Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute

Those eyes! That face! Those wings! With its vibrant colour and adorably round eyes, it's easy to see where the Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum) got its name 🍒😍
📸 Photo by jelofson

#FabPhotoFriday #AquaticInvertibrates #Dragonfly #WetlandBiodiversity #Wetlands

Can you spot the Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) in these photos? These hide-and-seek champions blend right into the snow.
#CameraTrapTuesday #SnowshoeHare #WinterWildlife

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) is often one of the first plants to flourish in open or disturbed areas, bringing colour and life back to the landscape. This close-up captures its delicate blooms and a brief visit from a butterfly.

📸Photo by Kirstan Tereschyn
#FabPhotoFriday #WildlifePhotos

White-tailed Ptarmigans (Lagopus leucura) are great at camouflaging in the snow! Ptarmigans change their plumage throughout the seasons, helping them blend into varied environments.
#CameraTrapTuesday #AlbertaBirds #WinterWildlife

Some cultures consider Common Ravens (Corvus corax) to be harbingers of bad luck, while others see them as a symbol of wisdom and magic; either way, we think they’re pretty fab 🐦‍⬛🖤
Happy #FabPhotoFriday the 13th!

📸 Photo by Dan Burgin
#CommonRaven #Fridaythe13th #BirdsofAlberta

Careers and Opportunities <p>The ABMI is a great place to work, learn, and be part of a passionate team.</p>

Now hiring multiple positions!
If you're passionate about biodiversity and want to make an impact, now’s the time to apply.
🔗 Explore opportunities & apply today: https://ow.ly/tqJZ50Ye7JN
#SummerInternship #EnvironmentalCareers #AlbertaJobs
📸 Photo courtesy of the Nature Conservancy of Canada

That moment when the camera trap catches you on a bad hair day 🫣
#Porcupine #CameraTrapTuesday #WildlifeWatch

Here's a Superb Owl to kick off your football weekend! 🏈
#DYK that the Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is one of the smallest Owl species in North America? They often only grow to around 20 cm, or the size of a large hamster.
📸Photo by Monica Dahl
#SuperbOwl #BirdsofAlberta #FabPhotoFriday

Not able to make it to today's webinar? Head to our YouTube channel, where you can watch today's webinar on the Government of Alberta Wetland Inventory Pilot Results, presented by Dr. Michael Merchant.
https://youtu.be/8PNJmDXuqos
#RemoteSensing #EnvironmentalData #AlbertaWetlands #MachineLearning

We are proud to be part of a new provincial effort using lidar, high-resolution satellite imagery, and Artificial Intelligence to improve wetland mapping across Alberta.
Read here: https://ow.ly/rCs750Y8XMK
#RemoteSensing #EnvironmentalData #SatelliteImagery

Groundhog Day may have been yesterday, but here's one for today's #CameraTrapTuesday!
Do you think spring is around the corner, or will we get 6 more weeks of winter?
#GroundhogDay #WildlifeMonitoring

To celebrate #WorldWetlandsDay today, we have released two new sections in the Wetland Atlas of Alberta!
Introducing Section 2.6, HydroPatterns: Mapping Open Water Presence and Change, and Section 4.5, Common Vascular Plants in Shallow Open-Water Wetlands.
#WetlandConservation #GeospatialData

Small but mighty! Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are approximately the size of a large house cat, but these cousins of the weasel are more fierce than friendly.
📸 Photo by Lynn Bystrom
#FabPhotoFriday #WildlifePhotography #NatureLovers

Nose-to-nose in the winter woods 🫎❄️ Looks like these Moose (Alces alces) are having a quiet forest meeting caught on camera.
#CameraTrapTuesday #Moose #WinterWildlife #NatureLovers

A small star at ground level 🌟 Keep an eye out for these tiny Starflowers (Lysimachia borealis) blooming on the forest floor in the spring months!
📸 Photo by Varina Crisfield
#FabPhotoFriday #AlbertaBiodiversity #AlbertaFlowers

Map it, filter it, explore it 🗺️🔍
Head to https://ow.ly/Zyry50Y1kth to start exploring the Mapping Portal, or check out our YouTube channel for a step-by-step tutorial on its features and functionalities: https://ow.ly/zB9t50Y1kti
#MappingPortal #MappingTools #DataVisualization #EnvironmentalData

Take a look at those horns! 🐏
Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) horns grow continuously throughout their lives, forming annual growth rings (similar to tree rings) that can reveal the sheep's age and history.
#CameraTrapTuesday #BighornSheep #Albertawildlife

Some birds sing, Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) introduce themselves! Their iconic "chickadee-dee-dee" call can be heard year-round across the province.
📸 Photo by Victoria Dennis
#FabPhotoFriday #BirdsofAlberta #BlackcappedChickadee

Join us virtually on Thursday, February 5th, at 12 pm for a free webinar showcasing the Government of Alberta's Wetland Inventory Pilot Results with Senior Earth Observation Data Scientist Michael Merchant.
Register here: https://ow.ly/sS4V50XTz1g

Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and their rusty coats stand out nicely in a winter landscape 🦊❄️ Although they are usually more active around dusk or at night, these incredibly adaptable animals can still be commonly seen during the day.
#CameraTrapTuesday #RedFox #AlbertaWildlife

Small Squirrel, big world. 🐿️ This Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) has the best view on the mountain. 🏔️
Have you spotted these little guys on your alpine hikes?

📸 Photo by Marc La Fleche
#FabPhotoFriday #GoldenmantledGroundSquirrel #AlbertaWildlife

We "herd" you like Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana), so here's a group of them 😉
#CameraTrapTuesday #AlbertaWildlife #Pronghorn

Here's some Powdered Sunshine (Vulpicida pinastri) brightening up the forest! ☀️ The yellow powder on the edges is reproductive structures made of fungal threads and algal cells that can rub off and transport to a new location to start a new lichen.
📸 Photo by Diane Haughland
#FabPhotoFriday #Lichen

Happy New Year! 🥳 Thank you to everyone who contributed to, supported, and engaged with our data and research over the past year—we couldn’t do this work without you.
We hope you had a great holiday season and are feeling refreshed and ready to take on the New Year!
#HappyNewYear #ABMIatWork

Being this close to a Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) isn't a view you'd want to see in person 😱🐻 It's a good thing we have cameras to capture what it's like instead!
#CameraTrapTuesday #AlbertaWildlife #GrizzyBear

No matter the weather, you can count on the White Spruce (Picea glauca) to stay evergreen 🌲
📸 Photo by Sarah Townson captured in Banff National Park
#FabPhotoFriday #WhiteSpruce #NaturePhotography #MountainViews

ABMI’s new report showcases how we monitor change across the Al-Pac FMA area, including field surveys, remote sensing, acoustic monitoring, lidar, species sampling, and advanced landscape indicators.
See the methods and read the full report here: https://ow.ly/iWS450XNtPt
#Ecology #Biodiversity

Bull Elk (Cervus canadensis) are built for winter with their thick coats, powerful frames, and undeniable presence🦌
#CameraTrapTuesday #Elk #Wapiti #AlbertaWildlife

This Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata) is all fluffed up and ready for the weekend!
📸 Photo by Elvis Pineda
#FabPhotoFriday #AlbertaWildlife #HoaryMarmot #WildlifePhotography #CanadianWildlife

YouTube video by Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute Mapping Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems in Boreal Alberta with Remote Sensing and Machine Learning

Check out our newest webinar, in which Michael Merchant presents an approach to high-resolution Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem mapping, which uses multiple sources of remote sensing data and advanced machine learning modelling to predict GDE locations.
youtu.be/6IuHUYX9Pfk?...