Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi

Habitat: They prefer cooler waters, this is generally mountain streams or rivers. They can be found in various regions in Alberta, British Columbia, and Montana. 

Diet: This trout species will forage on invertebrates like mayflies and crane flies. 

Identification: They can be identified by the presence of an adipose fin. Colouration consists of dark spots on a lighter background. Body colour ranges from silver to yellowish-green with lower sides and belly somewhat reddish to bright red in some individuals at spawning time. 

Fun Fact: Westslope Cutthroat Trout is listed as a species of concern in British Columbia but only listed as threatened in Alberta.

Scientific Name: Pandion haliaetus

Habitat: They will nest near water and can be found worldwide. They will migrate south for the winter and return in the spring for mating.

Diet: They eat fish by diving into water to catch their meals. 

Identification: They are dark brown on the back with a white body. They also have a distinctive dark eye strip.

Fun Fact: They mate for life and will often return to the same place in the spring. There is a resident pair that can be found at Idlewild!

Scientific Name: Salvelinus confluentus

Habitat: Bull trout are demanding in terms of habitat requirement.  They thrive in water temperatures below 13 °C, and prefer clean gravel beds, deep pools and cover such as large woody debris and undercut banks.  

Diet: Young bull trout eat plankton and insects such as chironomids, a species of fly.  Older bull trout feed upon other fish.

Identification: Bull trout is a large char of the family Salmonidae, native to northwestern North America.  Its fines have white leading edges and it has unusually large head and mouth.

Fun Fact: The federal government classified the bull trout as threatened under Canada's Species At Risk Act. If we don't manage it effectively, it will become endangered.

Scientific Name: Chiroptera

Habitat: Bats need mature forests, wetlands, and undisturbed hibernation sites (e.g., cliffs, caves) for survival.

Diet: These species are insectivorous and eat all kinds of bugs: everything from spiders to moths, including biting insects and crop pests. Because of this, bats can save us time and money on pest control, but also create an environment that benefits our health.

Identification: Bats are small, furry creatures with long, thin wings and large ears. Their wings are hairless, but their bodies are covered in glossy brown or black fur. They are generally between 6 and 10cm long but their wingspan can be up to 27cm. 

Fun Facts:

1)     Bats are not blind, but they also use echolocation to navigate - a phenomenon that has inspired scientists to develop technologies such as sonar, Lidar, and devices to help blind people.

2)     Bats have exceptional immunity and longevity - scientists are currently studying bat genomes to understand the mechanism behind these “superpowers”.

Scientific Name: Salix alba 'Vitellina'

Habitat: Common habitats include riverbanks, areas near drainage ditches, shorelines of ponds, edges of floodplain woodlands, vacant lots, and roadsides. This willow will thrive in disturbed areas.

Identification: Golden Willow is a large deciduous tree with drooping branches, a thick canopy and distinguished yellow branches.

Fun Fact: Golden willow is non-native to the East Kootenays and although it’s not listed as an invasive species, it displays many invasive characteristics.  It can outgrow, outspread, and outcompete most native plants.

Scientific Name: Cornus Sericea

Habitat: Red Osier is a native shrub of Southern interior British Columbia and is usually found in mid elevation wooded and shrub swamps, especially along creeks and rivers and in moist to wet upland forests.

Identification:  A deciduous shrub 1-4m tall with many stems, young branches are bright red, and flowers are white to greenish in dense flat-topped clusters.

Fun Fact: This shrub provides extremely important browse for moose in the winter and the spring blooms are good food for songbirds and deer.