Bow Habitat Station

Bow Habitat Station in Calgary is an integrated facility where students can learn about Alberta’s aquatic habitats, fish species and fisheries management. The Bow Habitat Station consists of:

• Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery;
• Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland; and,
• education programs and services (new feature).

Education Programs and Services
Bow Habitat Station’s exhibits and programs are open to schools and organizations that register for programs. Education programs are integrated with the elementary science curriculum. The interpretive wetland is open to the public.

Four main galleries, a multimedia theatre and other learning areas occupy 900 square metres. The four galleries include:

• Fantastic Fish Gallery - explores the diversity of Alberta’s fish species through 12 large aquaria, life-size models of fish and fish anatomy.
• Fish Forever Gallery - features lifecycles,  management, hatchery story and fishing exhibits to showcase the important role of fish as environmental indicators and how they are managed to keep fish in our future. The gallery also features exhibits about the many other uses of fish.
• Water Gallery - features water quality, water use and water cycle exhibits to tell the story of fresh water in Alberta.
• Wet Alberta Gallery -explores the variety of aquatic habitats in Alberta where visitors can feel what it is like to walk on a peatland bog or crawl through a beaver lodge.

At the BP Nature Theatre, students watch “The Big Show,” a celebration of Alberta's natural diversity and our role in stewardship for the province's aquatic ecosystems. The Discovery Room will intrigue students with questions such as: how do you tell the age of a fish?

Sponsors and Partners

• BP Canada Energy - funding for BP Nature Theatre and Coldwater Stream.
• Bow Habitat Station Volunteer Society - continued involvement in fish culture operations, educational programs and fundraising.
• Ducks Unlimited Canada - funding for Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland and sampling docks for the wetland’s outdoor programming (in progress).
• HSBC Canada - funding for Discovery Room.

The City of Calgary maintains the Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland. The new exhibits were made possible through the Alberta government’s Centennial Legacies Program, which invested funding into community projects to leave lasting legacies as part of Alberta’s 2005 centennial celebrations. Government departments also worked together to build and maintain Bow Habitat Station:

• Alberta Sustainable Resource Development - led exhibit development, develops outreach and educational programs, and manages fisheries operations.
• Alberta Infrastructure - built facility, interpretive wetland and coldwater stream and is responsible for general subsurface maintenance of the wetland and coldwater stream.
• Alberta Environment - reviewed all Water Gallery content.

Bow Habitat Station Volunteer Society
Founded in 1992, the Bow Habitat Station Volunteer Society is committed to educating visitors to Bow Habitat Station about the importance of Alberta's aquatic resources. Members come from all walks of life and are united by their love of fish, wildlife and natural environments. The society supports the vision of Bow Habitat Station through fisheries work, fundraising, habitat enhancement, public outreach and special events.

Contact the Bow Habitat Station Volunteer Society at 403-297-7066 or bhs.vs@gov.ab.ca

Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery
Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery has been an important part of Alberta’s fisheries management program since 1973. One of the largest enclosed fish hatcheries in North America, Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery raises 1.7 to 2 million fish annually for stocking into Alberta’s waters. Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery raises a variety of fish species, which may include rainbow, brown, brook, cutthroat and bull trout and Arctic grayling.

Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland
Built between 1999 and 2002, the park guides visitors on three unique trails showcasing several aquatic habitats found in Alberta and the wildlife and plant species that call them home. Visitors can also enjoy the BP Canada Coldwater Stream. Built in 2004, this representative stream course features an interpretive trail with signs describing the aquatic and riparian habitats commonly associated with a flowing waterway.  The wetland park is part of the Bow Habitat Station’s education programs.