Located along the Bow River, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary remains an active urban sanctuary, a protected natural space within the city where wildlife and people coexist.
Within the 36-hectare wildlife reserve, visitors can witness hundreds of bird species and find peace along two kilometres of walking trails.
The sanctuary, found in the heart of Calgary’s oldest district, is a unique pocket of wilderness, one place where wildlife and people can come and breathe fresh air, in the middle of a city of 1.3 million people.
The City of Calgary reports that more than 270 bird species have been recorded at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.
The sanctuary is a genuinely significant urban ecosystem in Alberta and a destination for bird watchers, photographers, and regular walkers.
An ecologist’s perspective
“It’s an important urban habitat,” said Matt Wallace, Calgary’s Christmas Bird Count coordinator and urban ecologist, in an interview with the Calgary Journal. “One of the main reasons why we have so many different species coming through Calgary is that they’re following the river networks.
As they come up the Bow, they pretty much find themselves situated right here at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.”
The Bow River is the sanctuary’s lifeblood, nourishing its trees, shaping its wetlands, and sustaining its diversity.
“It’s not only a migratory pathway where birds can navigate and find themselves here,” Wallace said, “but it’s a really important aspect of the sanctuary in terms of the vegetation that exists here, which is mainly composed of balsam poplar. It provides an abundance of habitat for lots of different species.”
Balsam Poplar, a native river-valley tree, helps prevent erosion with its roots. The tree branches provide shade and nesting space for birds, helping sustain biodiversity in the area.
Even in the coldest months, this refuge buzzes with life. “It’s also really great for waterfowl in the wintertime, where we have open water almost year-round here,” Wallace said.
“These are overwintering grounds for lots of different waterfowl that are hanging out here on the cold days.”
Calgary’s rapid urban growth poses new challenges. “As the city grows, we find more pressure on natural areas like this, from the amount of people in the space to the amount of traffic on the outside,” Wallace said. “We also have concerns like noise pollution… whether that’s Deerfoot on the other side of the river or even the planes flying over here.”
A large industrial area sits a few blocks away from the sanctuary, with its ecological impact unknown.
Community involvement
For their part, visitors play a crucial role in caring for the sanctuary.
“The best thing you can do is always stay on the trail,” Wallace said. “Look, love, but stay on the trails… There are lots of sensitive habitats here and restoration work that’s constantly happening. When you stay on the trail, you avoid disturbing that.”
Despite these pressures, the sanctuary continues to flourish.
Wallace, like many other scientists, sees citizen science – where ordinary people take part in ecological research – as part of the way forward for studying wildlife in Calgary.
“There’s an immense amount of data coming from the public now where researchers can actually understand what’s occurring,” Wallace said. “It’s about accessibility. We’re getting people engaged with nature and helping them understand it more.”
Events like the Christmas Bird Count, which has been happening for 74 years in Calgary, epitomize this partnership. “We have about 400 people that participate,” Wallace said.
“They’re scouring parks and urban areas, and others are observing birds at their feeders. What we’re trying to do is conduct a census of all of the birds within the circle.”
Interested birders can sign up for the next Calgary Christmas Bird Count that takes place on Dec. 14.
For Wallace, stewardship is what keeps places like Inglewood available. “We all have a responsibility to help manage, improve, and sustain these areas,” he said. “Just because it’s a city park doesn’t mean the city is the only one responsible. There are tons of opportunities for people to get involved.”
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is not simply a habitat for wildlife. It represents how Calgarians respect coexistence with nature.
The hum of the city gives way to the rustle of wings, and a subtle message emerges: nature exists at the city’s centre.
PHOTO: GREG DERER
