Podcasts
Episodes
August 4, 2026
EPISODE 211: A Bird in the Hand
Podcast (podcasts): Play in new window | Download
What can Alberta’s migratory bird population teach us about our environment?
Alberta’s declining bird populations are an important indicator of growing pressures on the natural systems that sustain all life. At the heart of understanding those changes is Beaverhill Bird Observatory (BBO), one of Canada’s longest-running migration monitoring stations, where every observation contributes to the long-term data that drives conservation action.
In this episode of The Well-Endowed Podcast, Andrew Paul travels to the Beaverhill Natural Area, where he joins Assistant Biologist John Van Arragon and his crew during one of the final bird-monitoring nights of the season. Together, they explore how scientific research, community education, and Edmonton Community Foundation’s Environmental Operating Grants are helping protect Alberta’s migratory birds and build the capacity to continue this vital work for generations to come.
Show Notes:
Our guests today were John Van Aragon, Assistant Biologist and Geoff Hilroyd, Board Chair at Beaverhill Bird Observatory
Read the companion article, “Birds of a Feather” in the Spring 2026 edition of Thrive Magazine.
Read BBO’s story of achieving sustainability through partnership in the 2025 Impact Report
Learn more about BeaverHill Bird Observatory (BBO)
Learn more about the Beaverhill Bird Observatory Endowment Fund.
ECF Happenings:
Find out how to create an Endowment Fund of your own.
Learn more about ECF’s Environmental Operating Grants .
Register today for Fall 2026 Community Grants informal sessions and explore funding ideas ahead of applying.
Check out some of the amazing endowment funds our donors have established.
Upcoming Student Awards:
Al Maurer Awards
Charmaine Letourneau Scholarships
Click here to find details for all of our student awards!
The Well-Endowed Podcast is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation.
Our endowment funds support emerging and priority needs in the greater Edmonton community, now and for generations to come. Donate to a fund
Episodes August 4, 2026
EPISODE 211: A Bird in the Hand
Podcast (podcasts): Play in new window | Download
What can Alberta’s migratory bird population teach us about our environment?
Alberta’s declining bird populations are an important indicator of growing pressures on the natural systems that sustain all life. At the heart of understanding those changes is Beaverhill Bird Observatory (BBO), one of Canada’s longest-running migration monitoring stations, where every observation contributes to the long-term data that drives conservation action.
In this episode of The Well-Endowed Podcast, Andrew Paul travels to the Beaverhill Natural Area, where he joins Assistant Biologist John Van Arragon and his crew during one of the final bird-monitoring nights of the season. Together, they explore how scientific research, community education, and Edmonton Community Foundation’s Environmental Operating Grants are helping protect Alberta’s migratory birds and build the capacity to continue this vital work for generations to come.
Show Notes:
Our guests today were John Van Aragon, Assistant Biologist and Geoff Hilroyd, Board Chair at Beaverhill Bird Observatory
Read the companion article, “Birds of a Feather” in the Spring 2026 edition of Thrive Magazine.
Read BBO’s story of achieving sustainability through partnership in the 2025 Impact Report
Learn more about BeaverHill Bird Observatory (BBO)
Learn more about the Beaverhill Bird Observatory Endowment Fund.
ECF Happenings:
Find out how to create an Endowment Fund of your own.
Learn more about ECF’s Environmental Operating Grants .
Register today for Fall 2026 Community Grants informal sessions and explore funding ideas ahead of applying.
Check out some of the amazing endowment funds our donors have established.
Upcoming Student Awards:
Al Maurer Awards
Charmaine Letourneau Scholarships
Click here to find details for all of our student awards!
The Well-Endowed Podcast is produced by Edmonton Community Foundation.
