Adventure for Wilderness – Ground squirrels and Geology, June 20, 2026
June 23, 2026
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Text by Lindsey Wallis
Photos by Lindsey Wallis and Jessica Haines
Geologist and author Dale Leckie met us at the rim of the Red Deer River canyon and told us stories of the deep history of this place, how glacial water carved this river valley and the remnant rocks it left as granite erratics from the far northern Canadian Shield. As we wandered down the road towards the river’s edge we passed the K-Pg boundary, when the majority of life on earth suddenly became extinct. We also learned about other minerals, like clinker, a red rock formed by intense heat. We learned why it is so slippery walking around in the badlands after a rain! The bentonite clays were formed by volcanic ash from volcanos in what is now present-day British Columbia. This clay is composed mostly of montmorillonite, which expands and holds water.
We also saw prairie flowers blooming, including scarlet mallow and plains prickly pear and heard birds including bluebirds, spotted towhees, least flycatchers, and clay-coloured sparrows. Here along the Red Deer River we were wandering through Parkland, a transition zone between prairie and boreal eco-zones, where aspen grow alongside conifers and the biodiversity is rich. Unfortunately, we have lost more than 80 per cent of our parkland in Alberta, so these protected areas are even more important.
Jessica Haines, a wildlife biologist from the University of Alberta showed us where the Franklin’s ground squirrels are found in the park. They are not listed as a species at risk because there has been so little research done on them, something Jessica is trying to change. What is clear is the populations of this bushy-tailed rodent are in decline and populations are fragmented. Because of the day’s rainy weather Jessica was not able to set out traps, but we had a brave squirrel sit near us and munch clover for a good period while Jessica spoke about her work. We were incredibly lucky that we were just on the edge of the rain all day – just a few sprinkles but no downpours until we were driving home!
