We love to see people in the river valley! Our events support nature connection and are generally available to everyone - contact us if you have questions about accessibility or are interested in getting involved with our next event.
Friends of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society is an independent Canadian charity based in Lethbridge, Alberta, offering public benefit to our community by advancing education on the local natural environment through events, programs, publications, and workshops.
We are actively involved in our community, promoting the importance of nature appreciation and connection. However, our Society does not offset the capital and operational requirements of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. Instead we provide enhancements, for the benefit of the community, that would not otherwise be available. We help make the Nature Centre an even better public resource!
If you are interested in Helen Schuler Nature Centre's upcoming programs, exhibits, and special events, please visit their website at: nature.lethbridge.ca
Ken and Deb will take us along on their Nordic adventure in this inspiring travel talk, featuring stops in Norway, Iceland and finally Newfoundland.
Seasoned adventure traveller, Joanna Fraser, is back to talk about her first specialized birding tour; this talk comes with tips for planning your own birding-abroad adventure!
We are delighted to host popular local filmmaker, Rick Andrews, for the premiere of his two latest short films: American Bison and Sandhill Cranes. This is a Canada and U.S.A. wildlife adventure, not to be missed. A Q&A with the filmmaker will follow.
The Word on the Street Festival is a signature event in southern Alberta that presents established and emerging authors, storytellers, workshops, and other online activities. Since 2017 we have sponsored an author reading and presentation to ensure important environmental topics are part of the event. In 2024 we are proud to support author Lorne Fitch and their new book Travels Up the Creek: A Biologist’s Search for a Paddle.
Discover the amazing wildlife of Waterton Lakes National Park! This stunning presentation offers an impressive collection of photos by John Krampl captured across every season. You will discover the incredible biodiversity and natural beauty of Waterton. We are confident this presentation will encourage you to plan a visit to see the wildlife for yourself!
Are you curious about the contrasts of the land down under? Discover some of Tasmania’s hikes in remote areas.
Are you interested in sustainable travel? Explore the ups and down of a cycling holiday in Europe. Learn how sustainable traveling can be done!
The Word on the Street Festival is a signature event in southern Alberta that presents established and emerging authors, storytellers, workshops, and other online activities. Since 2017 we have sponsored an author reading and presentation to ensure important environmental topics are part of the event. In 2023 we are proud to support author John Vaillant and their new book Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast.
The Word on the Street Festival is a signature event in southern Alberta that presents established and emerging authors, storytellers, workshops, and other online activities. Since 2017 we have sponsored an author reading and presentation to ensure important environmental topics are part of the event. In 2022 we are proud to support author Maude Barlow and their new book Still Hopeful.
Join local birding enthusiast & Lethbridge Christmas Bird Count Organizer Ken Orich in this engaging online presentation about the winter birds of Southern Alberta. Learn some tips on how to identify common species and how you can participate in Lethbridge Christmas Bird Count 2021!
Join local naturalist & citizen scientist Dorothy Graham in this engaging online presentation about the upcoming City Nature Challenge in Lethbridge. Learn some tips on how to use the iNaturalist app to identify common species and how you can contribute to our understanding of local biodiversity year-round!
Join local artist Elaine Henderson for this beautiful exploration of her exhibition on display in the Community Art Gallery at the Nature Centre! We will explore the artists' approach and philosophy, some memorable creative moments, and the importance of connecting to place.
Join local naturalist & citizen scientist Dorothy Graham in this engaging online presentation about iNaturalist in preparation for the upcoming City Nature Challenge in Lethbridge. Learn how to use iNaturalist and some tips on how to use the app to identify common species. This is a way for you to contribute to our understanding of local biodiversity!
We are a proud signatory of the Lethbridge Plays Charter! Join us to learn more about the importance of play to everyday life at the Lethbridge Play Summit 2021! This special event will bring together educators, researchers, parents, students, and policy-makers to learn from each other.
Join local birding enthusiast & Lethbridge Christmas Bird Count Organizer Ken Orich in this engaging online presentation about the winter birds of Southern Alberta. Learn some tips on how to identify common species and how you can participate in Lethbridge Christmas Bird Count 2020!
This 1 hour live presentation will provide an overview of the snake species living in Lethbridge. Learn how to coexist with snakes in our city. As well as what to expect as the seasons change & snakes migrate back to their winter den sites.
Join us for the online film premiere two years in the making! “Avian Summer" is a locally produced wildlife documentary by Rick Andrews featuring a variety of migratory birds that fly into Southern Alberta each spring. In the weeks that follow, they will need to find a mate, and successfully raise the next generation, before migrating south again in the fall. You have the option to digitally rent or purchase the film to enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.
Join experienced wilderness explorers to learn more about the amazing Kootenay Plains! Derry Armstrong is also a parks and trail planner who has spent extensive time helping people to connect with this montane area. Shielded within the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains, this unique grassland and forest mosaic is home to many species of rare plants, provides important habitat for wildlife and has been a culturally significant area for thousands of years. This presentation will provide a unique perspective about the importance of connecting to place.
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.
Join best-selling 'Birds of Alberta' author and popular keynote speaker Chris Fisher for a worldwide journey for birds and for meaning. For more than five years, Chris worked as lecturer on ships in which he explored every continent and over 160 ports around the world. From Alaska to the Antarctic and Stockholm to Samoa, birds (and other wildlife) were a constant, yet ever changing companion to his voyages. This presentation will not only be a natural history showcase, but it will also reveal how wildlife encounters enrich our lives and have become meaningful symbols for cultures past and present.
Join Carol and Rick as they take you along on a recent adventure to the Peruvian cities of Lima and Cusco before continuing on through the Inca Sacred Valley to the archaeological sites of Chinchero and Ollantaytambo. From there, ascend with them into the Andes Mountains to the 15th century Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. The adventure will conclude with a visit to the amazing Iguazu Falls straddling the borders of Argentina and Brazil.
PLAY! Summit will bring together educators, researchers, parents, students, and policy-makers to learn from each other.
Australia and New Zealand are two destinations that have long fascinated naturalists, botanists, and bird watchers. With their wildlife and flora evolving largely in isolation, these two nations are home to some of the world's most incredible species and some of the world's most beautiful birds. Having lived and traveled in these places, Lyndon will be bringing you a colourful, lively presentation about some of these country's most spectacular and wonderful birds.
The four species of snakes that make their home at Writing-on-Stone will be the topic at our public presentation: the bullsnake, Alberta's only constrictor; two species of garter snakes; and rattlesnakes, which are considered the province's only venomous snake. These four snake species make up a significant number of Writing-On-Stone's reptile population. Join Naturalist Ken Moore to learn many of the interesting and fascinating facts about these species.
Learn all about the only snake species in Alberta considered potentially dangerous to humans: rattlesnakes. Join Naturalist Ken Moore to find out about their lives, their needs, their lifestyle, and how to protect yourself from this valuable member of our environment.
Interested in learning more about snakes in Lethbridge? Want to know how you can stay safe while living in rattlesnake territory? Find out about snakes that live in Lethbridge, where you might find them, how to tell the difference, and what you can do to minimize conflict with these interesting creatures.
The University of Lethbridge’s unique coulee location puts us right in the heart of things and we often enjoy wildlife on campus. One coulee dweller who might concern us is the rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes are out and about, and the Friends of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society will offer a session filled with excellent information about our slithering neighbours, as well as give tips and tricks for co-existing in peace. Bring your lunch and join us for this session!
