ERVCC is part of Bird Friendly Edmonton along with Nature Canada, Nature Alberta, Edmonton Nature Club, and others. We joined because the goals of the certification program by Nature Canada amplify the work of ERVCC in Edmonton. For more Information on Bird Friendly Edmonton and how to get involved look to this “Make a Difference” page .
Edmonton was the 8th city to be certified and we are certified at the lowest of three possible levels. We can easily improve by reducing pesticides, light pollution, feral cats, bird window strikes and more. We also need to keep protecting and connecting our ecological network. Together our coalition can help Edmonton become a more bird-friendly city. Learn more in the short video and then scroll down for a deeper dive.
A great activity for this time of year is the annual Christmas Bird Count. Started in 1900 the bird count is the longest-running North American participatory community science project. It’s a great way to survey the resident birds in your area! Join Edmonton’s efforts here.
Resources created by Bird Friendly London that could be useful for contacting business owners, property owners, cat owners and more. Thank you Bird Friendly London.
Ontario has tabled (for the third time since 2021) the Bird-Safe Windows Act, 2023 led by FLAP Canada.
Window Strikes
ERVCC has sourced a few shops in Edmonton where you can purchase materials to mitigate bird and window collisions. The science on window strike prevention has improved so please visit these stores. They have many bird-friendly window treatments (including Feather Friendly, Window Gems, Window Alert), bird safe nest boxes, bird baths, and eco-friendly bird feeders.
https://order.wbu.com/edmonton
https://www.wildbirdgeneralstore.com/
https://www.backyardbirdsnatureshop.ca/
https://meikasbirdhouse.com/
Backyard Birds Nature Shop in Spruce Grove and Meika’s Birdhouse in Sherwood Park offer products to promote backyard birding and creating a backyard bird habitat.
Biophilic Cities now has an entire section devoted to Bird Friendly Activities
ERVCC also supports the work of Pesticide Free Edmonton
Edmonton city council approved two policies on April 4 2022 that were long overdue:
Ending aerial spraying of wetlands around the city (which we’d been spending over half a million dollars a year on, during a global biodiversity crisis)
Committing to a 2023 cosmetic pesticide ban (preventing the non-essential use of pesticides). Sadly this initiative failed due to a “property rights” industry campaign that was well funded. Industry inundated council chambers some lawn “care” companies even posing as ordinary “concerned citizens”.
We must protect birds, dragonflies, and other species that naturally control mosquito populations. Edmonton has had an aerial mosquito spraying program since 1974. Canada and the US have lost nearly one third of bird populations since 1970. Scientific research points to the collapse in insect numbers as a main cause. The greatest decline has been in “aerial insectivores.” Bank swallows were once common in Edmonton’s river valley, but after a 98% decline in the last 40 years they are now a threatened species.
It is critical to recognize that we are in an interconnected climate, biodiversity, and health crisis. The best way to protect ourselves is through supporting healthy ecosystems.
If you come across helpful resources, please let us know. Send your ideas our way and sign up for ERVCC and Pesticide Free newsletters. Thank you Robert Dick for sending us this resource about, in essence, light pollution. THE WORLD AT NIGHT by the IUCN - Darksky Advisory Group has been released. You can download your free PDF of the book from the URL