Jasper鈥檚 Boulder Battle returns
Rock climbers get ready to rumble.
The second annual Boulder Battle is coming back to the Jasper Activity Centre, Jan. 14.
Rock climbers will have two hours to try more than 20 different bouldering problems, varying in difficulties.
Registration is $17 per person and there will be separate categories for men and women.
The registration fee can be paid at the door or in advance at Gravity Gear on Patricia Street.
Participants are asked to bring their own shoes.
The event starts at 7 p.m.
Jasper鈥檚 Christmas Bird Count spots 626 birds
Jasper鈥檚 birders spotted 626 birds and 26 different species during the annual Christmas Bird Count, Dec. 18.
While lower than last year鈥檚 count by more than 200, Trish Tremblay, a long time birder who ran the 2016 count, said the count is not a precise science and fluctuates from year to year.
鈥淕lobally I think many bird populations are in decline, but I can鈥檛 really speculate about the decline of this past count,鈥� Tremblay said. 鈥淚t could have been because of the cold snap we experienced or that we just didn鈥檛 notice as many this year.鈥�
To count the birds, 11 volunteers spread out within a 12.5-km radius circle from the first bridge at Maligne Canyon.
The volunteers were broken off into groups, counting the winged creatures at bird feeders or out in the field.
The Christmas Bird Count started in 1900 and is North America鈥檚 longest-running citizen science project, happening in 2,000 regions. The annual Jasper count came to fruition in the 1940s, according to long-time birder Gord Ruddy.
For the love of Scotland
It鈥檚 time to pull out your kilts, bagpipes and Robbie Burns poetry as Habitat for the Arts hosts its first multicultural night of 2017.
Join Jasperite Stephen Nelson on Jan. 16, as he shares tales, songs, food and folklore from Scotland, his motherland.
Nelson will also have a slew of musicians on hand, helping to create a true Celtic dance vibe for the night.
The festive affair will be held at Habitat for Arts, starting at 7 p.m.
Admission is free, but donations are always welcome.
