A local group that currently goes by the name Nature Airdrie is pushing for a nature conservation area. 

The group presented to City Council Tuesday (May 22nd) in hopes that council will use 3.97% of the 12,000-acre plan to conserve nature in the area. The group is looking for an area of land that supports multiple ecosystems including wetlands, grasslands and forested areas. 

Ken Hoehn from Nature Airdrie says the amount of land they are asking to use is minimal in comparison to the 12,000 acres that will be used for the human activity. 

"Well I think if you look at the scope of the 12,000 acres, I mean if you imagine yourself standing at one of the football posts at the McMahon Stadium and you look all the way down to the other goal posts that's one football field, we are talking 8000 football fields we are taking from nature." 

Nature Airdrie looked at the area and knows some areas close to waterways will be protected anyways but it doesn't speak to the need for wildlife at all so the group is thinking about all the different species that live in our region and the amount of land we are taking away from nature for human being used, the group is wondering if we should be preserving some of that.  

Hoehn says they are working for the future generations.

"We call the eight-year-old child living in Airdrie 40 years from now our boss, we want to preserve nature so that they can experience nature as we have."

Hoehn thinks that this kind of conservation efforts reflect the values of Albertans across the province and the dedication the province has to preserve and protect the nature in their backyards. 

The hope is that the conservation area can be used for educational purposes in the future so that schools within the community are not bussing our students into nature areas elsewhere. 

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