Events

Beaver Hills Watershed Stewardship Open House 2025

Posted on behalf of Beaver Hills Watershed Stewardship Society

Butterfly Volunteering within EINP

Posted on behalf of Elk Island National Park

Elk Island National Park is gearing up for summer invertebrate sampling! This year the park is looking to survey for adult butterflies, caterpillars, eggs, and surrounding vegetation to gain a better understanding of the butterfly diversity within the park, as well as support the nation-wide Mission Monarch program that monitors monarch butterfly immigration and survival. Through understanding the butterfly species that inhabit the park, EINP can best understand ecosystem health, monitor species changes, and gain insight on endangered species that may inhabit the park.

All surveys for this project are carried out on a regular basis and although butterfly identification is an asset, all levels of identification are welcome! If you are interested in this program or have any questions, please contact: Maya.yerichuk@pc.gc.ca

Beaver Hills Mycoflora

Starting in May, 2024 the Friends of Elk Island Society is collaborating with the Alberta Mycological Society and will be hosting a number of citizen science mycology events in Elk Island National Park and the Beaver Hills Biosphere. Our first event will be a project introduction (Zoom) on the evening of May 7th. Further details will be available through the Friends website under the Projects heading, meetup.com and the Alberta Mycological Society website.

This project is part funded by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation

Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Elk Island.

2024

Annual General Meeting, Friends of Elk Island Society.

Come join us at Astotin Theatre in Elk Island National Park at 1:30 pm on Sunday, June 2nd, 2024 as we celebrate a successful year of community science, nature-based engagement, and stewardship activities. The Chair of the Friends will provide insight into our activities over the past year, and an Elk Island National Park representative will give an update on the Park. Brian Ilnicki, Executive Director for the Beaver Hills Biosphere, will talk about what is going on in the Biosphere.

Light refreshments will be provided, and we will have door prizes for lucky winners attending the AGM! All are welcome to the meeting. Regular Parks Canada entrance fees will apply.

Fence Permeability Survey (Concluded March 31st, 2025)

The Friends of Elk Island Society are conducting a fence permeability survey at Elk Island National Park. We will be going out to collect the data that the trail cameras have collected and check the status of the batteries. The trail cameras observe what animals are moving in and out of the Park.

Volunteers will be needed to assist the leaders with heading out and retrieving the data from the cameras, ensuring they are positioned correctly, and changing any batteries.

Volunteers have to be current members of the Friends of Elk Island Society. To become a Friends member, visit https://www.elkisland.ca/membership or contact Norm at norm.cameron@elkisland.ca.

The survey involves climbing eight-foot fences and hiking on snow/ice-covered gravel roads, trails, or both. Some locations may require you to hike up to 10 kilometres. We advise you to bring water and a light lunch. Weather-appropriate clothing and footwear are required. The Friends will supply all the necessary equipment for the survey.

Keep your eyes out for dates and locations on Meetup.

Wildlife Awareness Course

This event is sold out!

The Friends of Elk Island Society is offering a certified wildlife awareness course to our membership on March 20, 2024, from 5:30 - 9:30 PM, at the Strathcona County Hall, Sherwood Park. The course is open to Friends of Elk Island Society members only (you can become a member here - https://www.elkisland.ca/membership). The course costs $60, but we are charging $50 for our members, with the Friends of Elk Island Society covering the remaining $10.

A limited number of spaces is available, so register soon. A wait list will be maintained if there are not enough spots for interested people.

Course Description
Grizzly and black bears are unpredictable at the best of times. Whether you are seeking recreation, working, or doing research in bear country, you need to be aware of what to do in the event of a bear sighting or encounter. Knowing the appropriate response to a bear sighting/encounter could save your life and the lives of those you are with. The Bear Awareness and Avoidance program was created to provide the most recent available information on bear avoidance.
While the best defense against a bear encounter is to avoid it altogether, this is not always possible. This program provides guidance for pre-planning before you enter bear country and on-site situations. Learn how best to handle a bear encounter using the knowledge and experiences of experts from the field. This course also covers how to deal with encounters with other large mammals that you might come across in Elk Island National Park and similar areas.
Instructor Greg Brooke has been teaching this course for almost 20 years, and has instructed more than 1000 students. He has worked in the habitat of “critters” for over 25 years, and has spent even more time recreating and taking pictures in the wild.

Fence Permeability Survey

The Friends of Elk Island Society are conducting a fence permeability survey at Elk Island National Park. This survey will include locating, documenting information about the location, and setting up trail cameras to observe what animals are moving in and out of the Park. We will maintain and collect camera data over the next 13 months.

This Saturday, volunteers will be needed to assist the leaders with locating areas in the fence line, documenting the location, size, and cause, and setting up trail cameras to capture the wildlife using the breach.

Volunteers have to be current members of the Friends of Elk Island Society. To become a Friends member, visit https://www.elkisland.ca/membership or contact Norm at norm.cameron@elkisland.ca.

Contact Norm at norm.cameron@elkisland.ca. for more information or to register.

Elk Island National Park Weed Pull

Join the Friends of Elk Island Society (FEIS) on Saturday, July 29, 2023 for another weed pull in Elk Island National Park. We will be targeting Tall Buttercup to help control this invasive weed as part of an ongoing effort to restore grassland habitat in the Park.

We will meet at the Mud lake parking lot at 9:00 am…. We will be easy to find. We will have a hot dog BBQ at lunch and wrap up the event at 1 pm. Note this is a members-only event. If you are not a member and want to join us, please visit our website:

https://www.elkisland.ca/membership

Please dress appropriately for the weather. Bring water, insect repellent, sunscreen, a hat, and work gloves. Parks staff will supply any tools and training necessary. Volunteers will be required to sign a volunteer form; individuals under 18 years of age will require the signature of a parent or guardian to participate. Sunday, July 30 is the rain back up date for this event (same start and end times). There is free admission to the Park for weed pull volunteers, just tell them at the gate that you are assisting with the weed pull and they will give you a day pass. Photo from Alberta Invasive Species Council.

Photo by iNaturalist

Elk Island National Park Weed Pull

Join the Friends of Elk Island Society (FEIS) on Saturday, July 8, 2023, for a weed pull in Elk Island National Park. We will be lopping off the heads of Field Scabious to help control this invasive weed as part of an ongoing effort to restore grassland habitat in the Park.

We will meet at the Visitors Centre parking lot at 10 am...we will be easy to find. We will have a hot dog BBQ at lunch, and wrap up the event at 2 pm.

Note that this is a members-only event. If you are not a member and want to join us, please visit our website: https://www.elkisland.ca/membership.

Please dress appropriately for the weather. Bring water, insect repellant, sunscreen, a hat, and work gloves. Parks staff will supply any tools and training necessary. Volunteers will be required to sign a volunteer form; individuals under 18 years of age will require the signature of a parent or guardian to participate. Sunday, July 9, 2023, is the rain day backup date for the event (same start and end times).

Photo by Andrew Whitmam

Annual General Meeting - Friends of Elk Island Society

Annual General Meeting, Friends of Elk Island Society. Join us at Astotin Theatre in Elk Island National Park at 1:30 pm on Sunday, June 4th, 2023. The Chair of the Friends will provide a summary of activities over the past year, and a representative from Elk Island National Park will give an update on the Park. A guest will provide a summary of a project in the Beaver Hills Biosphere. Light refreshments will be provided, and so will door prizes for those attending the AGM! All are welcome to the meeting. Regular Parks Canada entrance fees will apply.

Biking Like a Viking through the Beaver Hills Biosphere

July 23, 2023

In support of the Beaver Hills Biosphere - For more information please click on the link below

https://mailchi.mp/canadianbirkie/media-release-may18

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The Friends of Elk Island Society host annual events throughout the year and participates in others to support the advocacy for Elk Island National Park.

Family Day - February - Run by Elk Island National Park

Friends of Elk Island Society AGM - June - Run by Friends of Elk Island Society

Canada Day - July 1st - Run by Elk Island National Park

Parks Day - July - Run by Elk Island National Park

Bison Fest - August - Run by Elk Island National Park (since 2015)

Dark Sky - September Long Weekend - Run by the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve

Christmas Bird Count - December 26th Run by Friends of Elk Island Society

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