New business park puts western meadowlark at risk, says Nature Calgary

Nature Calgary is worried a new business park in the northeast could wipe out the city's only breeding ground for amigratory bird called the western meadowlark.

Naturalist John McFaul calls the brightly coloured, yellow and brown bird,an iconic species for anyone who lives in the prairies.

"Country people, prairie people,are reallyexcitedwhenthe meadowlark show up in the spring and start singing their beautiful song," says McFaul.

"And if we start losing one here,we start losing one there, it becomes an issue. So you have tokindof stop it in its tracks as best you canbeforeyou start losing your native species."

The proposed 329-acreAurora Business Parkis set to be built in a greenspaceowned by the city that's immediately north of West Nose Creek Park. The site'sboundariesalso include96th Avenue northeastto the north, Sixth Street northeastto the east, and Harvest Hills Boulevardto the west.

City councilapproved the developmentnearly 10years ago, but work hasbeen delayed while the city completes studies on the newGreen Lineleg of the LRTthat will run on the park's western edge.

A city spokesperson says he wasn't aware of these ecological concerns.

"Given the information that we have now in terms of the possibility of a western meadowlark, particularlyamigratorybird and nesting area, we'll be stepping back evaluating that information and determining whether itsappropriateforus to change our plan, at all, in the development time lines," says Doug Cassidy, director with real estate and development services.

Highlight of a nature walk

McFaulhas been leading nature walks through the area for many years and he says one of the highlights is the western meadowlark.

He's not opposed to the development, he just hopes it can be modified to allow the bird, which nests in the ground along the grasslands,to have a home.

"Don't throw it all out, because we're not really proposing that, but let's look at this one area and find out where the meadowlarks are breeding and can we protect them by perhaps reducing the size of the proposed development."

The city hasn't set a date yet for construction to begin.