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By Coreen Putman
If the words Nature Centre conjure up thoughts of some small, dark building filled with a random mix of old displays and found nature objects, the Helen Schuler Nature Centre is going to make you rethink what a Nature Centre experience can be! The newly renovated and expanded building features bright, open spaces with incredible views of the surrounding cottonwood forest, coulees, and world famous CP Rail High Level Bridge. The modernized building demonstrates sustainable building practices and is targeting a gold rating in the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
You will find yourself thinking about water conservation, land conservation, and eco-friendly building design in the most unexpected places. Over 30 unique and stunning displays are integrated right into the building. The main gallery features new exhibits, which are interactive, fun and play-based for kids. A community art gallery rounds out the indoor experience; showing off what the local art community has to offer. Every trip to the Nature Centre offers something new and different. You never know what you will discover, but their tag line promises that you will “Discover It Here”!
No trip to the Helen Schuler Nature Centre is complete until you find yourself sitting at eye level with the porcupines and songbirds in the canopy of the cottonwoods. The Prairie Roof, southern Alberta’s first and only fully accessible living roof, sponsored by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, is an experience like no other. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, the central feature of the building. So sit back, relax, and drink in the views.
Make sure you plan an extra day or two into your trip. The Nature Centre is only one of several incredible Lethbridge attractions nestled in the Oldman River Valley. Just a short walk to the south you will find yourself in historic Indian Battle Park. What’s more, you are only minutes away from Fort Whoop Up, The Galt Museum & Archives, and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. You could easily spend two days wandering through these attractions, all of which are situated on the edge of the downtown and the Oldman River Valley park system.
If the great outdoors is what calls you, Lethbridge boasts one of the largest natural park areas in a Canadian city, with well over 2000 acres of natural river valley parks just waiting for you to discover. This doesn’t even begin to include the regional and many neighbourhood parks either! There are hundreds of kilometres of trails, from easy and fully accessible, to advanced fitness levels. Recreation opportunities are limitless as the river valley park system is designed to offer something for everyone. Four separate nature preservation parks offer wildlife photography and relaxation opportunities for the nature purists. Adventure seekers will enjoy mountain bike parks and the technical hiking trails that the coulees provide. What’s a coulee? You will have to head back to the Helen Schuler Nature Centre to learn more about these incredible landforms!
The helpful and informative staff and volunteers at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre are happy to recommend areas for you to explore and will provide maps to get you there. They have a wealth of knowledge for “must see” sights and what unusual bird, flowering plant, or animal has just been seen and where. While you are at the Centre don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Coulees to Cottonwoods Field Guide. This guide will give you a comprehensive look at the river valley, its unique geological history, and some interesting notes about the plants and animals that occupy it. You might be surprised to know that Lethbridge is home to some very unexpected and rare desert species, like the western prairie rattlesnake, black widow spider, and of course cactus! You will also discover what those coulees are, how they were formed, and why they have such an unusual name.
There are more natural and cultural treasures in the immediate region. The area is traditional land and territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy. It sits between several World Heritage Sites and straddles both the Badlands and the Rocky Mountains.
It is easy to lose yourself here. So plan a visit and don’t be surprised when you want to stay awhile.
Helen Schuler Nature Centre | 403.320.3064
City of Lethbridge | c/o 3rd Floor, 910 - 4th Ave S | Lethbridge, AB T1J 0P6
www.lethbridge.ca/hsnc | www.facebook.com/helenschulernaturecentre | www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zup6QLbMtrE