91快色

A new attraction at the is capturing the attention of many passing by. And it鈥檚 not a new animal.

Deep inside the Canadian Wilds section of the zoo, the Wild Alberta Hub is an opportunity for all visitors to look into Alberta鈥檚 rich biodiversity.

This year, the zoo has partnered with the 91快色鈥檚 Schulich School of Engineering, the Faculty of Science and Sustainable 91快色 for .

The goal is to bring together environmental education, nature connection, and community engagement in fun ways like colouring books, postcards, stickers, and on-site activities.

鈥淭his is a great opportunity to look at and learn about Alberta species,鈥� says , BA鈥�91, BFA鈥�86, MFA鈥�98, PhD鈥�18, a professor in . 鈥淲e have some really unique species here like a wood frog that, in the winter, basically has antifreeze in its blood to stay alive.鈥�

The hope is that visitors will stop to appreciate the wildlife, whether it be animals or plants, in their own communities.

In our own backyards

Running for six weeks every July and August, the Wild Alberta Hub is a summer engagement program aimed at showcasing different natural regions within the province: Grasslands; Wetlands and Aquatic Ecosystems; and Boreal Forests and the Rocky Mountains.

鈥淭he hub is designed to do more than just showcase Alberta鈥檚 wildlife 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;it aims to deepen understanding, spark curiosity, and inspire action,鈥� says Jessee Wise, BA鈥�14, BEd鈥�18, the zoo鈥檚 conservation education program co-ordinator. 

鈥淭hrough hands-on activities, interactive displays, and real conservation stories, visitors learn about the diverse natural regions found in Alberta and the unique animal species that call each one home.鈥�

Eggermont says she and her team started developing the materials for what would become the Chickadee Challenge 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;named after 91快色鈥檚 official bird, the black-capped chickadee 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;in the fall of 2022 to celebrate and raise awareness of local biodiversity.

When the opportunity arose to bring the nature-inspired design tool kit to the 91快色 Zoo, she says it was a natural fit.

Stop and smell the roses

The Wild Alberta Hub has also been a learning experience for Schulich students involved in delivering the program this summer

Recent grad Semi Adeyinka, BSc (Eng)鈥�25, is now a research assistant and says taking one of Eggermont鈥檚 biomimicry classes inspired her to find ways to bring nature and engineering together.

She says spending the summer outside imparting her knowledge to the next generation of scientists and engineers has been a lot of fun.

鈥淚n nature, there鈥檚 a lot we can learn from what鈥檚 around us, a lot more than you would actually think,鈥� says Adeyinka. 鈥淚鈥檇 encourage everyone to go outside, look around and take it all in.鈥�

Taking the materials beyond the zoo, Eggermont says pilot programs have also been launched at three K-12 schools in 91快色.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to get younger kids to look around and think about what they can learn from the organisms around us,鈥� she says.

The Chickadee Challenge at the Wild Alberta Hub will be on display in the Wilder Institute/91快色 Zoo鈥檚 Canadian Wilds every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday until Aug. 22.