Natural Areas & Urban Biodiversity
Implementing Natural Connections Strategic Plan: What's New?
Conservation Atlas - New and Improved!
We recently completed a revised version of the Edmonton Conservation Atlas. The new Atlas includes maps of Edmonton's publicly-accessible natural areas, as well as general information about how to access them, what plants and wildlife you might spot, and photos for each site.Wildlife Passage Engineering Design Guidelines (WPEDG)
The City of Edmonton is committed to protecting local and regional ecological connectivity. The intersection of roads and road crossings with natural habitats can limit wildlife movement and reduce ecological connectivity. Wildlife passages are one way to promote wildlife movement through more developed areas. They can range from simple measures (e.g., wildlife crossing signage or strategically placed vegetation plantings) to more complex structures (e.g., wildlife underpass).
The City's new Wildlife Passage Engineering Design Guidelines will promote the maintenance or enhancement of urban biodiversity by ensuring that wildlife populations are able to disperse throughout the City. This will ensure that wildlife is able to access areas in order to fulfil their life cycles, and will prevent populations from becoming fragmented or isolated. The guidelines will also help alleviate safety concerns associated with wildlife-vehicle interactions.
Wildlife Passage Engineering Design Guidelines
Edmonton's Natural Areas
Edmonton has a wonderful network of natural areas, including forest, grassland, wetlands, lakes and river valley areas. The North Saskatchewan river valley and ravine system is the backbone of the city's natural area network. There are also many smaller natural areas in Edmonton's older neighbourhoods, in newly developing areas, and in the agricultural areas at the edge of the city.
The City of Edmonton is committed to conserving and restoring this network of natural areas. Through careful management we can make sure natural areas and the wildlife they support are protected, while still allowing people to access and enjoy them. The City works with community partners to do this, and to achieve its 10-year goal for environmental protection:
In partnership with its citizens, businesses and institutions, Edmonton is the nation’s leader in setting and achieving the highest standards of environmental preservation and sustainability both in its own practices, and by encouraging and enabling the practices of its partners.
For more information, see The City of Edmonton's Strategic Plan.
Natural Area Protection
Natural areas provide a very different function than manicured parks (soccer fields, playgrounds, etc.). They provide critical habitat for plants and animals, support biodiversity, and maintain a high quality of life for Edmontonians. They offer opportunities for education, research, recreation, and inspiration that could not be realized in any other environment. But more than this, they sustain us. Natural areas and the wildlife they support provide us with clean air and water, absorb our waste, control the climate, cycle nutrients, and pollinate our crops.
In the last several decades, Edmonton has lost many natural areas as land has been converted for development. However, as the incredible value of natural areas became clear, the City made it a priority to protect as many natural areas as possible. The surest form of protection is to purchase natural areas for conservation, and in 2009 the City borrowed $20,000,000 to do this, leveraging an existing fund to make payments on the loan.
Between 2004 and 2006, the City fostered the creation of a local land trust, which resulted in six partners (the Edmonton Community Foundation, Edmonton Nature Club, Legacy Lands Conservation Society, Land Stewardship Centre of Canada, Urban Development Institute and the City) coming together in 2006 to form the Edmonton and Area Land Trust. That year, the City provided an operational endowment of $2.5 million to the fledgling organization.
Where are Edmonton's Natural Areas?
Edmonton's natural areas can be found throughout the city. This map shows the location of Edmonton's natural areas - both those that are currently protected and those that are not. As of 2008, Edmonton had nearly 3,500 hectares of protected natural areas.
Some of these areas are on private land and have not yet been protected, but many are owned by the City and are accessible to the public.
Check out our new Conservation Atlas for more information about individual natural areas!
For more information:
Office of Natural Areas Conservation
| Telephone | 311 |
|---|---|
| Fax | 780-496-1150 |
| naturalareas@edmonton.ca |
Parks - General Information
| Telephone | 311 Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311 |
|---|---|
| Fax | 780-496-1150 |
| parks@edmonton.ca |
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