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The official publication of Alberta Conservation AssociationUnder the WirePreserving PronghornMigration RoutesBackyard BountyPutting Wild Foods Back on the TableSouth PeavineConservation Site GetawayIce FishingTips, Tales and MoreLooking for the untappedgreat outdoors?FALL/WINTER 2011 www.ab-conservation.com
Commitment Runs DeepWe’re PartnersCommitment runs deep in our respect for the land.We value our surroundings and embrace theinhabitants of this beautiful countryside. Throughresponsible development and environmentalawareness, we are dedicated to enhancing the landaround us and reducing our operational footprint.We are taking action today to improve our tomorrow.FORTUNE 100 BestCompanies to Work For 2011
Outdoor Tips with Brad Fenson20Backyard BountyPutting Wild Foods Back on the Table8www.ab-conservation.comOur MissionACA conserves, protects and enhances fish, wildlifeand habitat for all Albertans to enjoy, value and use.6Alberta Conservation AssociationCorporate Partners in ConservationPLUSEasy Pickswithin ReachTips for first timers,lake aeration andsafteyIce Fishing with KidsExpect the Unexpected1024South PeavineConservation Site Getaway26Read more about our corporate partners atwww.ab-conservation.com.To become a Corporate Partner in Conservation,contact Cindi Webster at 780-410-1983.Conservation Works12 27Raves andReviewsContact us to receive your free biannualsubscription to Conservation Magazine:Under the WireE-mail info@ab-conservation.com with“E-mail Subscription” in the subject line.Download electronic copies online atab-conservation.com.Phone: 780-410-1999 or call toll free:1-877-969-9091.The Plight of the Pronghorn16Fueled by PhantomsThe pronghorn has performance to spareCover Photo: iStockphoto.com/AWEvansTelevison SeriesConservation in ActionTom BatemanBattery MedicBell SolutionsBow Valley PowerCanadian Natural Resources Ltd.Canadian Western BankCompton Petroleum CorporationCTV Television Inc.Daishowa Marubeni InternationalDevon Canada CorporationJobsite WorkwearLa Terra Ventures Inc.Pacrim Hospitality ServicesPenn West EnergyShell Canada EnergySherwood Park ToyotaSign-A-RamaSuncor Energy FoundationSyncrude Canada Ltd.Total E & P Canada Ltd.29Moving? Change of address? Stay in touch.Be sure to contact us and keep your subscriptionup to date. Returned issues marked "undeliverableaddress" are deleted from our database!Conservation Magazine spring/summer 20113
From the EditorConservation MagazinePublisher: Alberta Conservation AssociationEditor-in-Chief: Lisa Monsees, ACAI’m a foodie at heart. To me, cookbooks are meant to be read like novels, taking time for the recipeto unfold, consuming the details, savouring the ingredients and imagining the mouth-wateringconclusion. That’s why knowing where my food comes from, and having some sort of control overit, gives me greater peace of mind. Whether it’s picking up fresh, local, in season goods from thefarmers’ markets or harvesting from the garden or one of the Conservation Sites, there are plenty ofopportunities to eat well.In our gardens and at the markets there are the familiar finds, from the first fragrant cucumbers anddelectable berries sweetened by the summer sun to the meaty squash that signals the arrival of fall.However, step onto a Conservation Site and be prepared to unearth the unexpected, like hazelnuts,cloud berries and comb’s tooth mushroom. You may be surprised that when cooked, this forest treathas a texture that closely resembles calamari. Really! If you want to stick with what you know, berriesin the wild typically look like their supermarket cousins and as you will find, there are plenty toindulge in (Easy Picks within Reach, page 8).Assistant Editor: Elize Smit, ACAEditorial Committee: Trevor Council, Lance Engley,Jeff Smith, Ken Kranrod, Robb StavneContributing Writers: Robert Anderson, Brendan Ganton,Paul Hvenegaard, Dave Jackson, Paul Jones, KevinKossowan, Nicole Nickel-Lane, Dr. Wayne Lynch, Sue Peters,Elize Smit, Jenny Straub, Ariana TourneurPhoto/Illustration Credits: Jason Blackburn, FrankCardinal, Gord Court, Maria Didkowsky, Darren Dorge,Paul Hvenegaard, istock, Mike Jokinen, Paul Jones,Kingsley Knust, Kevin Kossowan, Dr. Wayne Lynch, ChristinePeleshok, Len Peleshok, Sue Peters, Michael Rothman,Joel Sartore, Michael Short, Jenny StraubDesign: Don Myhre, ACAPresident & CEO: Todd ZimmerlingVice President: Ken KranrodThat’s where fellow foodie and urbanite, Kevin Kossowan comes in. Kevin has been bucking thesupermarket trend for a long time, choosing to embrace and create his own version of local foodculture. Kevin joins us as our newest contributor to Conservation Magazine and his plan is to bring youcloser to Alberta’s wild food scene and how to get the most out of these ingredients (Backyard Bounty:Putting Wild Foods Back on the Table, page 7).Fall has a way of revealing itself to us slowly—before we know it the leaves have changed colour, thesky is a little duller, days are shorter and the air is distinctly crisper. Yet, the landscape is as alive nowas it is in the spring and summer. Some berries are at their peak this time of year and this is whenhunting season begins. Organic, “free range” and hormone free produce, meat and fish are readilyavailable from field and stream and continue to be when winter explodes onto the scene.Whether you want to reinvent your pantry or just appreciate what nature has to offer, we enjoysharing the opportunities and hearing back from you on Facebook and Twitter.—Editor-in-Chief, Lisa MonseesACA Board of Directors Executive:Randy Collins, ChairmanAlberta Fish & Game AssociationPatrick Long, Vice ChairmanWild Sheep Foundation AlbertaDr. Lee Foote, TreasurerPublic At Large, Academic RepresentativeCalvin Rakach, SecretaryPublic At Large, Eastern RegionBrian Bildson, Past ChairPublic At Large, Non-Academic RepresentativeDirectors:Bill Abercrombie - Alberta Trappers' AssociationKen Ambrock- Public At Large (Northern Board Liaison)Tom Bateman - Alberta Hunter Education Instructors'Association (Southern Alberta BoardLiaison)Gordon Burton- Alberta Professional Outfitters SocietyDr. Mark Boyce - ACA/University of Alberta Chair inFisheries and WildlifeDeryl Empson - Ministers Representative, AlbertaSustainable Resource DevelopmentSandra Foss- Nature AlbertaColin Gosselin- Public At Large, Northeast RegionBob Haysom- Pheasants ForeverAdam Norris- Public At Large, Northwest RegionDon Pike- Trout Unlimited CanadaJeff Smith- Public At Large, Southern RegionVacant- Treaty 8 First Nations of AlbertaConservation Magazine(ISSN 1488-6235) is the official biannual publication ofAlberta Conservation Association.Charitable Registration Number: 88994 6141 RR0001For advertising sales information please contact:Ken Kranrod: 780-410-1989ken.kranrod@ab-conservation.comCindi Webster: 780-410-1983cindi.webster@ab-conservation.comWild on the Webab-conservation.com/magLearn how to identify edible mushrooms withhelp from the Alberta Mycological Society.Submissions:Guidelines for writers and photographers are available onlineat www.ab-conservation.com.Please submit proposals in writing. The magazine is notLetters to the Editor: Address letters to the Conservation Magazine editor by e-mail, fax or mail. Include your name,responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or images providedaddress and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.for editorial consideration.4Conservation Magazine FALL/WINTEr 2011
www.ab-conservation.comFrrrresh fish!About Us. Since our inception as a non-profit in 1997, ACA has directedhundreds of millions of dollars towards thousands of conservation efforts acrossAlberta, from biological studies on the largest species to the securement of vasttracts of precious habitat.Every dollar from fishing and hunting license sales and every partnershipcontributes to the conservation of Alberta's natural heritage. Together we aresecuring the future of countless species of fish and wildlife and the habitat they callhome, while providing Albertans with access to a myriad of sustainable outdoorrecreation activities.We love the work we do. From the day-to-day reward of calling the beauty ofAlberta's big backyard our "office" to working with Alberta's hunters, anglers andother conservation partners–we consider ourselves lucky to live and work in such aprecious place.We encourage you to find out more about our work and the partnerships thatmade it possible. Better still, go see for yourself by visiting any of the 700 Conservation Sites out there for you to explore. Bring the family and spend anafternoon in the peace and wonder of Alberta's wild side. We're confident you'llthink it's worth every penny.Take the RAP tsIf you’re a WIN Card holder and plan to go hunting, fishing or sightseeingin northern Alberta, book a hotel through Pacrim Hotels a CorporatePartner in Conservation. You’ll get a special rate, and Pacrim willcontribute part of the proceeds to ACA’s wildlife, fisheries and landprograms. To find participating hotels and book your WIN Card holder rate,visit www.pacrimparticipates.com/aca or call 1-866-434-7666.Ice fishing: it’s not only for the hardcore. Don’t leta little ice and snow keep you from experiencingthe simple summer thrill of landing a fish allwinter long.Robert Seidel, Q.C.National Managing Partner780.429.6814rseidel@davis.caColin Lipsett780.429.6821clipsett@davis.caCraig Rose, RPF780.429.6807crose@davis.ca1201 Scotia Tower 210060 Jasper AvenueEdmonton, AlbertaExpertise in a fullrange of legal mattersProud to provide legal counsel to ACA16 winter aerated lakes to choose from - all foundin the Alberta Outdoor Adventure Guide.Available free on the App Store.Vancouver Toronto Montréal CalgaryEdmonton Whitehorse Yellowknife TokyoConservation Magazine FALL/WINTEr 20115
BackyardBounty:PuttingWildFoodsBack onthe Tableshaggy parasol mushrooms
by Kevin Kossowanthem myself, and then cure,smoke, and dry cure them. I buylocal organic flours by the 20kilogram sack and bake all of myfamily’s bread in a wood-firedoven built out of reclaimed urbanbrick. I grow the vast majority ofthe vegetables our family needsthrough the year and put them upfor the winter in a root cellar I builtfor the job. I harvest, crush, andpress over a thousand pounds ofrescued urban apples each year tomake apple wine of various sorts.I hunt, forage, and fish. Most ofthese things are outside the currenturban norm.ild foodswill regain aprominent andrespected role inour regional food culture – becausethey’re eventually going to defineit. At least, I’m sure going to try toconvince you that’s the case.I’m in my early thirties, am marriedwith three kids, and when it comesto food, have recently becomerelevant in the Edmonton foodscene because I do stuff that manypeople know makes sense or wouldlike to do themselves, but generallydon’t do. And I write about it. I’vewritten about the reinventionof my family’s food culturesince 2005 on my website www.kevinkossowan.com. My blog isintended to reflect my explorationof the regional food that surroundsme. That’s it. It has unexpectedlyresulted in developing influence(rightly or wrongly) at a grassrootslevel, in the farming community,and increasingly at a political levelvia my involvement in various foodrelated organizations.Gardening is perhaps the mostsocially “normal” thing I do. Takingit in the direction of urban forestgardening with indigenous speciesof wild edibles and eradicating mycity lawn in favour of a cacophonyof food-producing polycultures?Not so normal. I also buy local,ethically-farmed meats and grainswhich is happily en vogue – butI buy meats by side and butcherPan roasted calf moose loin atoprutabaga and carrot mash, withmashed potato, leek, and goat cheese,pan jus, with some acidulated cookedsaskatoon.It’s odd to me that being soengaged in one’s food is so odd.The fact is, what I’m doing is notnew. I see it as retro-gastronomy:looking to how things were donebefore our food quality andsubsequent health as a societyveered into the ditch. I’m reverting.Doing what my great-grandparentsdid, and what my grandparentsand many boomers knew as kids.I suppose it adds to the odditythat I do this within a five-minutedrive from the downtown of thisprovince’s capital. Urban retrogastronomy What got me started in all thiscraziness was more trips to Europethan I care to admit, adventuringthrough their head-spinninglydiverse regional food scenes. I keptcoming home wondering whatdefined my regional food culture.The Italians forage for the elusivewhite truffle. Scandinavians sipelderberry drinks. The Frenchhave a genius term that I’d love toflog except for the risk of gettingdismissed as a pretentious foodie:cuisine du terroir. Food that speaksto place. What foods speak to beingin Alberta?So despite my love for locallyfarmed meats, grains, vegetables,fruits, dairy, etc. – it’s foods likehighbush cranberry, saskatoons,Labrador tea, moose, and shaggyparasols that really dig in andspeak to where I live. These arefoods I can serve to guests fromafar that will give them a uniquesense of here. I also love that myregional food experience isn’tAlbertan in the sense that it’smore localized than that. In thesouth of the province folks arelucky that my beloved pronghornantelope is regional to them. Thefolks living among alpine streamsand lakes can enviably indulge introut. That regionality excites me.It’s the kind of thing that folks inother countries embrace, celebrate,respect, and travel to experience.And I think it’s that regionality thatwill eventually define what eachof our regional cuisines becomesover the coming generations. It’sgoing to be wild foods. You heard ithere first.In the coming issues, I hope tocelebrate and advocate for someof the wild foods that have cometo define the cuisine du terroir ofmy home. Various game meats,wild greens, wild fruits, wild fish,wild mushrooms and more end upin my kitchen on a reg
Jeff Smith, Ken Kranrod, Robb Stavne Contributing Writers: Robert Anderson, Brendan Ganton, . To me, cookbooks are meant to be read like novels, taking time for the recipe to unfold, consuming the details, savouring the ingredients and imagining the mouth-watering conclusion. That’s why knowing where my food comes from, and having some sort of control over it, gives me greater peace of .
