The Entire River Valley in Edmonton holds incredible richness culturally and ecologically
This page is to help us understand places like Whitemud Ravine Preserve, Rossdale, and others, so special we must tell their stories over and over. Let us know if there are stories you would like shared so we can all better appreciate the legacy we have been entrusted with—a legacy we are responsible for passing on to future generations.
Whitemud Ravine
To know the Ravine, you must know Wayne Oaks. Read about the ravine below and get to know one of its strongest stewards.
Edmonton nature photographer Wayne Oakes eyeing up his next shot in Edmonton's river valley. (Rick Brenmess/CBC)
Some links to help you get to know Whitemud Ravine and Wayne Oaks aka “Whitemud Wayne”:
An overview of the park in written form
Rossdale
Watch this short YouTube film by Jordan Delorme. It is straight up and invites you into the specialness and sacredness of all land by giving the viewer a better understanding of Rossdale.
South-Facing River Valley Slopes
Many south-facing slopes in Edmonton’s river valley hold rare and beautiful plant species. Some are plants that have persisted despite over 200 years of non-Indigenous land management. We'll keep the location a bit vague to protect the innocent!
Top left to bottom right: 1) Super special plant called skeleton plant. No, not rush skeleton weed but skeleton plant. It is rare to nonexistent in Edmonton and likely at its northernmost range. Here is a short video from Montana explaining the difference between the two plants. 2) Sage, and to ensure we are explaining which kind of sage, allow us a bit of Latin, this is Artemisia ludoviciana. 3) Northern bedstraw. Pretty common in our valley but always worth a sniff! 4) Okay, quiz time: it has a milky sap and forms pods in fall. Monarchs lay their babies on it so they have a ready meal once hatched. 5) Blue Gramma Grass. Pretty little eyelashes! 6) Quiz: name the grass or sedge and name the pink flower (top right of photo).
There have been so many losses of special places in the river valley; we need to understand how special the whole river valley is so that we do not lose more.