On Dec. 16, 2025, Lacombe County announced plans to use a $6,300 grant from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation to launch “Changes in the Natural World,” a citizen science project across Lacombe County, including Blackfalds.
The project will invite residents to record observations of natural events such as bird migrations, insect activity and weather patterns. Participants can submit their sightings through digital platforms such as the County’s existing Chronolog photo stations and may also use community apps (for example, iNaturalist).
The data gathered will focus on key environmental indicators—timing of plant blooming, pest emergence and pollinator visits—to build a detailed map of seasonal changes in the region.
Local growers in Blackfalds and the surrounding farmland can use these community-collected observations as an early-warning system for crop scouting, timing pesticide applications and anticipating pollination windows.
The grant announcement appears on the Lacombe County news portal, marking another step in the County’s push for community-driven environmental stewardship.
