A new incarnation of the “Backyard Wilderness” exhibition by Leila Armstrong will be opening November 12, 2022, at the Crowsnest Pass Public Art Gallery in Blairmore. The opening reception is 1 - 3 pm. Hope to see you there!
“Burrows & Bungalows,” the second Backyard Wilderness exhibition by Leila Armstrong, happened at Casa’s Main Gallery in Lethbridge January 29, 2022 - March 26, 2022.
A lot has been happening regarding Backyard Wilderness art projects. In 2021, the Backyard Wilderness utility box wrap appeared in Galt Gardens, kitty corner from Chapters. This project is courtesy of Public Art Committee, Allied Arts Council and the City of Lethbridge.
You are invited to take this survey as part of a larger research project titled Backyard Wilderness. Your responses are anonymous and will be used to gauge public attitudes towards urban wildlife. (These answers, when combined with all other responses, will be used in publications and in presentations at conferences.) For more information on Backyard Wilderness please proceed to www.backyardwilderness.info or contact University of Lethbridge PhD student Leila Armstrong at backyardwilderness@shaw.ca.
The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It is hosted on Survey Monkey and their privacy policy can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/mp/legal/privacy-policy/.
Results from the "Your Favourite Urban Animal" vote at the Backyard Wilderness exhibition (Helen Schuler Nature Centre): The winner is the Striped Skunk (27)! Honourable mentions go to White-tailed/Mule Deer (24), Rabbits/Hares (22), Raccoons (14), and Magpies (10).
The Backyard Wilderness city-wide art project will kick off with the exhibition at the Helen Schuler Community Art Gallery on Monday, August 26 (closing Saturday, September 28, 2019). There will be an artist’s talk on Sunday, September 1, from 2 - 3 pm at the Helen Schuler with a meet and greet afterwards in the gallery. Everyone is welcome!
Artist's Statement: There is a disconnect between people’s everyday lived experience and their conception of nature as something external and removed. This leads to a concern that we will have no inclination for protecting the biodiversity with which we engage every day. Given that 81% of Canadians reside it urban centres (Statistics Canada, 2011), it is important to understand how city dwellers define and interact with urban wildlife and wilderness. Through an investigation into the urban ecology of Lethbridge, my aim is to challenge people to rethink their conceptions of nature as detached from our daily lives. One of the intended outcomes of my research is to increase awareness of, and the need for, engagement with urban ecologies as spaces in which humans and other species must live and thrive together.
Backyard Wilderness will appear on 6 billboards throughout Lethbridge from September 9 – October 6, 2019.
South Lethbridge:
4 Avenue South & 4 Street South, 13 Street South & 2 Avenue South, and Mayor Magrath Drive South & 5 Avenue South.
North Lethbridge:
Stafford Drive North & 5 Avenue North, 13 Street North & 7 Avenue North, and Mayor Magrath Drive North & 2 Avenue North.
This project would not have been possible without support from the following:
You are invited to take this survey as part of a larger research project titled Backyard Wilderness. Your responses are anonymous and will be used to gauge public attitudes towards urban wildlife. (These answers, when combined with all other responses, will be used in publications and in presentations at conferences.) For more information on Backyard Wilderness please proceed to www.backyardwilderness.info or contact University of Lethbridge PhD student Leila Armstrong at backyardwilderness@shaw.ca. The privacy policy for SurveyMonkey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/legal/privacy-policy/.
The survey takes 3 – 10 minutes to complete.
As requested, here is a list of all of the animals mentioned in the Backyard Wilderness survey, taken by Lethbridgians from March through December 2017: Skunks, Deer, Rabbits, Hares, Bats, Magpies, Blue Jays, Owls, Ground Squirrels, Raccoons, Coyotes, Porcupines, Rattlesnakes, Partridges, Toads, Mice, Doves, Pheasants, Hawks, Grouse, Woodpeckers, Crows, Sparrows, Black Birds, Moles, Flickers, Fox, Robins, Squirrels, Badgers, Chickadees, Wrens, Bees, Vultures, Bull Snakes, Finches, Marmots, Falcons, Weasels, Muskrats, Geese, Frogs, Possums, Voles, Salamanders, Nuthatches, Moose, Grackles, Seagulls, Eagles, Hummingbirds, Ducks, Quail, Ermine, Chipmunks, Killdeer, Brown Widow Spider, Butterflies, Raptors, Garter Snakes, Hornets, Ants, Thrush, Starlings, Kestrels, Dragonflies, Beetles, Crickets, Merlins, Northern Pocket Gophers, Wolverine, Pigeons, Grosbeaks, and Turtles.
Badger linocut by Leila Armstrong.
Between March and December 2017 one thousand one hundred and forty-five people took the Backyard Wilderness survey. That's well over 1% of the city's population! Below you'll find some early results:
Where are respondents from? 293 are from North Lethbridge, 420 are from South Lethbridge, and 410 are from West Lethbridge. The rest hail from elsewhere in Alberta.
What are the ages of the respondents? 229 are 18-31, 295 are 32-45, 315 are 46-59, 245 are 60-73, 33 are 73-86, and 2 are 87+. The rest did not respond to this question.
1058 out of 1145 people report that animals visit their yards.
What types of animals do people report as visitors? 723 deer, 693 skunks, 509 rabbits/hares, 276 birds, 240 raccoons, 149 coyotes, 101 porcupines, 69 mice, 60 ground squirrels, and 141 other urban dwelling wild animals.
Stay tuned for more results, including how people know animals are visiting and what attracts wildlife to Lethbridge yards.
Backyard Wilderness received an award from the Oldman Watershed Council today as a signatory on the Southern Alberta Water Charter 2017.
