(Supplied by Lethbridge College)

By Karsen Marczuk

Lethbridge College tree planting initiative brings new life to farmer’s field, benefitting everyone

May 27, 2021 | 12:18 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB- The taste of fresh berries and sights of wildlife will be a common occurrence around Vauxhall thanks to a new partnership.

Lethbridge College staff and alumni have joined forces with Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) earlier this month to plant 250 shurbs, the first of more than 2,500 to be planted just outside of Vauxhall.

The re-wilding project undertaken by the college and MBNACanada, a division of TD Bank, celebrates the 50-year anniversary of the college’s Conservation Enforcement and Renewable Resource Management programs and will help restore a farmer’s former field into a habitat that both wildlife and people can enjoy.

“Lethbridge College has been a leader in environmental education and research for more than 50 years, and this was our opportunity to be involved in that work outside of our own walls,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO, one of the many volunteers from the college who put on work boots and picked up a shovel to help with the planting. “Just like our incredible alumni, the shrubs we planted will take root in this community and support its continued growth.”

Some of the flora planted include Saskatoon berry bushes, chokecherry, thorny buffaloberry, and roses as well as non-native species that are drought- and wind-resistant.

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ACA biologist and Lethbridge College alumni Tyler Johns says the chosen site was a former hayfield the ACA purchased from a local farmer who wanted it restored to a natural state.

“The purpose of this project is twofold,” explained Johns. “First, we want to get [the] structure on the site that will benefit wildlife like birds and deer who can use those shrubs for cover, for food, or as a windbreak. The other reason is to get people onto the site for berry picking, wildlife spotting, hunting and fishing. This particular site is connected to some native habitat downstream on the Bow River, so there’s also good connectivity between the uplands around the site and the river.”

Johns says he was excited for the opportunity to work with his alma mater given the role that the college has played in his career and those of many others involved in environmental sciences in southern Alberta.

“I’d say that almost 90 per cent of us at ACA’s Lethbridge office are grads of the college and we still have a great relationship with instructors and the program,” says Johns.

ACA continues to work with the college to give students experiential learning opportunities at some conservation sites.

The tree-planting initiative was funded by the college’s newest affinity partner, MBNA, and its Alumni Engagement office.

Since 1997, ACA has been working with landowners, donors and corporations to set aside land in Alberta for conservation. A total of over 210,000 acres across the province is managed by the organization.