| CRHA
plans to build the new hospital on one specific site, perhaps 30 acres
big. Neither the CRHA nor the University has identified any other specific
building projects for the immediate future.
Yet development plans call
for scraping the entire 184 acres bare. What will happen after that?
How long will the lands lie fallow, as they have done for the last 50 years?
Here are some of the rare
and endangered plants now growing there.
Sandhills
Cinquefoil
(Potentilla Finitima
)
grows only one other place
in Alberta
Pale Blue-eyed
Grass
(Sisyrinchium Septentrionale)
grows only 6 other places
in Alberta
Western
Blue Flag
(Iris Missouriensis )
an endangered species in
Canada
Rough
Fescue Grass
Original prairie grass,
soon to be declared the official grass of Alberta
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RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS ON THE
ENDOWMENT LAND
UHCA welcomes the University
of Calgary's pledge (on the Biophysical
Assessment display board) of "Consultation with the Endangered Species
Conservation Committee to confirm the West Campus species worthy of
conservation", and "on-site consultation with members of the Canadian
Naturalists Society...to identify locations of species to be salvaged."
The Endowment Lands area
is a hidden gem in Calgary, a Secret Garden known only to naturalists,
orienteers and dog-walkers. Most Calgary maps don't even show or
identify this large section of undeveloped land so close to the University.
People who walk over the land regularly, however, remark on the abundance
of wildflowers and wildlife.
Calgarians should know what
flourishes in this natural habitat. Then maybe they will understand why
UHCA residents and naturalists all over Alberta say -- please use this
land wisely.
Calgary Naturalists
Society
Professor Ann Brebner prepared
a report on June 18 for the Calgary Naturalist Society. She described the
history of the Endowment Lands, and how they have been allowed to grow
undisturbed for fifty years, and concluded: "There are approximately
270 different species growing there today." Her report continues:
An indication of this diversity
is the fact that on the recent Species Count carried out for the Federation
of Alberta Naturalists on May 26th and 27th 2001 there were 79 species
in bloom. This compares with 57, for example in Big Hill Springs
Provincial Park, and is also probably more than found in most other natural
areas in Calgary. Rare native plants on the Reserve include:
Western Blue Flag
(Iris
Missouriensis) This is an endangered species in Canada.
It needs a habitat with specific water requirements. It is in bloom now
(mid-June).
Little Blue Stem
(Schizachyrium Scoparium)
This species is on the ‘watch’
list of endangered species. It is a small tufted grass with purple
stems and unusual purple flowers. It does not bloom until August.
Sandhills
Cinquefoil (Potentilla Finitima )
This is a species discovered
and named by the University of Alberta. It is listed as present in
only
two locations in Alberta, one being these Reserve lands.
Leafy Braya (Braya
Humilis )
This plant is now on the
official list of rare plants for Alberta. It is a low-growing, rather
small plant of the mustard family with clusters of white flowers.
Cushion Milk Vetch
(Astragalus Gilviflorus )
This species is rare in
Calgary, and only grows in very dry habitats. It is a member of the
Pea family.
Pale
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium Septentrionale )
This tiny plant is not a
grass, but an iris with rather grass-like leaves. On the distribution
maps in the “Flora of Alberta” it is listed as present in only seven
locations.
Yellow Lady’s Slipper
(Cypripedium Calceolus )
This lovely orchid
is usually found in about three different locations on the Reserve.
It is not often found in Calgary, and is a protected plant in many parts
of the world.
Other orchids present
on the Reserve include Pale Coral-root Orchid (Corallorhiza
Trifidia ). This tiny plant has no chlorophyll, and for food
relies entirely on organisms found around the roots of Aspen trees.
A third orchid is Green Bracted Orchid (Habenaria Viridis
). This orchid is not very showy since it has greenish flowers, each
with a toothed lip and surrounded by long bracts.
Other somewhat rare grasses
are Squirrel-tail ( Sitanion Hystrix ) which has been
found in Calgary only on the Reserve, and Orchard Grass ( Dactylis
Glomerata ) , an introduced species designated in the “Flora of Alberta”
as “rare”.
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Another very important feature
on the Reserve is the area of Rough Fescue
Grass (Festuca Scabrella). Places where this grass
is present have never been disturbed, and are part of the original prairie.
This grass used to be widespread, but developments are making it much less
common, and the areas on the Reserve are some of the best in Calgary.
In the early 1990’s the
University was making an effort to preserve this grass, and was transplanting
it from development sites in Edgemont to the Campus. It should definitely
preserve what it has left.
This grass will soon be
designated the official grass of Alberta. |
Professor Ann Brebner
June 18, 2001
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