Features
Wood Frog Farm (WFF) is a quarter section of land (56 ha, 160 acres) west of Pigeon Lake at the southern edge of Leduc County in Alberta (See Maps - Location map). Tide Creek, the inlet creek at the NW corner of Pigeon Lake, flows through the property and has several beaver dams (See Maps - Zones). Beaver Creek is a smaller creek that flows into Tide Creek from the north. There is a considerable amount of forest populated by deer, elk, moose, great horned owls, and coyotes. Tide Creek is the principal feeder creek to Pigeon Lake, and water quality in the lake is strongly affected by silt and pollution from farm animals near the creek. The beaver dams at Wood Frog Farm provide a major benefit for water quality of the creek. In some years the creek is also the spawning grounds for suckers and walleye from the lake in the Spring. One year when there was abundant Spring runoff and beaver dams downstream of the property had been washed out, a large Northern Pike was seen swimming in Beaver Creek and there were walleye and suckers in Tide Creek at WFF. Leduc County has established the North Pigeon Lake Area Plan to preserve vegetation in the watershed as far west as Highway 770, and WFF is part of that area (See Maps - NPLake Plan map).
Off the grid. WFF has no utilities from water, power or gas lines coming from the outside. The only service provided by Leduc County is an occasional grading of the gravel on Range Road 24. The county also sprays some kind of herbicide to prevent trees and shrubs from growing near the roadway.
Vicinity. The surrounding area has several farms where grain is grown and cattle and bison graze, and there are many oil wells dotting the landscape. The closest commercial facilities are located 25 Km to the SE at the Village at Pigeon Lake on Highway 13 via Highway 771 that goes by Pigeon Lake Provincial Park. There is a grocery store, liquor store, and laundromat. The EcoCafe is a good place to eat; high quality food, medium cost. There is also a hotel. Most stores are open all year because there is business from snowmobilers in the winter. There is also a gas station at the far end of Highway 616X on the other side of Pigeon Lake.
Trees. There are two ecological zones, the aspen parkland and the black spruce fen typical of the boreal forest. The forest contains a mixture of birch, aspen, black poplar, white spruce, and jack pine, and in the low land along the creek there is a lovely area of black spruce and tamarack (See About - Tree Survey). Throughout the property in wet places there are several kinds of willow and alder. And there are wood frogs, lots of them that sing joyfully in the Spring and hop through the meadows after a rainfall. Forested areas are divided for convenience into several woods and named for some common feature. Thrush woods, for example, often has a Hermit Thrush singing there on summer evenings. A trail system through the forests is marked with swatches of yellow paint on tree trunks (See Maps - Zones & Trails). There are many other animal trails. Locations of beaver dams change from year to year. The only way to cross from one section of the property to another is by carefully walking over a beaver dam.
Mammals. Several mammalian species have been observed with young and therefore are thought to breed on the property. These include moose, white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, porcupine, coyote, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, and beaver. Elk were seen in the area and at WFF in 1995 for the first time in about 20 years (according to our neighbour Jim Moore). Two cow elk were seen there in 2011. The beaver population fluctuates widely, reaching a peak in 1996 when they had 10 substantial dams and were felling aspen at an amazing rate, to 2004 after several dry years when there were only a few animals along Tide Creek. Coyotes make their dens in old beaver lodges after water has drained from a pond. They crawl into the lodge via an old tunnel entrance. Coyotes live on the property year round, and their joyful "chorus" of yips and howls can be heard every evening when they return from the day's hunt.
Birds. 106 species of birds (Bird list) have been seen on or flying over the property, and many of these have been found to breed there. The quantity of birds has clearly been reduced by the destruction of nearby forests and several years of drought, but the variety is still quite impressive. Water birds depend greatly on the extent of water in beaver dams and therefore have been fewer in recent years. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of bird life is that a house sparrow has never been seen on the property! Starlings have been seen only a few times while passing through to nearby farms. Because of the small patch of black spruce fen, there is a family of gray jays that are usually found further north and west. In 2012 a barred owl, a species that seems to be expanding its range across North America, was heard several times.
Off the grid. WFF has no utilities from water, power or gas lines coming from the outside. The only service provided by Leduc County is an occasional grading of the gravel on Range Road 24. The county also sprays some kind of herbicide to prevent trees and shrubs from growing near the roadway.
Vicinity. The surrounding area has several farms where grain is grown and cattle and bison graze, and there are many oil wells dotting the landscape. The closest commercial facilities are located 25 Km to the SE at the Village at Pigeon Lake on Highway 13 via Highway 771 that goes by Pigeon Lake Provincial Park. There is a grocery store, liquor store, and laundromat. The EcoCafe is a good place to eat; high quality food, medium cost. There is also a hotel. Most stores are open all year because there is business from snowmobilers in the winter. There is also a gas station at the far end of Highway 616X on the other side of Pigeon Lake.
Trees. There are two ecological zones, the aspen parkland and the black spruce fen typical of the boreal forest. The forest contains a mixture of birch, aspen, black poplar, white spruce, and jack pine, and in the low land along the creek there is a lovely area of black spruce and tamarack (See About - Tree Survey). Throughout the property in wet places there are several kinds of willow and alder. And there are wood frogs, lots of them that sing joyfully in the Spring and hop through the meadows after a rainfall. Forested areas are divided for convenience into several woods and named for some common feature. Thrush woods, for example, often has a Hermit Thrush singing there on summer evenings. A trail system through the forests is marked with swatches of yellow paint on tree trunks (See Maps - Zones & Trails). There are many other animal trails. Locations of beaver dams change from year to year. The only way to cross from one section of the property to another is by carefully walking over a beaver dam.
Mammals. Several mammalian species have been observed with young and therefore are thought to breed on the property. These include moose, white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, porcupine, coyote, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, and beaver. Elk were seen in the area and at WFF in 1995 for the first time in about 20 years (according to our neighbour Jim Moore). Two cow elk were seen there in 2011. The beaver population fluctuates widely, reaching a peak in 1996 when they had 10 substantial dams and were felling aspen at an amazing rate, to 2004 after several dry years when there were only a few animals along Tide Creek. Coyotes make their dens in old beaver lodges after water has drained from a pond. They crawl into the lodge via an old tunnel entrance. Coyotes live on the property year round, and their joyful "chorus" of yips and howls can be heard every evening when they return from the day's hunt.
Birds. 106 species of birds (Bird list) have been seen on or flying over the property, and many of these have been found to breed there. The quantity of birds has clearly been reduced by the destruction of nearby forests and several years of drought, but the variety is still quite impressive. Water birds depend greatly on the extent of water in beaver dams and therefore have been fewer in recent years. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of bird life is that a house sparrow has never been seen on the property! Starlings have been seen only a few times while passing through to nearby farms. Because of the small patch of black spruce fen, there is a family of gray jays that are usually found further north and west. In 2012 a barred owl, a species that seems to be expanding its range across North America, was heard several times.
