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(Myrna Pearman) People love bluebirds because
they are so beautiful; I think that's the simple answer.
>>Smack dab in the middle of Alberta's heartland,
on a pancake-flat stretch of lush Canadian prairie,
is a special place where people and birds
-especially mountain bluebirds - flock together.
(Cliff Soper) We are trying to preserve
a very interesting kind of bird,
the Mountain Bluebird, they are very shy
little birds and they're very unique to this area.
>>Welcome to the ellis bird farm.
Nestled just southeast of Lacombe, Ellis is both a
real working farm and a non-profit organization
dedicated to the conservation of mountain bluebirds,
tree swallows and other native cavity-nesting birds.
(Cliff Soper) And that's really why we call it
the bird farm. It is not a chicken farm.
>>From late may to early September,
you can stroll pathways through beautiful flower
and water gardens, see the world's largest outdoor
collection of bluebird boxes (400 and counting),
and, of course, enjoy an abundance of backyard birds.
A feather to cap your visit would be a slice of
homemade pie served in the teahouse.
(Myrna Pearman) Ellis Bird Farm is so unique in so many ways.
It's this juxtaposition of old and new, of upscale
and down to earth, of hi- tech and rural.
Whether it's a bluebird festival or a bug jamboree
building bird boxes or a bird banding demonstration
there's always something exciting at Ellis.
>>The origins of this wonderful wildlife sanctuary go back to
the spring of 1955 when a man known as "Mr. Bluebird"
began building bird boxes - a lot of bird boxes.
(Myrna Pearman) Mr. Bluebird was Charlie Ellis.
He lived here with his sister Winnie Ellis,
and they true conservationists before it became popular.
They were viewed by many of their neighbors
as wonderful people, but maybe just slightly eccentric.
He would get up every morning and he would walk all the
fence lines on one quarter section and check all his
bluebird boxes. He had about 300 bluebird boxes.
So successful were his efforts that by the late
1970s, there were more Mountain Bluebirds nesting
on this farm than any other place in the world.
That's why he became known as Mr. Bluebird. And Winnie was
the gardener, so she planted all of the orchards you see around
here, many of these gardens are her original gardens.
>>Charlie and Winnie retired from farming in 1980 and sold
the farm to Union Carbide. But only after Charlie said...
(Myrna Pearman) We will sell our land to you,
but you have to look after the birds. And so they set
up this non-profit company to carry on the legacy of
Charlie and Winnie Ellis.
>>Today, ME Global Canada owns the ethylene glycol plant
and continues to support the mission at Ellis.
(Cliff Soper) Ellis Bird Farm is a partnership
that tries to model how industry, conservation,
and agriculture can work together.
If it were not for that balance, this place
we stand on right now would probably just be
a grain field and we would not have the opportunity
to bring all the children here, all the seniors, and
all the visitors to learn about the environment.
Although once a threatened species, the mountain
bluebird now enjoys least concern status thanks in
part to the Ellis bird farm.
(Myrna Pearman) Ellis Bird Farm has had a tremendous
impact on local populations of birds.
Starting with Charlie Ellis who inspired people
to put up Purple Martin Houses and to put up
bluebird boxes, thousands of people now attract those birds.
But we've also inspired people to plant plantings
that will bring in those native pollinators
and bring in the birds.
(Cynthia Pohl) Here I can create habitat for wildlife.
I can also showcase how gardeners can
create gardens in an organic and a sustainable fashion.
We showcase here everything from a small
front yard to a huge acreage.
(Myrna Pearman) We've really been at the forefront of
inspiring people to think about wildlife when they garden
and think about the wildlife that they share
their backyards with. By example and through
education we teach people about nature.
>>While admission to the bird farm is free, kids of all ages
agree that the Ellis experience is priceless.
Who knew learning could be so much fun.
(Carson Leach) I've learned how to feed goats; I've also
learned how to make bird boxes and all sorts of
interesting facts about wildlife and their habitats.
(Lauran Pearman) My favorite part of the
Ellis Bird Farm is the pond dipping, I find that
really fun when you find leaches and snails and
little water spider thingamajigs.
(Anita Goetz) The seniors, it's great for them to come out
here, the walkways are for wheel accessories and for
walkers and stuff, so it was a place where we could
go and have no troubles.
>>Author and poet Henry David Thoreau wrote,
"the bluebird carries the sky on his back."
and with a true-blue friend like the Ellis bird farm,
the mountain bluebird will always have a special place
to share a blue-sky day.
(Jaxson Leach) Ellis Bird Farm is special to me because
it's beautiful and I love coming here, I learn
something every time.
(Cliff Soper) I like to come here because of the nature
of the place; this is a very relaxing place.
(Myrna Pearman) So, when people leave Ellis Bird Farm we hope
they carry the message that we aren't the only creatures
on earth of any importance. We share our outdoor
living space with many other creatures, and
what we're sharing is learning to respect and
honor the earth, and I think that's a very noble
occupation.