BLESS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
STEWARDSHIP AND PUBLIC INFORMATION
Successfully nominated Big Lake for the Special Places 2000 program
Successfully nominated Big Lake for the Important Bird Areas program
In 2002 started a routine series of inspections of the BLNA as part of the volunteer stewardship duties.
In 2002 with City of St. Albert started the Sturgeon River Cleanup, now the Clean and Green RiverFest
In 2005 was appointed by Alberta Parks to be the official stewards of Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park.
In 2005 helped fund and participated in a River Edge Enhancement Project for the Sturgeon River in St. Albert.
In 2004 received a grant to conduct a Breeding Bird Survey of Big Lake (see our reports page).
In 2013 we received a grant to have a professional botanist produce a rare and endangered plant survey of LHCPP, and a plant survey to act as a baseline for Alberta Parks (see our reports page).
BLESS was instrumental in getting over $170,000 of provincial funding to rebuild the very popular BLESS Observation Platform.
BLESS was instrumental in getting over $20,000 of provincial funding to rebuild the Log Cabin that started life in 1895 as the NWMP detachment office in St. Albert.
We continue to write and make public numerous position papers on environmental issues pertaining to the Big Lake environs.
We sit on the Sturgeon River Watershed Alliance Technical Advisory Committee.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
In 1996, BLESS was honoured to receive the Alberta Emerald Award for Environmental Excellence.
In 2005, BLESS was awarded the Steward Service Excellence Award, the provincial government's most prestigious stewardship award. Alberta Community Development presents only one of these awards annually to the most deserving official steward.
In 2023 BLESS Directors Lyn and Tony Druett were awarded the St. Albert Community Recognition Award for their tireless work with BLESS.
EDUCATION
Every summer, using summer students, BLESS conducts a free Nature Interpretation Program for children. See our Facebook page for details of this program. It runs in July and August.
BLESS has produced plant, bird and animal guides for Lois Hole Provincial Park (available at the Museum in City Hall)
BLESS has celebrated International Migratory Bird Day since 2018 at LHCPP.
Dan Stoker and our Heron mascot with kids on the Sturgeon River
The log cabin was the first permanent home of the Summer Nature program
Jillian on opening day, 2016
In 2020 the Summer Nature program had to move to the Park due to COVID
Alberta Parks Interpreter showing kids water bugs
A brief history of our Summer Nature program
MONITORING AND DATA COLLECTION
As provincial stewards of Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, BLESS regularly monitors and reports on conditions and activities around Big Lake.
In 2005 BLESS commissioned a Breeding Bird Survey of Big Lake.
BLESS commissioned a rare plant survey of Lois Hole Park in 2013BLESS implemented a water quality monitoring program in 2006 that obtained baseline water quality data for Big Lake, its inlets and outlet.
BLESS members have maintained 10 years of Bird Count records for the Big Lake area
BLESS members have collected water level measurements of Big Lake for Alberta Environment
CAPITAL PROJECTS
With partners, and provincial lottery funds BLESS designed and built a viewing platform on Big Lake
With partners, BLESS constructed a picnic shelter along the Red Willow Park Trail near the St. Albert Rugby Club
BLESS facilitated provincial funding so the City could rebuild the failing log cabin that BLESS used for the Summer Nature Program.
BLESS facilitated provincial funding that helped the City of St. Albert rebuild the viewing platform.
BLESS helped facilitate signage related to bird species typically found on Big Lake on the viewing platform
The BLESS Shelter on Red Willow Trail by Rotary Park
City inspectors review the final rebuild on the log cabin, 2015
The BLESS platform in the middle of rebuilding, 2020