Located 40 kilometers south of Calgary and 3 kilometers east of High River, Frank Lake is a popular birding location for many Albertans.
Frank Lake has been an Important Bird Area (IBA) since 2000. This designation is based on a significant number of birds congregating during the breeding season, and the presence of “at risk” species. In 2022, Frank Lake was given the additional designation of Key Biodiversity Area (KBA).
Records of birds at Frank Lake go back to the 1960’s. There have been 256 bird species documented in the area, including over 60 bird species that are designated as “at risk” by provincial or federal agencies. It is a hotspot of biodiversity in the prairies, helps mitigate the effects of drought and floods, and is an important location for nature in our province.
The Frank Lake Stewardship Committee
Frank Lake was managed for many years by its dedicated caretaker, Greg Wagner. When Greg passed away in 2025, Nature Calgary took over as caretaker. The Frank Lake Stewardship Committee was formed under Nature Calgary to manage the area on an ongoing basis.
This management includes both physical caretaking and advocating for the area. Working in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, the Committee will ensure that Frank Lake is healthy and well maintained through monitoring, advocacy, upkeep, and habitat restoration. The Committee is undertaking a variety of projects, including:
- Bat boxes in all basins for monitoring bat populations
- Bee nesting boxes
- Owl nesting platform
- Rehabilitation of the islands at the outflow area
- Motus tower
Get Involved with Frank Lake
There are a variety of ways to get involved with Frank Lake:
- Donate through Canada Helps, and enter “Frank Lake” in the Message to Charity box
- Volunteer:
- Join the committee
- Participate in citizen science through bird and biodiversity counts
- Fundraising
- Field trips
- People on the land
- Basic maintenance and repairs
You can also go birding! Information on birding at Frank Lake is available in this pdf.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact franklakestewards@naturecalgary.com.
