Calgary Alberta Lifestyle, Community & Homes - Spotlight on Nosehill Park

Today Diane is at Nose Hill Park in Calgary, Alberta with her side-kick Odie. Calgary has a vast array of parkland which is worth exploring, anytime of year. For more information on Calgary and where to live, please contact us. We will be featuring the communities surrounding this park in the coming weeks. As a native Calgarian, Diane knows the City of Calgary well. Follow on Instagram and Facebook for more updates @PRGYYC and remember to subscribe for weekly episode reminders. Diane Planidin PRG Properties Royal LePage Benchmark Website - https://www.PRG.Properties​​ Podcast - https://calgaryliving.podbean.com​​ Connect on Social: https://www.Facebook.com/PRGYYC​​ https://www.Instagram.com/prgyyc​ Here is some additional info from the City of Calgary: Nose Hill Park is a natural environment park that lies in the northwest part of the Calgary and is surrounded by 12 residential communities and covers 11 square kilometers. Nose Hill Park has numerous hiking trails and dedicated off-leash areas. Location: 6465 14 ST N.W. Area: 1129 hectares Park hours: 5 a.m. - 11 p.m. Park features Hiking trails Designated off-leash areas Native grassland Wildlife Washrooms Nose Hill Park improvements About the park Nose Hill Natural Environment Park lies in the northwest part of the city, surrounded by 12 residential communities. The park was created in 1980 and covers over 11 square kilometers. The hill most likely gets its name from the fact that, from certain locations and with a little imagination, it looks like a nose. Experience nature in the city Take a hike on the hill, but slow down to appreciate the Rough Fescue grassland that you are passing through. Nose Hill Park contains one of the most significant examples of this grassland ecosystem left on the Canadian prairies. From the plateau, there are vistas including the Rocky Mountains, Bow River Valley and the vast plains to the east. Plant life The trees, shrubs and wildflowers in the coulees are very different from the species found in the fescue grassland. Apart from the native grasses, one of the dominant species in the park is the Trembling Aspen. The aspen, along with the willows occupy the north-facing slopes of the coulees and provide a refuge for many of the wild animals living in the park. Wildlife Large mammals such as deer and coyotes can be seen roaming the grasslands and coulees. The park is home to porcupines, northern pocket gophers, Richardson's ground squirrels and several species of mice and voles. These smaller mammals are the main prey for the northern harriers and Swainson's hawks, which are often seen in the skies above the park. Please note: Coyotes are generally not a threat to people but should be treated with respect. Never approach or feed a coyote. For more information, or to report sightings/encounters, visit calgary.ca/coyotes. History Nose Hill and Broadcast Hill, which lies on the other side of the Bow River Valley, are the two remaining examples of the high plains which once covered this area. Ancient rivers, successive glaciers and their run-off have eroded the landscape producing the surrounding valleys and lowlands, leaving the two hills towering over the area. The most recent glaciers left their mark in the form of "glacial erratics" which consist of rocks and debris carried from other places and deposited in the park. One such erratic is on the east side of Nose Hill and was once a part of Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park. The park contains significant archaeological sites, including stone circles. These were formed by using stones to hold down the edges of tipis and are called "tipi rings". Because of its height, the hill was also a sacred place used for ceremonies and burials. European settlers began using the area in the late 1800s for farming and ranching. Large areas of the plateau have been ploughed and planted to agricultural crops. Some of these areas are being returned to native grassland. There is an old gravel pit on the plateau which is slowly being reclaimed by nature. In the '80s, much of the park was destined for residential development. However, vigorous citizen action saved the land for the magnificent park we have today.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​   #Calgary #Alberta #Realtor #PRGYYC #RoyalLePage #CanadaTogether