“We are at immediate risk of losing this remarkable natural wonder forever.”
– John Lounds, President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy of Canada
– John Lounds, President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy of Canada
The Beaver Hills is home to hundreds of different species of wildlife and is globally important for a variety of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.
The Beaver Hills is the perfect place to get out and enjoy Alberta’s natural wonder and beauty. It is home to many provincial and national parks, including Elk Island National Park and the Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. The Beaver Hills also hosts approximately 300,000 annual visitors from within the Capital Region, across Canada and the globe.
The Beaver Hills Biosphere encompasses an area of 1,400-square-kilometers and is a place where urban and wild ecosystems converge. Thousands of permanent residents in the municipalities of Strathcona, Leduc, Beaver, Lamont, and Camrose call the Beaver Hills home. It’s an area recognized worldwide as an example of sustainable balance between conservation and development.
For years, the local communities have proudly advocated for the conservation of this ecological treasure. Residents and more than 30 organizations, worked together to successfully secure the area’s UNESCO designation as a Biosphere Reserve in 2016. This achievement recognizes the Beaver Hills as one of our world’s most uniquely valuable natural areas.