Our Education program focuses on a variety of projects that benefit our members and Kananaskis users.
Speaker Series
In the 2014, we initiated our annual Speaker Series at the University of Calgary tying environmental education and trails. We have had great speaker’s present important initiatives and/or issues related to the Kananaskis Country region and surrounding area.
In partnership with Alberta Parks, the series now offers a variety of presentation topics and discovery events at the University of Calgary or at the Peter Lougheed Discovery Centre.
** This series is currently postponed due to COVID **
Presenters have included:
2020 Presenters:
Matt Hadley & Lindsay Collins: Ha Ling Trail Refurbishment;
Heidi Widmer: From Kananaskis Country to the Olympics: A Nordic Athlete’s Journey.
2019 Presenters:
Matt Mueller: Kananaskis Public Safety – Wisdom for the Winter;
Danah Duke: How Do Animals in Alberta Cross the Road?;
Nicole Kahal: Now you see them, now you don’t: What’s happening in Calgary’s wetlands?;
Robyn Mulligan: Nature-Inspired Art;
Jim Thorne: Winter Survival Skills;
Leith Monaghan: Winter Ecology.
2018 Presenters:
Megan Evans: The Buzz About Native Bees;
Christian Stenner: The Caves of Kananaskis and Beyond;
John Paczkowski: Wolverine Populations in South-Central Alberta;
Corrie Turner: Winter Ecology and Wildlife Survival;
Robyn Mulligan: Nature-Inspired Art Workshop.
2017 Presenters:
Barry Blanchard: Wasootch Slabs, the Kananaskis and Beyond;
Donna Schley: Kananaskis Conservation Officers – Guardians of Alberta Parks;
Lesley Peterson: Whirling Disease.
2016 Presenters:
Ben Gadd: Icefield bunnies, gullible bees and why the tallest mountain is not the highest;
Kevin Van Tighem: Heart Waters – Restoring Alberta’s Rivers;
Matt Mueller: Kananaskis Public Safety – Mountain Rescue Operations.
2015 Presenters:
John Paczkowski and Gordon Stenhouse: A Two-Part Talk – Grizzly Bear Research in Kananaskis Country and Alberta;
Will Gadd: 20 Trips of a Lifetime in 60 Minutes.
2014 Presenters:
Steve Herrero: Grizzlies – Sharing our Forests;
Brian Keating: Going Wild!
Newsletter
Our monthly Newsletters share upcoming volunteer events, updates on projects, and something interesting about Kananaskis Country – from sand dunes, to fossils, to rock glaciers, to understanding the critters of K-Country like hummingbirds and ticks. To join click HERE.
Interpretive Trail Signage
In 2014, we signed an agreement with Alberta Parks to assist with updating all interpretive trail signs in K-Country. The first phase of this project is to replace signage that was damaged or destroyed by the 2013 flood.
This project will enhance visitor’s knowledge, thus positively influencing their awareness and understanding about the natural aspects of the sites. The Calgary Foundation has awarded $77,000 to support the replacement of interpretive signage damaged or destroyed by the 2013 flood in 6 priority locations: Heart Creek Trail, Elbow Fall, Beaver Flat Trail, Rawson Lake Trail, Ribbon Creek Trail, and Black Prince Cirque.