(Photo: Lacombe County)

By Lacombe County

Lacombe County celebrates official opening of the Kuhnen Natural Area

Jun 19, 2019 | 10:08 AM

On Tuesday, Lacombe County officially opened the Kuhnen Natural Area to the public.

Located on the eastern side of Lacombe County, the public space features 65 acres of land running along the north side of the Red Deer River.

“The gift of this land from the Kuhnen Family exemplifies the importance community residents place on managing green space for the betterment of current and future generations,” said Reeve Paula Law. “We appreciate this priceless gift from the Kuhnens, and are proud to protect these lands, for everyone to come out and spend time in nature.”

Local long-time residents Frank and Rosalie Kuhnen generously donated this land to Lacombe County, who will ensure the area remains in a natural state for the public to use for passive recreational purposes.

“Our family has thoroughly enjoyed using this land,” said Frank Kuhnen. “We wanted to share the beauty of this natural area with future generations, so they can experience nature first hand, as we did.

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During the grand opening event, attendees enjoyed a barbeque, and tours of the area by local naturalist, Tim Schowalter, who showed people the geology and plants/animals in the natural area.

The Kuhnen Natural Area, found along the north bank of the Red Deer River, is one of the newest additions to the County’s inventory of parks and natural spaces. The 65 acres of forested land offers lookout points onto the river valley and a trail that leads down to the water. The Kuhnen Natural Area is located south of Alix and can be accessed from Range Road 23-0, south of Highway 11.

This is also the second piece of land that the Kuhnen family has generously donated to the County. In 2015, the Kuhnens donated 140 acres of land north of Blackfalds on Lacombe Lake – aptly named Kuhnen Park, which features trails, including an access to a section of the Great Trail (formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail) that runs between Lacombe and Blackfalds.