Helen Schuler Nature Centre

Intermediate Coulee Plant ID Workshop!
July 12 | 9:00am - Noon

Explore the coulees in this intermediate field botany workshop led by university botanist Jenny Burke.
Build your plant ID skills, learn advanced techniques, deepen your understanding of local flora, and uncover the roles of native and introduced species through hands-on discovery.

Perfect for curious learners ready to go further.

Cost: $40 | Ages 16+

Please note that this course will take place outdoors and offsite at the University of Lethbridge. Dress for the weather!

Register Online: https://leisure.lethbridge.ca/COL/public/category/browse/HSNCAD

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

Friday June 19 | 10:00am - Noon

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!

Each pop-up offers open-ended, nature based activities that you can explore at your own pace, so it’s easy for every age group to enjoy.

Big impact, limited time! Friends of Helen Schuler Nature Centre is once again part of Rogers Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink.

Until August 31, your donation is matched up to 50%, with 100% going directly to us!

Your support helps fund Nature Play Pop‑ups, Outdoor Adventures on the Trail, and expanded access to nature‑based youth programs like Jr. Naturalists and Extreme by Nature.

Help kids connect with nature 💚 Donate here:
https://rogerscharityclassic.com/friends-of-the-helen-schuler-nature-centre-society/

BIRD OF THE WEEK – YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
Yellow-headed Blackbirds can be found almost anywhere in southern Alberta where there are cattail marshes. They usually arrive in mid-April and stick around until September. Good places to find them in the Lethbridge area are Elizabeth Hall Wetlands, Nicholas Sheran Park, Jail Lake, Tyrrell Lake, Stirling Lake and Park Lake Prov. Park. Most of the stormwater ponds in Lethbridge subdivisions will also have a few nesting pairs of Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Males have bright yellow heads (hence their name) with contrasting black bodies and white wing-bars that are very evident in flight. Females are dark brown with subdued yellowish breast, throat and eyebrow with a bit of yellow in the face. Males have one of the most obnoxious, grating voices in the bird world that only a female of its kind can appreciate. So, if you are ever in a marshy area and hear a sound that is like a brassy Aarrrrrrchh or something like that, it is probably a male Yellow-headed Blackbird serenading the ladies. Yellow-headed Blackbirds nest in cattails or shoreline shrubs and lay anywhere from 3 to 5 eggs. They eat seeds, beetles, snails, dragonflies and other insects. Did you know Yellow-headed Blackbirds return later in spring and leave earlier in fall than many other kinds of blackbirds? Where have you seen them in your travels? Do you have any pictures to share?

#‎BirdOfTheWeek ‪ #‎HSNC‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The Goats Are Back! Annual Goat Grazing Program Kicks Off in Lethbridge!

It's that time of year, again: the grazing goats have returned to the Lethbridge River Valley! 🐐 🐐🐐🌿🌿🌿

Read all about it - straight from a goat's mouth! 📣

https://www.lethbridge.ca/news/posts/straight-from-the-goat-s-mouth/

Looking for outdoor fun this weekend? We’ve got you covered! ☀️
Nature Play Fest — Lethbridge’s largest outdoor children’s festival — is coming to Henderson Lake Park!

📅 June 13 | Noon–4:00pm

Families can get creative and explore the outdoors with:
✅ Loose Parts Playground
🔍 Scavenger Hunts & Geocaching
🎯 Outdoor Games
🍃 Mud Kitchen
😌 Hammocks
🚣 Kayaking
🎨 Crafts & SO MUCH MORE!
✨ ALL FREE! ✨

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Grab the kids, invite your friends, and come PLAY!
👉 Don’t miss the fun—see you there!

Pansies, Prickly Pears & Pollinators!

June 10th | 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Join local nature enthusiast Lloyd Bennett for a fascinating talk exploring the wonders of pollination and the plants and pollinators that make it all happen.

No registration required. Everyone is welcome!

BIRD OF THE WEEK – NORTHERN YELLOW WARBLER
Northern Yellow Warblers are quite common throughout all of Alberta. They usually arrive in the Lethbridge area once the Cottonwood leaves are out, usually in early to mid-May. Northern Yellow Warblers breed and nest in our area and can be found anywhere along the Oldman River valley and other shrubby areas near water. They are common backyard visitors, especially if you have lots of shrubs or trees and a bird bath or other water feature. They have black eyes, black bills and are canary yellow in color; perhaps that's why people often refer to them as "wild canaries", which of course they are not. Males have chestnut -colored streaks on their breast during the breeding season. Yellow warblers feed on insects, caterpillars, beetles, and invertebrates. You will often see them searching under leaves for aphids. Have you ever seen a tiny Northern Yellow Warbler feeding a brown bird larger than they are? Northern Yellow Warblers are often victims of Brown-headed Cowbirds laying eggs in their nests. If the warbler doesn't notice the offending egg and hatches it, the warbler assumes it is one of their babies and will feed it. This can result in some of the Northern Yellow Warbler hatchlings not surviving to maturity because the Cowbird is larger and much more aggressive in getting fed. Have you ever seen this and wondered what was going on? Share your story with us.

#‎BirdOfTheWeek #‎HSNC

🌞 Big fun. Fresh air. Zero cost.
Nature Play Fest is back—June 13 at Henderson Lake Park!

Drop in anytime from Noon–4 PM and dive into:
💡 Hands-on play
🧭 Geocaching
🔍 Scavenger Hunts
🎉 Games, crafts, and adventures for all ages
PLUS kayaking, food trucks, hammocks & more!