Taco-Charlie is a tiger salamander
If you go to Lethbridge, you must visit Taco-Charlie at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. During my book tour this month, my time in Lethbridge was limited and I had to make a choice: would I visit the Nikka Yuka Japanese Garden, Galt Museum, or the Helen Schuler Nature Center? The vast coulee just outside my hotel beckoned, so I laced up my runners and struck out on a path that I hoped would lead me to the nature centre.
The descent into the coulee was steep as the trail snaked in multiple switchbacks through the prairie grasses. The coulee is a natural oasis within the urban development of Lethbridge, preserved by a succession of parks strung together by the Oldman River. Hiking trails, bike paths, picnic tables and cooking shelters weren’t too busy at 4:00 on a Wednesday afternoon, but a steady stream of vehicles full of bathing-suit-clad teens passed me on their way to the river.
A cool perspective of the CPR High Level Bridge.
Cool perspective of the CPR High Level Bridge
I passed underneath the CPR High Level Bridge which spans the coulee and marveled that this massive structure was built in 1909, yet is still used by trains every day. It is the longest (1.6 km / about 1 mile) and highest (96 m / about 315 feet) bridge of its kind in the world. In Lethbridge. Very cool.
The nature reserve is just beyond the bridge: 196 acres of coulees, cottonwood forest and wetlands. Helen Schuler and Elizabeth Hall worked for 20 years to preserve the Oldman River Valley and establish environmental education programs for school kids. The Helen Schuler Nature Centre opened in 1982 and was renovated and expanded in 2014 to include great exhibit and activity spaces. The bumblebee exhibit was cool and the green/living roof was pretty amazing, but I was most enthralled by the residents of the nature centre.
Sophie is a 7-foot gopher snake with loads of personality.
Sophie is a bit passive-aggressive, literally holding the volunteer hostage.
I expect that Taco-Charlie, Sophie and Gerry get a lot of attention from visitors. Sadly, I had missed Peg Leg the crow, who I am told was a charming character, greeting visitors at the centre for almost 24 years (1991 – 2015)!
Gerry, the Western Toad, appeared to think I was going to feed him and followed my every move.
I spent much more time meeting the critters and exploring the exhibit than anticipated, and emerged from the centre to find the weather had changed quite dramatically. (Big surprise – it was a week full of hailstorms and tornado warnings!)
I had a 3 k walk – uphill! – and needed to plot my route carefully. If I followed the easier path, I would pop up at the top of the coulee, the tallest thing around and an easy target for the lightning that was strobing not far away. So the return trip wasn’t as leisurely as I had hoped, but I didn’t get soaked by a storm, bitten by a snake, or stung by a scorpion. Hurrah!
Northern scorpions live in the Oldman River Valley! Yikes! Photo credit: Dan Johnson
