Adventure for Wilderness – Sheep River Sketch and Watershed Walk

June 15, 2026

It was a warm and sunny morning in Okotoks when we met at the Environmental Education Center to begin our Sheep River sketch walk.

For this nature sketch walk, children’s book illustrator & author Carolyn Fisher led us through frequent stops to sketch and observe nature while taking a leisurely wander along the Sheep River in Okotoks. Okotoks’ Conservation Educator Avery Kaszas was there to discuss Okotoks’ water conservation efforts, local wildlife, and how her work relates to the watershed. She explained some of the important species in the area, history of the river and town, and how people can connect to and protect their local watersheds. I was happy to share some additional insights into native fish and the threats our rivers are facing due to cumulative impacts both locally and downstream.

We stopped at multiple locations along the pathway to talk about and draw some main topics, ranging from pollinators to birds to native plants. We focused our attention on the riparian zone, and learned how whatever happens there (like logging, mining, development, dumping of chemicals, etc.) can have serious impacts on our rivers and streams, and the aquatic life that depends on them. We had a good discussion about our native and threatened trout species, and how they are especially sensitive to these impacts in the province.

At each location, we took some time to reflect upon and draw some of the species we discussed in our notebooks and on smaller pieces of paper. At the end, we brought the topic full circle and created our river, filled with the species we had sketched throughout the day.

Text by Sara Heerema, photos by Sara Heerema and Carolyn Fisher