Plant Trees for BiodiverCity

In honor of Edmonton's annual BiodiverCity Challenge, Nature Alberta and Root for Trees are teaming up for an incredible day of tree planting and citizen science on June 11th. Select your time slot: 9:30 am - 12:00 pm, or 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm.

The safety of our guests/volunteers and staff is our highest priority. Safety protocols will be shared with volunteers onsite, and will follow all provincial health restrictions. Participants are welcome to wear masks if they would like. The entire event will take place outside. In registering for this opportunity, volunteers agree to abide by the instructions and safety related rules while participating in this project. If you are feeling unwell please do not attend.

What to expect: we will split into 3 groups of a maximum of 30 people each. Group 1 will join Root for Trees for a guided tree planting volunteer experience. Group 2 will get their hands dirty pulling some weeds with Edmonton's Integrated Pest Management team. Group 3 will join Nature Alberta as we explore what citizen science is, why it's important, and add our own observations to iNaturalists and eBird. Each group will rotate to a new station every 45 min.

Event logistics:

We will be outdoors, so please dress for the weather! Working in a natural area, it is possible that you may encounter thistles, sticks, or garbage. Consider dressing in layers, long pants, and a hat. You must wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes, such as runners. Volunteers may not participate in planting activities if they wear inappropriate footwear, such as sandals, flip-flops, or high heel shoes.

Remember to bring a water bottle and snacks, as planting trees can be a very physical activity! We suggest you bring sunscreen, bug spray, and anything else that will make your volunteer shift an enjoyable experience. Root for Trees will supply the shovels, gloves, and plants.

There will be a porta potty on site.

Individually wrapped snacks and refreshments will be available.

What you need:

- your own full water bottle to reduce waste

- sturdy, closed toed footwear is required to take part in tree planting efforts

- appropriate attire for the weather

- sunscreen and bugspray will be necessary

- mask (optional)

- iNaturalist app predownloaded on your mobile device (optional)

We will provide:

- gloves

- shovels

- plants

Location Notes

Location: Rundle Park

- Rundle Park is located in the north east of Edmonton, beside the North Saskatchewan River. The winding trail system will take you around the beautiful park. Root for Trees will be planting trees and shrubs along the naturalized, sloped areas to add diversity to the landscape. We will meet at Sledding Hill (A).

Park Address:

- 2909 113 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5W 4S1

Parking information:

- There are parking lots throughout the park, with the closest one being directly south of the sledding hill. Map link - https://goo.gl/maps/u7cyhiAhMuf7dhHXA

Directions to site & Meeting location:

- Rundle Park is easily accessed from Rundle Park Road NW.

- There will be a registration tent at Sledding Hill A. Your program leader will meet you here and guide you to your planting site.

Park Amenities:

- various sporting courts (ex. ball diamonds, horseshoe pits, soccer and football fields)

- Paddleboat rentals

- Picnic sites

- Playground

- Walking and cycling trails

Citizen Science Info

Did you know that you can contribute to science by simply taking a picture of a flower, shrub, ladybug, spider, or any other species you find outside and uploading it to the iNaturalist app on your phone? To find out more about citizen science, and how to get started with iNaturalist, visit https://naturealberta.ca/citizen-science/. We will be learning how to use iNaturalist together on our nature walk, so having them downloaded and ready to go will help you get the most out of your guided Citizen Science Nature Walk.

Please contact Steph at info@naturealberta.ca or 780-427-8124 if you have any issues registering or require further information.