoes, bats can feast!

Our Bat Exploration Kits are now in place for the summer again. You can check one out from either the Magrath Public Library or the Glenwood Municipal Library between now and mid-September. Each kit contains a bat detector and tablet, a guide on how to use the detector, bat biology fact sheets, storybooks, and a bat craft.

These kits are great for families with kids or grandkids, homeschoolers, or anyone curious about their night neighbours. If you have bat questions after your exploration, be sure to reach out to Elizabeth at [email protected].

06/02/2026

Join us at our Annual General Meeting for an important evening of connection, updates, and looking ahead to what’s next.

📅 Date: June 22
🕡 Time: 6:30 p.m.
📍 Location: Waterton Community Centre (north classroom)

Come hear about our accomplishments, upcoming plans, and how you can be part of shaping the future. We value your voice and hope to see you there.

05/28/2026

Nothing is quite as majestic as a pair of trumpeter swans gleaming in the sunlight and gliding effortlessly across a wetland. And nothing is quite as cute as a string of grey fuzzballs madly paddling away in between their parents. Over the next few weeks, the handful of trumpeter pairs that breed in Waterton Biosphere Region will be hatching this year's cygnets. If you are lucky enough to see one of these breeding pairs - there are fewer than 10 successful nests in WBR each year - watch from a distance, appreciate the opportunity to experience this species recovery, and drop us a line to let us know where they were successful this year!

👉 Swipe to learn how you can help protect this species at risk.

05/26/2026

KEPA’s 12th Annual Summit (June 3–5)

KEPA is hosting their 12th Annual Summit this June, and tickets are still available. This year’s theme, Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) Cultural Keystone Species, brings together Knowledge Keepers, students, and community leaders to share teachings, stories, and perspectives connected to the Oldman Watershed.

Over three days, the Summit will feature engaging presentations, cultural teachings, on-the-land experiences, and opportunities to connect with others who care deeply about land, water, and stewardship.

This is a unique chance to learn directly from those whose knowledge and lived experience are rooted in this landscape.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4nRVOSC

05/22/2026

Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity, and with habitats spanning from mixedgrass prairie to alpine ridges, Waterton Biosphere Region is a hotspot for biodiversity!

This winter our staff compiled an updated species list for WBR from various data sources – records show an astounding 4533 species. Check out the post photos for examples and numbers from specific groups.

Many Biosphere Regions in Canada are known to support high species diversity. Communities and residents have recognized the unique nature of their local environment, and their careful management decisions have allowed the species therein to thrive.

Even small actions you take can help enhance our species diversity – consider landscape plantings that support native pollinators; delay haying by a few days to allow fledging from more grass-nesting birds; ensure buffer strips are present adjacent to watercourses to support natural insect predators (like spiders and beetles) and prey (like mosquitoes and moths); and maintain connectivity for species big and small through the landscape (i.e., how would a garter snake move through your area compared to a mule deer).

Take a moment this weekend to marvel at the species you can see within a 5-metre radius of where you stand outside and commit to one biodiversity-boosting action for this year.