Miistakis Institute
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The communities we work with can be landowners and their networks, any level of government, visionary corporations, leading edge scientists, leading edge scientists, environmental NGO's - anyone in need of science-based support for practical, sustainable, resource management decision-making.
06/10/2026
A sneak peak of our newest project “Baseline BioBlitz: Monitoring Nature at Beaver Dam Analogue Restoration Sites.”
Historic beaver fur trade, land use, and climate change have led to degraded streams and creeks across much of Alberta. As beaver populations increase, and land stewardship begins to restore these waterways, we can expedite the process with Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs)! These structures are human-made of natural materials and aim to mimic the benefits of a beaver dam – they slow down water, encourage it to pool, and reconnect waterways to historic flood plains. Slowing water also reduces erosion and increases groundwater levels. BDAs also provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds for healthy and diverse local wildlife. Although these beaver dam mimics have been widely used elsewhere, they are not common in Alberta – YET!
To better understand how BDAs may impact biodiversity, we are conducting baseline monitoring at sites along two creeks in Southern Alberta, some with BDAs, some without. We installed remote wildlife cameras and autonomous recording units (ARUs) on April 22, which will stay out until the end of August. We have also invited subject matter experts to expand our species surveyed to include pollinators and species of cultural significance.
By gathering local biodiversity data, we hope to better understand BDAs impacts, and encourage their use in watershed restoration projects and biodiversity support in the future! Stay tuned for more updates on this project!
Thank you to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (Fondation TD des amis de l'environnement) for their financial support of this exciting project!
Thank you to our project partners: Freshwater Conservation Canada and Waldron Ranch.
Miistakis’ Conservation Detection Dog (CDD) team had their debut deployment in Waterton Lakes National Park this spring, searching for northern leopard frog egg masses. This pilot project is exploring whether CDDs can improve the efficiency of locating northern leopard frog egg masses, a species at risk in both Alberta and British Columbia.
Finding egg masses can support conservation translocations, protect vulnerable populations from predators, and help identify breeding ponds, all contributing to stronger conservation outcomes.
While CDD Penny and her human teammates did not locate egg masses during this year’s deployment, there are encouraging signs that the scent samples and training methods are working. We’re excited to build on what we’ve learned and return for another search in Spring 2027!
This pilot project is also helping us expand our capacity to monitor additional hard-to-detect species in the future. Improving our ability to detect wildlife means better biodiversity data — and better conservation decisions. After all, you can’t conserve what you don’t know is there!
Thank you to our project partners for supporting this innovative work: Blood Tribe
Land Management – Environmental Protection Division, Waterton Lakes National Park, Parks Canada and Wilder Institute
Thank you to Dr. Carla Simon (Hunter's Heart Kennels Ltd.) for her on-going support of our CDD team.
05/12/2026
Connected landscapes support healthy ecosystems 🌱 and communities 🏡. Our new summary shows how Miistakis helps municipalities to embed ecological connectivity into everyday planning tools and decisions.
Read it here:https://rockies.ca/files/reports/MIR_MunicipalPlanning_two-pager_FEB2026_v02.pdf
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EB 3013, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW
Calgary, AB
T3E6K6
