Waterton Park volunteer season kicks off

Waterton Lakes National Park encourages local residents and visitors to experience the Park first hand through volunteer opportunities. Programs in Waterton provide a range of opportunities for visitors of all group sizes and ages to become directly involved with park protection.

By volunteering, individuals can personally connect to Waterton by taking an active role to protect the ecological and cultural integrity of the park, while gaining an in-depth knowledge of the species found here and the issues facing them.

Parks Canada will kick off the volunteer season in Waterton with a get-together on Saturday, May 24, with the annual spring flowering plant count beginning at the Firehall followed by a BYO lunch at the Warden Office, followed by an overview of the volunteer season and orientations, followed by work in the Native Plant Gardens and Adopt-a-Patch program.

Here are some of this year’s volunteer opportunities:

• Limber Pine Monitoring - Tuesday, May 27 and Wednesday, May 28 / Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11

• Spring Bird Count — Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1

• Canada Day — Special Event Volunteers -Tuesday, July 1

• Wildflower and Native Grasses Seed Collection — Half-days, mid-July through September, times to be announced

• 21st annual Knapweed Rodeo — Saturday, July 26, Blakiston Fan

• Butterfly Count — Monday, July 28

• Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Science and History Day — Tuesday, July 29, Cameron Falls Theatre

• Whitebark Pine / Limber Pine Planting — One or two-day events, mid-September to mid-October, times to be announced

• Ride the Red Rock — Special event volunteers, Saturday, Sept. 27

• Christmas Season Bird Count — One day, mid-December, time to be announced

For more information on volunteering in Waterton, visit online at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/waterton-volunteer, or contact Dianne Pachal at dianne.pachal@pc.gc.ca, or 403-859-5107.