MBTCS News & Updates
MBTCS newsletter: your gateway to Bluebird conservation in Southern Alberta
Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of a meaningful movement dedicated to preserving the enchanting spectacle of bluebirds in Southern Alberta. Join us in making a lasting impact on our local environment!
Summary of MBTCS Annual General Meeting
The Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society (MBTCS) held its 2023 Annual General Meeting on April 6, 2024, at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge. The meeting, chaired by MBTCS President Jim Leitch, was attended by 43 members both in-person and via Zoom.
Trail Rejuvenation in Crowsnest Pass
An update from our Trail Master Steven Shumborski on trail redevelopment in the Crowsnest Pass. The work was coordinated around nesting season to minimize disturbance and resulted in the first 33 renovated boxes being installed on September 20, 2022.
Amazing Teen Race event assembles nest boxes in Crowsnest Pass
We are always thrilled to hear from members with creative ideas to build awareness about Mountain Bluebird Conservation. Earlier this year we were contacted by a teacher from the Livingstone Range School Division to see if we could provide materials for an upcoming community event.
Spring Orientation a Success
We are happy to report another successful spring orientation took place on Saturday June 5, 2022. There were 13 members present to learn the fundamentals of being a great Trail Monitor with the Mountain Bluebird Conservation Society (MBTCS).
President’s Spring Report
Spring is finally in the air with the return of the stunning mountain bluebird. We had an early sighting from one of our local members here in Lethbridge on April 2 at the Popson Park picnic shelter. There were also other sightings in other parts of the province as early as mid-March.
Mountain Bluebirds, the ideal farm tenant
Mountain Bluebirds are great neighbours! Bluebirds provide natural pest control. They are insectivorous - which means they love to eat Coleopterans (beetles), Orthopterans (grasshoppers, crickets), Arachnids (spiders), and Lepidopterans (primarily caterpillars), and other insects. They prefer habitat that is sparsely treed grasslands with suitable cavity nest locations.
Reader’s Digest Feature Post: Saving Canada’s Mountain Bluebird
As a member of the Calgary Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society, Ron Reist maintains more than 480 bluebird boxes along a 250-kilometre round-trip trail.
Oldman Watershed Council Feature Post: There’s a Snake in my Nest Box!
I remember the first time I found a snake in a nest box. Looking back, it was probably a plains garter snake with a distinct yellow stripe from tip to tail, but 12-year-old me didn’t care. I sprinted from the fence line back to the road…
Monitoring Bluebirds
It’s been an eventful summer full of learning opportunities for Diane Burt-Stuckey, an MD of Pincher Creek resident. She has been monitoring a trail of mountain bluebird nest boxes through the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society.
Share your MBTCS History
As our 50th anniversary approaches we are asking for you to share your stories, photos, and history of the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society! Help us document our history and the impact over the years.