2025 was a busy year for us here at the Friends and this year, we’re looking forward to more of the same. Right now, we’re busy preparing for field season, which means processing seeds, cold stratifying them, and getting them planted in deep seedling trays for germination and growing in our new indoor grow tent. Stay tuned in future editions for more updates on our growing progress as well as how-tos on getting your own native plant garden started.
Upcoming Events
Each month, we host the Fish Creek Speaker Series featuring a different conservation talk and tickets are free for our members! March 19’s talk features Lori Beattie from Calgary’s Best Walks and in April you can look forward to learning all about how to set up a native plant garden of your own (date to be announced very soon). We’ve also got two volunteer open houses coming up! Stop by to see us on March 15 at the Bow Valley Ranch Visitor Centre and March 29 at the Environmental Learning Centre at Shannon Terrace.
Water Conservation and Native Species
Did the recent water main break give you flashbacks to recent water restrictions? What if we told you that there’s a way to drought-proof your garden that has a ton of other benefits too, like supporting local pollinators and insects – and along with that, the whole spectrum of biological life? The answer to a vibrant garden all through the summer, no matter how dry, isn’t storing barrels and barrels of water – it’s establishing native plants in your garden! Native grasses and flowers have deep root systems, and their efficient water usage will help keep your garden flourishing through even the driest of dry spells. Not only that, but native plants are also very hardy in our Calgary environment—almost like they were made for it.
This spring, we’ll be offering free seeds for select native species through our Grow with Us project, so don’t wait to sign up to receive updates and free seeds, plus learn how to get your very own native plant garden started.
Volunteering With The Friends
Thinking about doing some volunteering this spring and summer? We have a variety of opportunities available, from behind-the-scenes administrative work to outreach and education and getting your hands (literally) dirty doing seed processing, seed planting, and once the summer rolls around, planting mature rescued plants in the Bow Valley Ranch grasslands. You can find more information on our website or send an email requesting details to the address listed at the end of this article.
Coming Up: Fish Creek Day Camp!
Something new (and exciting) is coming this summer! For all those young explorers and outdoor enthusiasts, Fish Creek Day Camp is the place to be this July and August. If you have kiddos in your life who would love to attend day camp in the park this summer, keep an eye out for pre-registration starting in March.
Want to stay in touch with us? Follow us on Instagram or Facebook @fishcreekpp or check out our website at www.friendsoffishcreek.org to keep on top of the latest Friends news, including day camp registrations opening up.
Questions about our programs or membership? Email us at [email protected].
