Adam Martinson

AJM’s Fisheries Biologist, Hillary Keyes, recounts her recent adventures in Belize.

The past few years in the month of March, you would have found me on a frozen Alberta lake with a tiny rod, jigging for any of our resident trout species or yellow perch, sometimes with a tip-up baited for northern pike nearby. It’s the last real month of ice fishing before the ice breaks away, opening creeks and rivers that weave down our Eastern Slopes, marking the beginning of spring fly fishing season.

Grasslands are one of six natural regions defined by Alberta Environment and Parks, with the other five being the Foothills, Parkland, Boreal, Canadian Shield, and Rocky Mountain Natural Regions. Although grasslands may appear homogeneous or plain (pun intended), they are home to a variety of native grasses and flowers with pops of colour that would shock you!

It is winter here in Alberta, Canada and we are dreaming of warmer temperatures. To turn the thermostat up a few notches, AJM’s Biologist, John Rich, transports us to the remote beaches of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in this latest post about his past work with endangered Marine Turtles!

In case you missed it, here’s yet another cheesy Christmas letter from the AJM family to yours! We hope you all had a merry Christmas, are enjoying the rest of the holiday season and have a happy New Year!

Although you were trying to avoid yet another copy/paste \’Happy Holidays\’ email, we just couldn\’t help ourselves. We\’d like to invite you to sit back, relax, and try to decide if you should report this as \’email phishing\’ while we natter on about 2021…

Alberta’s grasslands are an iconic eco-region and productive both agriculturally and industrially. These rangelands are home to some of Alberta’s charismatic wildlife species like the burrowing owl, sharp-tailed grouse, pronghorn antelope, and the majority of our resident snake species. Snakes lives the majority of their lives unseen and, when they do show up, elicit a range of human responses from phobia to adoration. In spite of their polarizing social perception, snakes are an integral part of ecosystems, regulating prey populations, and most notably, curbing the number of rodent pests. They are also species-at-risk whose survival hinges on maintaining critical habitat and navigating an expanding network of human infrastructure. So, who are these snakes in the grass, and how is AJM contributing to their management?

Alberta is home to more than 50 fish species, many of which complete lengthy migrations between wintering, feeding and spawning habitats. These migrations can occur seasonally or annually, and they can (for some species, at least) include incredible treks over 100 km. Unfortunately, some road crossings have the potential to negatively influence the ability of Alberta’s fish species to migrate between important habitats.

Alberta is home to an impressive variety of flora and fauna. One of the fauna groups that often tends to get overlooked are amphibians. Amphibians are animals that have life stages that occur both aquatically and terrestrially. One of their most prominent features is their permeable skin that allows them to regulate moisture and gas exchange (breathing!). This awesome adaption also leaves them prone to impacts from pollution, low water quality, desiccation (drying), and disease. Due to this, they are used globally as indicator species and are an excellent tool for gauging ecosystem health.