Helen Schuler Nature Centre

Big Bird Little Bird - Grandparent Special
Get your preschoolers outside exploring nature with a grandparent or grandfriend.

Join Nature Centre staff for a morning of exploration and play once a month.

Dates & Time 10:00am – 11:00am:
Saturday September 12
Saturday October 3
Saturday November 7
Saturday December 5
Time: 10:00am – 11:00am

Ages 2-5 (must attend with an adult)

Cost: $5 per child per class

Register Online: Leisure.Lethbridge.ca

Fall Birding Workshops - Join local bird enthusiast Ken Orich for a guided exploration of Lethbridge’s premier birding locations.

Spot migrating and resident species, and gain insider knowledge about the birds that make this season so special.

Meet in a different Lethbridge park each morning.

September 20 | 9:30am - 10:30am
September 27 | 9:30am - 10:30am

$10 per session | Ages 16+
Register Online: Leisure.Lethbridge.ca | Spots are limited!

Please note that these workshops will take place at various outdoor locations around the city. Transportation is required. Dress for the weather!

This is it, our campaign wraps up this week! 💚 A huge thank you to everyone who’s donated, shared our posts, and sent messages of support. We promise this really is our last campaign post for the year.

There are just a few days left to make a donation to the Friends of Helen Schuler Nature Centre and have it matched up to 50% through Rogers Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink. Funds raised support nature based programs for youth (Nature Play Pop-ups, which we can host for free because of this funding, Outdoor Adventures-on-the-trail in the Nature Reserve and other accessible youth programs).

When you give through the Birdies for Kids platform, 100% of your donation comes directly to the Friends of Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society; no administration fees, plus up to a 50% match.

If you’d like to make a donation before the campaign wraps up, you can do so here:
https://rogerscharityclassic.com/friends-of-the-helen-schuler-nature-centre-society/

Fall Tree Tour! Join us for a cozy autumn bus tour celebrating some of Lethbridge’s most remarkable trees.

Along the way, we’ll visit several iconic & unique trees throughout the city & hear from arborist Ethan Champion, who will share insights into tree selection, care & maintenance.

Trees are incredible neighbours that shape our urban ecosystem & bring beauty & abundance to our community. Learn about these living landmarks & the important role they play in our city.

October 1 | 10:00am - Noon
Cost: $10 | Call to register: 403-320-3064

BIRD OF THE WEEK – COMMON NIGHTHAWK
Common Nighthawks can be found throughout Alberta between late May and September. In some areas, they are easier to find than other areas. They are more of an evening bird, spending their days resting quietly on a fence post, rock outcropping, horizontal tree branch or on the ground. Common Nighthawks blend in perfectly with their surroundings and can be quite challenging to find when not in flight. Both sexes look the same with a mottled plumage. Males have white throats. Common Nighthawks have long, pointed wings with prominent white wrist patches while in flight. Their flight is erratic as they turn and twist pursuing flying insects to eat. Sometimes they can be seen during the day feeding. Their distinctive call, a nasally “peent, peent” usually causes one to look up while they are flying high above you. Males will dive towards the ground, thrusting their wings forward at the bottom of their dive, causing a hollow boom or whooshing sound. Paying attention to the evening skies helps to find them. Listen carefully. Did you know Common Nighthawks nest on the ground, but do not build a nest? Their young are so well camouflaged, they are almost impossible to find. Have you seen them in the evening and wondered about them? Or seen them on a fence post in the country?

#‎BirdOfTheWeek ‪ #‎HSNC‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Autumn Nature Walking Club

Join us in the Lethbridge river valley and connect with others as Nature Centre staff highlight plants and animals along the way!

Dates & Time: 9:30am - 11:30am
Sept 8, 15, 22, October 6, 13, 20

All walking levels welcome!
The walk will be entirely outdoors, wear comfortable walking shoes & dress for the weather.

Cost: FREE! | Call to register: 403-320-3064

Join Marjie Crop Eared Wolf to learn about the moons of the Blackfoot Calendar on an interactive nature walk.

Then create a personalized phenology wheel to help you understand the ecological processes that mark the passage of time in this beautiful place.

Friday August 28 | 1:30pm - 3:30pm

Cost: $10 | Ages 16+

Register Online: Leisure.Lethbridge.ca

Get outside and play! Visit the Nature Centre to build, create, and explore with loose parts.

Summer Play Pop Ups
Thursdays and Fridays | 10:00am - Noon

Fall Dates & Times:
nature.lethbridge.ca/playpopup

Location: Helen Schuler Nature Centre
Cost: FREE! Drop-In! Dress for the Weather!

Nature Play Pop Ups are designed for all ages — little ones, older kids, teens, parents, grandparents… everyone is welcome to join in!