Lesser Slave Watershed Council

Our bumble bee box workshops this past week were a great success! Thank you to everyone that came out and an even bigger thank you to Ilan from the Alberta Native Bee Council for driving all the way up from Edmonton to teach us all about bees and how to construct and monitor our bumble bee boxes!

Join LICA for a Free Webinar: Blue-Green Algae Understanding Cyanobacteria 🌿
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms are becoming an increasingly common sight on Alberta lakes each summer. But what causes these blooms? How do they affect our health, wildlife, and water quality? And what can we do to help protect the lakes we love?
🗓 Wednesday, August 26, 2026
🕛 12:00 – 1:30 PM (MDT)
💻 Virtual Webinar
🎟 Free to Attend
Featured Speakers
🎓 Dr. Rolf Vinebrooke – University of Alberta
Explore the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function of Algae
🎓 Dr. Helen Baulch – University of Saskatchewan
Learn about the Health Threat from Blue-Green Algae
The presentations will be followed by a live Q&A session, giving you the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with the experts.

Click this link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9keKUWOmSmmganETL-KFig?_gl=1*1riyg6v*_gcl_au*OTM1MzkxOTIwLjE3ODU4NzU3NDEuMTQwODY0NjY2OS4xNzg2MDI3ODk0LjE3ODYwMjc4OTMuNzgyODUxMjk4LjE3ODYwMjc4OTQuMTc4NjAyNzg5Mw..*_ga*NDE0NDQ5ODguMTc4NTg3NTg4MA..*_ga_L8TBF28DDX*czE3ODYwNDI5NDAkbzgkZzEkdDE3ODYwNDMwMTMkajU0JGwwJGgw #/registration

Here's some close up photos of our float we put together for the High Prairie Elks Rodeo! Our float was inspired by the beautiful wetlands and waterbodies in our watershed. What's your favourite part of the float?

Happy Wildflower Wednesday! This weeks flower is Common Red Paintbrush, a hemiparasitic plant that needs nutrients from other plants to survive.

This wildflower connects to the root systems of the plants around it, taking just enough food to supplement it's own slower food making process. It is known for it's bright red flower petals that aren't actually petals at all! In fact, the parts of the plant that are red are modified leaves called bracts! The actual flowers are small, tubular, and green, hidden just beneath these red bracts.

Last Friday we planted 180 willow stakes as part of a watershed resiliency and ALUS project in a riparian area just off Mud Creek. A big thanks to Big Lakes County for helping us plant all these willows, the air was hot and full of mosquitoes, but we got all those babies planted in the ground!

Our Bee Box Workshops are just over a week away! Register at the link below to save your spot!

Join the Lesser Slave Watershed Council and the Alberta Native Bee Council for an unBEElievable night! Come build your own bumble bee box and learn about Alberta’s native bumble bees, their habitat needs, and the importance of conservation.

We have spots available on August 6th in High Prairie at the Agriplex from 5:00pm - 7:00pm!

Registration is only $10 and includes all the materials for your bee box as well as snacks and refreshments!

Register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/bumble-bee-box-workshop

Happy Wildflower Wednesday!

This weeks flower is Blue Columbine! The genus name "Aquilegia" comes from the Latin aquila which means eagle, and refers to the spurred petals that many believe resemble an eagle's talons.

Miss out on our original sale? That's okay we have 3 extra barrels we saved just for you!

Each rain barrel comes with a filter basket, spigot/tap, overflow adaptor and overflow hose. If you're interested in snagging one of these before they're all gone give our office a call! (780-523-9800)

Pick up is at the High Prairie Agriplex during business hours.