This will mark the sixth consecutive year for Waterton’s popular Wildflower Festival. Several new program additions are in place to ensure this year’s festival, to be held June 13-21, continues to build on the success of past years.
The nine day festival is a initiative of the Trail of the Great Bear (TOGB) -a 20 year veteran organization in eco-tourism, operating the Bear Mountain Motel in Waterton township. TOGB organizes the Wildflower Festival as a learning program each year in partnership with Parks Canada and Tamarack Outdoor Outfitters among numerous others.
In a recent interview with Festival Coordinator Beth Towes indicated the festival is designed to educate people in flowers and plant life throughout the park, and is organized as an eco-tourism consortium.
Waterton Lakes National Park is home to more that 50% of all wildflower species found throughout the province of Alberta. According to festival organizers, furthermore, 50 of Canada’s rarest wildflower species are found in Waterton Lakes. Of that group of 50, 30 such species are found growing only in Waterton.
The wildflower festival occurs over a nine-day period, offering numerous programs and events for all levels of botanists and flower enthusiasts.
The festival offers an ever-popular photography contest: winners from previous years have captured photos of balsamroot, Wild Rose buds, and silky lupine flowers -a small sample of the abundant flower species found throughout the park.
“An illustrious group of presenters,” says Towes, have been assembled for the festival this year. Well-known artist Brent Laycock will be offering a multi-day program in painting. Laycock was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1993, and uses mountain, foothill and prairie landscapes among his subject matter.
Among other respected presenters, Peter Sherrington of the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation will attend the festival. Sherrington’s organization counts migratory birds each spring and autumn on the southernmost peak of the Livingstone Range, in the Crowsnest Pass. His work has established a strong database on the migratory paths of golden eagles (and other raptor species).
Sherrington and a group of dedicated volunteers make their way to the top of Piitaistakis -otherwise known as “Peter’s Perch”- to count and observe migratory bird species during seasonal migration periods.
The Wildflower Festival has grown throughout the years, from humble beginnings, but is now one of the more highly anticipated events in the national park.
According to Towes, the first few years saw a “modest numbers of participants” take part in the festival. In the first year, “it rained everyday,” recalls Towes with good humour. Towes attributes the festival’s growth mainly to word of mouth, and cites a great relationship with Parks Canada as a major catalyst.
As the event itself became more popular, more and more programs were added to the docket. A notable labyrinth designer is expected at this year’s festival. Anne Pope will host the “Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk” program, where participants will be able to help in creating a labyrinth before they walk the maze themselves.
“We’ve tried to establish a variety of activities for a varieties of interests,” says Towes.
Among a multiplicity of programs to choose from, this year’s festival will offer horseback flower finding, offer a program for moms and tots, offer a program considering flowers and butterflies and offer a program led by archaeologist Brian Reeves considering the Piikani sacred places within the park.
Those interested in participating in this year’s Waterton Wildflower Festival are encouraged to register early online.
Otherwise, registrations can be made during the event at Tamarack Outdoor Outfitters.
Publisher: Kathy Taylor Proprietor and published by Sun Media Corporation - A Quebecor Media Company at 714 Main Street, PO Box 1000, Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada T0K 1W0
