Perspectives from Pigeon Lake

This video was created by Hugh and Marg Sanders, who live at Pigeon Lake.

When Stones Remember Us

"The cemetery of St. Peter's Lutheran Church on Hwy 53: we harvest what earlier generations planted. What might the next generations receive when stones remember us?"

-Alan Richards

Shells

"Shells by the shore -- a reminder to me of the many creatures that live as unseen neighbours. I'd like to learn more about creatures in the water."

-Marilylle Soveran

Connections from Saskatchewan

Connections from Saskatchewan

This is a picture of a landscape near my hometown of Turtleford, Saskatchewan. A three and a half hour drive away from Camrose, I have rarely considered the connections between here and there. These connections are, however, profound. Many of the same issues that face the Battle River watershed also face Turtleford and area. The Turtle River (more of a creek, really) flows through Turtleford before reaching the North Saskatchewan River to the south. Though the Turtle and Battle rivers are part of separate sub-basins, they are both part of a greater whole: most immediately, the North Saskatchewan River Basin. Two landscapes that I had previously viewed as vastly different and disconnected from one another are really intimately connected. This realization has taught me that all our actions have consequences that go far beyond our immediate surroundings. When it comes to water, these consequences can literally flow from community to community, province to province, and even around the world.

-Sarah Skinner

Wolf Creek Fall

Wolf Creek Fall

This picture was taken 200m from the historic C&E Trail. The deadfall is from beaver activity. Typically this area floods in the spring. The land owners keep riparian vegetation healthy and allow only temporary access for grazing and watering. They have achieved a good balance.

-Shayne Steffen

Photo by Wayne Ungstad

The Eagle

This is who I answer to.

-Wayne Ungstad

Sunken Bridge

Sunken Bridge

On the right hand side of the picture there is evidence of the old bridge supports of an original crossing of the Battle River at a location 1 ½ miles west of Ponoka. This bridge was replaced by a sunken bridge which is a concrete crossing (with a series of culverts to allow flow) that allows flood water to go over the bridge. (Obviously the sunken bridge is closed during floods)

-Shayne Steffen

Comments from the Augustana PhotoVoice Event

I really love how this creates a sense of personal experience!

As farmers water is very important and water paths are very noted especially when the creek is dry or stopped by development.

I didn't see any direct message in the photos (what do you want me to learn?). The pictures were amazing!

Awesome pictures. One shows just how low the water table is.

This was a very interesting display, provoked a lot of discussion. I would love to meet more of the people.

It's nice to see intimiate photos of our environment. Very beautiful, makes us appreciate it more.

Showing the people and kids how animals interact with the environment - reminds you of its importance.

The use of photographs makes it much more engaging, rather than relying on text.

It was nice to wee the different perspectives, through all the neat pictures throughout the season. "Water," "Battle River Valley," and "Grouse Loop" were all neat.

Would be nice if the photographers could be at the display. Makes the event more significant and personal.

Strongest reaction: kids playing in Stoney Creek - inspired discussion about outdoor play

Good pics :)

It makes people stop and learn something most probably don't know about.

The photos are exquisite... really bring it home how important it is to protect our watersheds.

Looking at all the pictures of Stoney Creek made me want to put on my rubber boots and go exploring! Who knew that all these photographed places are so close?

The pamphlet (FAQ sheet) was the most informative part. Good idea to capture people's attention with real life photos. It makes you think about the positive and negative effects we are having on the watershed.

Most of these pictures represent the beauty we have in our backyard. These pictures are perfect examples of why it is so important to preserve our envrionment.

I really enjoyed talking to Bettina about the project and getting her perspective of the project and of the process. Thank you!

I find this exhibition to be an excellent way to share storeis about such an important source of water. Thank you. I would love to see a project to take place in the schools and seniors centres. It would be remarkable to see the differences in perceptions. It would be lovely to go beyond and have an opportunity for elders and youth to share their stories with one another. Increasing understanding and decreasing barriers.

The photos are beautiful and an amazing way to get your point across.

What a great idea to draw people into learning about a subject by showing them beautiful pics of a place they may not be informed about! (the cookies help too!!)

The captions of the photos were really great. And great pictures.

Rock Pile

Rock Pile

These are things we have thrown away and forgotten. Here, barbed wire is coiled neatly and left to rust into nothing. It was thrown away with care at a time when we didn’t know better.

You have to be careful in a rock pile. When you turn over a rock, you can never be sure what is under it. We have embarked on a mission to renew, to make watersheds healthy again, and to change our paradigm to acknowledge that everything we do has an impact. But as we turn over stones, we are going to find things that we didn’t know about, things that happened in the past that might shock us. We could tear our hair at the thought of the thoughtlessness that has gone before us. But was it intentional? I look at these careful coils. They weren’t left loose to entangle a deer in its tentacles. Pointing a finger is a waste of a hand that could be better employed working for change.

I once spoke to a father who joined their child on the family day activities of a summer camp. Groups of families fanned out in a riparian area along a river and he commented that if you had asked him before, he would have thought the mown area leading down to the river, secured by rip rap and populated by picnic tables was a nice place to spend a summer afternoon. But we had taken them all a little further up the trail where willows grew in, surrounded by wild roses and rough fescue grasses. We said look again. Look differently. He continued, saying that he wouldn’t see these areas the same way ever again. But it’s an important distinction that this is new information. For the generation of kids, this is knowledge they have at their fingertips at a young age and it is not new. It just is. There are some to whom this perception of the value of riparian areas is not new knowledge, but to some it is only just developing. For some there is a paradigm that is shifting and a new awareness awakening.

I don’t see any shiny, newly coiled wire in this rock pile.

-Erin Murphy-Thompson

The Watershed

The watershed:

When I see this photo, it elicits positive emotions. The photo of the watershed gives me a sense of calmness and relaxation, and I find the S shape of the watershed fascinating.

-Bukala A.