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This amphibian darkens when cold to absorb more heat
The Wood Frog is the most widely distributed amphibian in Canada and is found in every province and territory. Although found in tundra to the north and occasionally in grasslands in the west, it is commonly associated with moist woodlands and vernal woodland pools, including in Edmonton’s river valley.
Wood Frogs are the earliest breeders in most of their range, often beginning to call when there is still ice on the ponds in spring. The egg mass of up to 2000 eggs is attached to submerged vegetation. Most of the egg masses in a population will be laid within a few days and clustered together so their combined dark colouration warms them and speeds hatching. The tadpoles transform after 44-85 days.
Wood Frogs are freeze tolerant and hibernate under logs or leaf litter on the forest floor. They can change colour rapidly from very dark to very light and will darken when cold to absorb more heat. Learn more at https://www.naturewatch.ca/frogwatch/wood-frog/
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Edmonton peony garden was a major tourist attraction
Prominent Edmonton physician James Frederick Brander came to Edmonton from Nova Scotia in 1921 and, along with his father George, soon established a peony garden in the Bonnie Doon area on an empty plot of land that George couldn’t stand to see go to waste.
The Silver Heights Peony Garden, located at 93 Avenue and 85 Street in Bonnie Doon, was a major tourist attraction and source of most of the peonies in Alberta from 1923 until the 1940s. Father and son proved that the soil and climate conditions in the area were ideal for the peony, which had previously been regarded as exotic and too delicate for the frigid north.
The first planting was small, but in later years as many as 5000 roots arrived from Holland in a single shipment. Altogether, 200 named varieties were grown and, in full flowering time, an estimated quarter of a million blooms could be seen.
When George Brander died in 1933, his family continued the Peony Gardens until the Second World War made such large-scale flower operations impractical. The plants were dug up, divided into 50,000 roots, and sold to gardening aficionados around Edmonton.
In 2002, Fort Edmonton Park completed a recreation of the peony garden, which included 26 varieties of peonies. Read about the horticultural significance of the Silver Heights Peony Garden at https://www.fortedmontonpark.ca/learn/blog/post/horticultural-significance-of-the-silver-heights-peony-garden
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Free online workshop to kickstart your volunteer journey
Volunteer Connections is a free online course made possible by The Wellness Network. In this short course, volunteer hopefuls will learn all about how to get involved in their community; what it means to volunteer, the benefits of volunteering, and how to get started.
The course is self-guided and available at https://ecvo.teachable.com/p/volunteer-connections
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Elna writes “The Snow Valley Ski area is undergoing some densification. There is already a climbing feature at the SW corner of the campground. On the ski hill property, there is a newly opened BBQ facility which operates weekends offering food and drink. There is also a new golf venue on the hill. It’s getting crowded. I’m worried that access to the Whitemud Nature Reserve will be compromised and encourage bicycles which is not allowed.
On the east side of Whitemud Ravine between Grandview and Lansdowne, the West 240 university farm (Section 14) is to be sold and developed. The UofA is moving quickly on this initiative. Once the West 240 is developed, the land is gone, no vision, just income for the UofA.”
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River valley concern or contribution
If you have a river valley concern or question, contact us at nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Your friends and neighbours can sign up for this newsletter on our web site.
If you have a photo, information, or event about Edmonton’s river valley and think it should be in this newsletter, email it to us.
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712
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