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The following short article appeared in the October 3, 2025 newsletter of the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition (ERVCC) ( http://eepurl.com/joInYE) : Blackfoot knowledge-keeper Ryan First Diver has posted many videos on YouTube as part of his phenology course in Lethbridge. This past summer one of the videos he posted deals with " combative stewardship ."  This is the term he has given to land conservation that labels plant or animal species “invasive” or “noxious.” He reminds...

By Patsy Cotterill Our profiled shrub for this issue is twining honeysuckle ( Lonicera dioica ), chosen because it is the subject of some excellent photos by Patrick Kyle and Manna Parseyan, the colours of which will serve to brighten up our winter days.  It is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, which is characterized by having everything in pairs: paired opposite leaves, flowers and fruits. In Alberta the family is represented by two genera of shrubs: Lonicera , the...

By Patsy Cotterill Persicaria  (smartweeds) and Polygonum (knotweeds) are the other two genera in the buckwheat or dock family whose representatives we commonly encounter in the Parkland, apart from Rumex,  the docks. ( See Part 1 ) Persicaria – the smartweeds Originally species of Persicaria  and Polygonum  were included in the single genus Polygonum , and the key characters used to separate the two are not distinctly different. However, the smartweeds tend to bear their flowers in dense...