ENGO Profile: Red Deer River Naturalists Society The Red Deer River Naturalists Society (RDRN), a partner of Alberta Ecotrust since 1996, lays claim to being the oldest natural history organization in Alberta. It traces its origins to the North-West Entomological Society, formed in Blackfalds in 1899. Officially founded as the Alberta Natural History Society in 1906, the group changed its name to RDRN in 1976. A well-respected organization that speaks on behalf of the environment in central Alberta, RDRN's focus is to conserve natural areas and species native to Alberta, to educate Albertans in the appreciation of natural history and to help prevent the abuse of natural resources. The RDRNs have initiated several programs, including the Backyard Wildlife Habitat and the Habitat Steward programs in 1988. | 
Myrna Pearman is a member of the Red Deer River Naturalists
Society and also serves on the Alberta Ecotrust Board.
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Through the Habitat Steward program, RDRN recognizes landowners who retain natural habitat on their property by providing the landowners with an attractive gate sign. More than 4 850 hectares have been signed up under this voluntary program. Most recently, RDRN has spearheaded an initiative to encourage backyard biodiversity in Alberta through the NatureScape Alberta program. At the core of this program is a best-selling book entitled NatureScape Alberta: Creating and caring for wildlife habitat at home. The book covers all topics related to backyard biodiversity from attracting spiders, butterflies, birds and bats to coexisting with wildlife. The book also has extensive appendices that list everything from wildlife-attracting plants to native seed suppliers in Alberta. RDRN receives all royalties raised by the sale of NatureScape Alberta and directs the funds to further promoting backyard biodiversity. A schoolground naturalization workshop, demonstration xeriscape garden, and several upcoming workshops have been underwritten by book sale revenues. Not only has the book received critical acclaim and wide readership, co-authors Myrna Pearman and Ted Pike have been kept very busy giving NatureScaping presentations to appreciative audiences across the province. Robert Bateman, who penned the book's foreword, is very pleased with the publication. "NatureScape Alberta," he wrote in a note to RDRN soon after the book's release, "should be in every school, in every planning office and in the hands of every developer, not just in Alberta, but across North America." The NatureScape message is also being spread through a backyard certification program. The certification program provides recognition to property owners who take steps to increase the biodiversity of their backyards and acreages. A certification form is included in the NatureScape Alberta book, and successful applicants receive an attractive sign that can be displayed in their yard. Funds for display panels, display materials and yard signs were provided by Alberta Ecotrust. "We are grateful to Alberta Ecotrust for supporting NatureScape Alberta," says Myrna Pearman. "Alberta Ecotrust plays a vital and unique role in the environmental community in Alberta because it funds grassroots, volunteer-driven initiatives such as ours. Without the support of Ecotrust, I doubt that NatureScape would have come to fruition." Robert Bateman commenced the foreword to NatureScape Alberta with the declaration that "NatureScaping is an idea whose time has come." Judging by the popularity of the book and the enthusiastic response that the concept of NatureScaping has received, it is apparent that the core message carried by NatureScape Alberta - Create the Habitat and They Will Come - is an important and timely one. RDRN has thus started an important initiative that will continue to motivate many Albertans to create and conserve wilderness areas as unlikely as their own backyards.
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