Stop 1- Alberta Biological Station
With one 10x12ft and one 14x16ft tent, The Alberta Biological Station began on May 18th, 1950. Likely to the dismay of present-day lab standards, the larger tent had a combined use of a cook-house and science lab and the smaller tent was equipped with a heater and bunks for sleeping.In the 1940s, personnel from the Zoology Department at the University of Alberta collaborated with the Department of Lands and Forests in the Province of Alberta to address various biological challenges. A significant portion of this collaboration focused on fisheries—both sporting and commercial—as well as game birds, big game, and general wildlife surveys.This partnership was notable for its ability to cover large areas in relatively short timeframes, effectively identifying key issues in fish and game administration. The investigations revealed a range of management challenges, many of which could only be addressed through careful, long-term, in-situ field research.In response to these research needs, discussions about establishing a biological station took place during the winter of 1949-50. These discussions involved R.B. Miller, a professor at the University of Alberta, the Game Commissioner, and by the advice of the Superintendent of Fisheries. One of the primary concerns at the time was the issue of trout hatcheries and their impact when released into natural streams. With financial support from the Alberta Government and the University of Alberta, as well as permission from the Eastern Rockies Forest Conservation Board, a decision was made to establish a small research station near George Creek— a typical east slope trout stream that drains into the Sheep River, located about 20 miles west of Turner Valley.The first research project at the station, lead by Richard Bernie Miller, observed the fate of hatchery-reared trout in Gorge creek. Dr. Miller’s research played an invaluable role in the development of conservation practices in Alberta. Furthermore, his research legacy at the field station is noted to have a profound influence on fish management policies in North America.The Biological Station quickly expanded to include studies of mammals in the area, specifically, Columbia ground squirrels, pocket gophers, and ‘rock rabbits’ – more commonly referred to as Pika’s these days along with bighorn sheep observations in the Sheep River drainage system. These early research studies focus on habitat and life history – for instance, a researcher noted: “There is no lack of noise in a ground squirrel colony as chirping can be heard during most of their active hours. Adult females seem to be chirping somewhere close at hand nearly all the time. Chirping appears to be a normal part of their behaviour and is apparently ignored by other squirrels in the vicinity. On occasion it will continue uninterrupted for as long as ten minutes.” This research set the stage for many decades of small mammal studies in the area.Another notable early researcher working at the Alberta Biology Field Station was David Boag, a master’s student under Dr. Miller. In 1955, Boag researched the habits and range of the Blue Grouse leading him to pursue doctoral studies, followed by a faculty member position in the Department of Zoology at the University of Alberta and the director of the station for 20 years. It was Dr. Boag who proposed the name change of the field station from “Alberta Biological Station” to “R.B. Miller Biological Station” to honour his legacy following Miller’s untimely death in 1959.The RB Miller field station was transferred over to the University of Calgary in the early 90’s and continues to house researchers in a recently renovated, energy efficient building.
Stop 2- In the Field
Field schools have been, and continue to be, a core part of the Kananaskis field stations. The University of Calgary, and other Universities, offer undergraduate student field courses in hydrology, geology, ecology, geography and more every year. Students consistently describe field schools as a highlight of their degree, and a valuable learning experience where they gain hands-on practical knowledge for their future careers.
Stop 3-Fishing for Facts
From 2011 to 2025, researchers from the Vinebrooke Lab at the Barrier Lake Kananaskis Field Station have conducted extensive research on the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, focusing on the impacts of invasive species, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Their studies have used a variety of experimental approaches, including mesocosm experiments, field studies, and long-term ecological monitoring, to understand how environmental stressors affect freshwater communities, particularly in the Canadian Rockies. The key areas of focus have been the impact of invasive species, the role of biodiversity in ecosystem resilience, and the response of aquatic communities to climate change.Here are some key studies and themes from the Vinebrooke Lab's work between 2011 and 2025:1. Invasive Trout Increase the Climatic Sensitivity of Zooplankton Communities in Naturally Fishless Lakes (Mesocosm Study):One major study from the lab explores how invasive trout affect the climatic sensitivity of zooplankton communities in naturally fishless lakes in the Kananaskis region. The research showed that the introduction of invasive trout increases the sensitivity of zooplankton to climate change—especially warming temperatures. In fishless lakes, zooplankton communities have a more stable structure and are less affected by environmental changes, while the introduction of trout makes these communities more vulnerable to climate-induced changes. This study demonstrates the double impact of invasive species and climate change on aquatic ecosystems.2. Regional Diversity Reverses the Negative Impacts of an Alien Predator on Local Species-Poor Communities (Mesocosm Study):In another key study, the Vinebrooke Lab examined how regional biodiversity can buffer the effects of alien predators on local species-poor communities. The research found that local communities that are connected to more diverse regional species pools are more resilient to the effects of alien predators. Specifically, the introduction of invasive predators, such as trout, could be mitigated by surrounding regions that have a high diversity of species, supporting the idea that greater regional biodiversity can help maintain ecosystem stability and function. This study provides valuable insight into how maintaining biodiversity at the regional level can help safeguard local ecosystems from the impacts of invasive species.3. Resilience of Pond Communities to Extreme Thermal Regime Shifts: An Alpine–Montane Reciprocal Transplant Experiment (Mesocosm Study):A third key mesocosm study at the Barrier Lake Kananaskis Field Station investigated the resilience of pond communities in response to extreme thermal regime shifts. Through a reciprocal transplant experiment, the researchers compared alpine and montane pond communities to assess how they respond to extreme temperature fluctuations. The study found that despite significant shifts in temperature between alpine and montane ponds, the overall functional composition of the pond communities remained relatively stable. This suggests that the pond communities exhibited functional resilience to extreme temperature changes, meaning they could maintain their ecological functions even under challenging thermal conditions.4. Colleen Dawson’s Research (2023):In the summer of 2023, Colleen Dawson, a master's student in the Vinebrooke Lab, led a study involving field sampling and experimental treatments to simulate warming climate conditions. The team collected water samples from ten alpine lakes, which were used to inoculate large tanks at the field station, replicating the lakes' natural ecosystems. These tanks were subjected to various treatments, such as adding glacial flour to mimic increased glacial meltwater input and introducing dissolved organic matter leachate to represent the effects of encroaching shoreline vegetation due to climate-induced treeline shifts.Both Karson Sudlow’s and Jenna Cook’s research highlight the ecological sensitivity of freshwater ecosystems in the Canadian Rockies. Sudlow's focus on the impact of glacier retreat and Cook's work on phytoplankton as indicators of environmental change are crucial for understanding how these alpine systems are responding to ongoing climate shifts. The Barrier Lake Kananaskis Field Station provides an essential platform for both researchers, supporting their field-based studies in one of Canada's most ecologically sensitive regions. Its proximity to numerous mountain lakes, ponds and streams makes it an ideal base for field studies on aquatic communities and their responses to environmental stressors.In conclusion, the Vinebrooke Lab's research at the Barrier Lake Kananaskis Field Station between 2011 and 2025 has significantly advanced our understanding of how invasive species, climate change, and biodiversity loss interact to shape aquatic ecosystems. The lab's studies have wide-ranging implications for conservation strategies and the management of freshwater ecosystems, especially in light of ongoing climate change.
Stop 4- Brrr, it's cold up here! There must be some glaciers in the cryosphere
What is the cryosphere? The cryosphere is a term referring to the frozen part of Earth’s water. It includes glaciers, ice sheets, snow, permafrost, and lake, river and sea ice. Cryosphere comes from the Greek word kyios, meaning icy cold.The Canadian Rocky Mountains are the headwaters to major river systems that provide freshwater to vast portions of Canada, including the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers, and the Athabasca River. The Coldwater Laboratory focuses on researching the changing cycles of surface water in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in all its forms – rain, snow, water, ice, etc. through monitoring weather and water conditions in the region. The Coldwater Lab maintains two instrumented basins in Kananaskis Country, each with eleven streamflow and weather stations, and several weather stations on and around Peyto Glacier, Helen Lake, and Athabasca Glacier. The near real-time data collected from these remote weather stations is publicly available: Data - Centre for Hydrology | University of Saskatchewan.Researchers and field technicians at the Coldwater Lab focus on both collecting field measurements (such as streamflow, snowpack depths, etc.) and weather station data, and using that data to simulate future weather events, floods, droughts, and streamflow under various climate scenarios with computer models. Field data and observations are critical to accurately model and predict how climate change will alter the water cycle in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.Research by the Coldwater Lab from both mountain and glacier instrumented sites contributes to the pan-Canadian Global Water Futures (GWF) research program, the largest freshwater research program in the world. GWF set out to produce actionable scientific knowledge on how to best forecast, prepare for, and manage our water futures in Canada and other cold regions. The Coldwater Laboratories instrumented sites monitoring and research data are also a part of the Global Water Futures Observatories, Canada's premier national university-operated scientific freshwater observation network.University of Saskatchewan’s Coldwater LaboratoryCanmore, ABPrincipal Investigator: Dr. John Pomeroy
Stop 5- We've got Butterflies!
Our group has been studying populations of the Rocky Mountain Apollo Butterfly around Kananaskis and Banff since 1995. This butterfly is restricted to alpine meadows above the tree line where its host plant, Lance-leaved Stonecrop, occurs. The host plant is essential as it is where the butterfly lays its eggs, and what its larval caterpillar feeds on. Thus, along ridge tops, particularly in the front ranges, there are many relatively small populations. Butterflies moving among the populations creates a population network. Our research investigates how these networks respond to changing conditions.We have found that these butterflies do not like to fly through forest, and that forest regrowth following a fire along Jumpingpound Ridge in the 1930s has resulted in smaller and more isolated populations. These populations are at greater risk of extinction than larger, less-isolated populations, but, despite these changes, the network of populations is not at risk of extinction from them.Our long-term population data has also allowed us to investigate how changing climate can impact alpine species. This butterfly spends most of the year (September through March) as an egg that was laid at ground level. Lack of snow cover combined with extreme warm or cold weather, particularly early in winter, results in fewer butterflies the next summer.
Stop 6- Staying Grounded
Written by Dr. Masaki Hayashi, PhDRivers originating in the Canadian Rockies are the source of drinking water in many cities including Calgary and Edmonton. They also provide habitats for fish and other aquatic organisms. These rivers have high flow during the spring and early summer when snow is melting in the mountains, and low but steady flow during the remaining 7-8 months of the year. Almost all of the water in these rivers during fall and winter is sourced by alpine groundwater discharging from countless small springs. Alpine aquifers store snowmelt, glacier melt, and rain for many months or years; and slowly release it to sustain the flow in rivers, even during prolonged drought. These aquifers will likely mitigate the effects of climate warming on mountain rivers, but we do not know much about their hydrological functions. The majority of alpine aquifers are coarse sediments such as talus, moraine, and rock glaciers, while some aquifers are provided by a network of caves and conduits in porous limestone. These are formed by dissolution of carbonate minerals and called karst systems. We have been studying alpine groundwater at the Fortress Ski Area since 2015 and Watridge Karst Spring near Mount Shark Ski Area since 2016. At the Fortress site, the aquifers consisting of talus and moraine (Photo 1) serve as a ‘gate keeper’ of the watershed, controlling the storage and release of snowmelt and rain. At the Watridge site, a large volume of groundwater gushes out of a cave spring (Photo 2). Based on the results of dye-tracer experiments, the karst system feeding the spring extends as far as Mount Sir Douglas, located 15 km south. There are just a few examples of numerous alpine aquifers feeding the Bow River. These aquifers collectively sustain the flow of Bow River throughout the year and provide a ‘buffer’ against the potential impacts of climate change.Fun fact- The water at the field station originates from an aquifer!
Stop 7- Chickadee Melodee
When the Songbird Neuroethology Laboratory (SNL) started coming here to do field research, the Biogeosciences Institute (BGI) was known simply as Kananaskis Field Stations (KFS) Barrier Lake Station. Over our 23 years of collaboration, we have had the privilege of asking numerous research questions regarding our local chickadee species. We started in the early years by taking field recordings of the birds and conducting playback experiments. From these, we learned more about black-capped and mountain chickadee behavior in the wild. Eventually, we started using BGI as an annual trapping site in order to take a few birds back with us to our lab at the University of Alberta. Across the years, these birds have participated in hundreds of laboratory-based experiments, such as cognitive puzzles and learning tasks. Due to their remarkable work, we have learned a great deal - from songbird development and acoustic perception, to communication and social structures. Recently, we have been focusing our efforts at BGI on mountain chickadees, as their vocalizations are less known to the scientific community. (To read some of these exciting findings, please visit our website!)In addition to our experimental work, we have also had many opportunities to engage in public outreach at BGI. While we are there conducting our work with the birds, we give short talks in front of school groups, across educational levels, about our research. These questions have ranged from specific questions about the SNL’s research to more general questions regarding what a career in science could look like and how to get started in the academic world. For these reasons and more, we hope that we can spearhead future interest in these incredible species with our continued work at BGI.Check out the photos and audiofiles to learn the differences between Mountain and Boreal Chickadees!
Stop 8- Feeling Sheepish
Written by Dr. Kathreen Ruckstahl, PhD.Bighorn sheep in the Sheep River valley have been studied since the 1950’s. William David (Bill) Wishart was the first to study them at the research station. He completed his PhD thesis on “The bighorn sheep of the Sheep River Valley” in April 1958 at the University of Alberta. He studied everything from the size, age and sex composition of the sheep, the ram-ewe and ewe-lamb ratios, the preference rating and availability of plants utilized by bighorn, the percentages of grasses, sedges, forbs and browse consumed by bighorns in spring and summer, analyzed stomach samples and their parasites. Next were Jack Hogg (Montana Conservation Science Institute) and Marco Festa-Bianchet, then PhD student under Valerius Geist at the University of Calgary. Their studies began in the early 1980's, and they were the ones who launched the longterm monitoring of bighorn sheep ecology and behaviour. This began with Marco tagging all of the individual sheep. I started my PhD with Marco in 1994 and have been researching the bighorns in the Sheep River Valley ever since. I started off being interested in the drivers of sexual segregation in bighorn sheep and found that males and females, because of their body size differences (adult males are about 50% heavier and larger than females), have different activity budgets. Females forage for much longer and bed down to ruminate for shorter periods of times than males. This mismatch, plus the much higher movement rates of females, explains to a large extent why adult males and females live in separate groups outside the breeding season (November December). Since then we have studied the mating tactics of the males and seasonal movements between their summer, winter, and rutting areas. Males go on long-distance migrations in search for females if they are not a top-ranking male, while the top-ranking males breed with most of the resident females at Sheep River. However, the smaller low-ranking males use a different mating tactic called coursing, in which they try to chase the female away from a tending, dominant ram, and mate with her while running.The female herd of bighorns who winter in Sheep River (from October to end of May) are actually composed of three subgroups with different core ranges: the resident Sheep River, the Mount Head and the Bluerock/Mount Ware homerange group. In the late 1990’s and early 2000's, we had a few years of very high cougar predation. An older female cougar started specializing on bighorn sheep and taught her kittens her skills. The population dropped from a high of around 160 individuals down to 30. The cougar eventually died and her kittens moved on, or went back to their typical prey, which would be deer. A large number (~50) of unmarked female non-residents, presumably from Mount Head, started to show up in 2010 during the rut. They returned the following years, which finally increased the number of bighorn sheep in Sheep River to currently around 120 individuals. A study on the social networks of females is currently using the long term dataset to find out whether females and males form stable relationships and what they are based on. We know that males, for example, sometimes form coalitions with other males of similar age. These pairs of males then help each other in dominance fights with larger, higher-ranking males. Females in nursery groups also tend to form longer-term associations with peers and females of similar reproductive status. We are also working on how parasites affect the life history and behaviour of bighorns. While they all have parasites, they are overall healthy. An exception to this is when they get exposed to Mycoplasma ovipneumonia, which is a bacteria domestic sheep carry. When exposed, they can develop pneumonia and die. Pneumonia die-offs are something that plague bighorns across North America, and are of great concerns. Bighorn sheep used to number in the 1.5 to 2 million, but there are now less than 70,000. We continue to monitor the survival, health, recruitment and behaviour of bighorn sheep in Sheep River Provincial Park, to learn more about them and to be aware of potential risks to their persistence.
Stop 9- Squirrely Behaviour
The first studies of Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus), a rodent of the sciurid family, were initiated in 1973-1982 by Jan O Murie and David A Boag (University of Alberta), and later continued from 1983-1990 by Darwin R Wiggett and David A Boag (University of Alberta), in the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Alberta. Murie returned in 1992-1999, joined from 1995-present by Peter Neuhaus (University of Calgary, formerly University of Bern, Switzerland). From 1999-2020, F Stephen Dobson of Auburn University (USA), took over Murie’s studies, subsequently passed on from 2013-present to Vincent A Viblanc (CNRS, French National Research Center). Thus, the long-term, over 50 years of monitoring of ground squirrel populations in the Sheep River Provincial Park is unique in our ability to capture and inventory entire populations and monitor a diversity of animal parameters and environmental changes. Comprehensive data on phenology (dates of emergence, reproduction, weaning), reproduction (size, mass, and sex ratio of litters produced), and morphometry (structural size and mass) of individuals are collected each year from emergence from hibernation until weaning of the young, and a complete pedigree of the population has been established since 2003 (via genetic analyses of parentage). In 2013, physiological monitoring (glucocorticoid hormones, glucose, telomeres, oxidative stress) was initiated by Vincent A Viblanc, and has continued (except 2020-21, due to COVID) in parallel with behavioural monitoring (observations and use of bio-loggers). More general monitoring of the ecosystem was started in 2022 (vegetation, weather, presence of other species via camera traps). Over the years, the research has benefited from financial support from many sources, including NSERC (Canada), NSF (USA), SNF (Switzerland) ANR (France), University of Strasbourg, and CNRS. Data are referenced and organized on a computer platform at the IPHC (CNRS, Strasbourg, France). Rare and valuable, this monitoring has over the years contributed greatly to the academic training of a large number of trainees, including >10 post-docs, >16 PhD theses, > 20 MSc thesis, and many undergraduate research projects.EXAMPLE OF KNOWLEDGE GAINEDStudying climate change requires accounting for micro-scales: The long-term monitoring of multiple ground squirrel populations shows that strong variability in responses to climatic conditions can occur over very short spatial scales. In this species, it appears that micro-climes are more important than macro-climatic conditions in determining dates of emergence from hibernation. There is strong spatial heterogeneity (over a few tens of meters) in the dates of ground squirrel emergence from hibernation, depending on the where they hibernated and the date of snow melt in different parts of their meadow habitats. Our yearly monitoring shows that there are contrasting responses between neighboring populations, and within a population between individuals of different ages and sexes, with certain categories delaying their emergence from hibernation over the last 30 years, while others not.Example of locations of emergence from hibernation over the years for one of the ground squirrel populations. Polygons represent areas where the emergence date is on average later and later (from light yellow to dark red), spanning an average period of around 2 weeks. The pattern follows the order of snow meltoff.F Stephen DobsonAuburn University, USAPeter NeuhausUniversity of CalgaryVincent A ViblancInstitut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS, France
Stop 10- Legacy of Learning
The Barrier Lake Field Station has been running education programs since 1988, when a pilot project with about 100 junior high students was created. Since then the program has grown to provide integrated research programming to thousands of students, professional development opportunities for teachers, and outreach programs for researchers. Today, the field station runs inquiry science programs for junior and senior high school students in all seasons.The original purpose of the school programs was to provide opportunities for students to connect with current environmental research in Kananaskis, and give students the chance to experience how scientists ask questions and solve problems related to the environment. The goals of the program remain largely unchanged, with an emphasis on the scientific process, and designing research questions and studies opposed to learning specific facts. Program offerings include aquatic, terrestrial and winter inquiry studies, as well as programs focused on biodiversity, biomes and population dynamics.The Barrier Lake Field Station also works with the Werklund School of Education to provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to explore inquiry led projects, STEM learning and outdoor learning environments.
