Conservator, Volunteers

The Bow Valley Pintails: Where these women lead, impact follows

The Bow Valley Pintails are building community, confidence and conservation impact in Calgary

By Peter Brodsky June 15, 2026

Participants pose with a find at a sold-out Bow Valley Pintails shed‑hunting event held outside of Calgary earlier this year.

When Dani Smerek reached out to Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) in late 2022, she wasn’t looking to start a movement. She was looking for experience. After a decade in the agriculture industry, she was shifting her career toward wildlife biology and thought volunteering might be a great way to beef up her resumé. But what began as a practical step quickly became something deeper.

Within months, Dani and a handful of women formed what would become the Bow Valley Pintails, DUC’s first women‑only volunteer chapter in Calgary and its surrounding communities. Today, Dani serves as chair and treasurer, balancing those roles with her work as an intermediate wildlife biologist with Jacobs Engineering. Her professional background adds credibility, but she’s quick to emphasize that passion, not expertise, is the wind under the wings of these Pintails. Volunteers come from all walks of life, united by curiosity, community and a shared love of the outdoors.

The women‑only structure wasn’t an accident. It was a response to a gap.

“A lot of industries are heavily male‑dominant and can be intimidating, especially hunting and conservation,” Dani says. “Our organization creates a safe space for females to feel more comfortable getting out and into that sort of thing.”

That safe space has become a gateway. Women who might never have attended a conservation event, or who felt unsure about joining a mixed‑gender chapter, now have a place to learn, lead and build confidence. The Pintails’ small size hasn’t slowed them down. If anything, it has sharpened their focus.

^“

We’re a small committee, but we have been making some big impacts.

Dani Smerek

Current members include longtime volunteers Angela Vandy and Jessica King (currently completing her master’s degree in Scotland but still active from afar), along with the chapter’s newest addition, Hannah Skelton, who joined after attending an event and quickly rolled up her sleeves to help.

Bow Valley Pintails Volunteer Chapter: Finding their flock

The Pintails have quickly become known for their creative, high‑energy fundraising and outreach events. Their brewery nights at Wild Rose Brewery were early standouts, drawing more than 100 attendees and selling out faster than anyone expected. Their recent seafood boil at a downtown Calgary barbecue restaurant was an even bigger hit.

“We aimed for 100 and ended up selling 116,” Dani says. “It was fantastic.” The venue has already invited them back for a fall brisket night, with capacity for up to 170 guests.

These events do more than raise funds. They build visibility for DUC in Calgary’s urban core, attract new volunteers and create memorable experiences that keep people coming back. “People remember having a really fun evening out,” Dani says. “They support a good cause and they get something from it.”

The Pintails also run smaller, hands-on activities that introduce women to outdoor skills and conservation concepts. Their annual shed‑hunting event, which this year occurs on a Nature Conservancy Canada property near Okotoks, sells out every year. Shed hunting is a popular, year-round activity of searching for naturally dropped deer, elk or moose antlers. Participants in the Pintails’ activity learn how deer, elk and moose shed their antlers, how to track wildlife movement and how to harvest sheds sustainably.

^“

It’s one of my favourite hobbies. You put your mind into the mindset of the animal. You come to understand animal behaviour, follow their feeding route and generally walk their path.

Dani Smerek

Last year, 20 to 25 women found 13 sheds from three species.

These experiences aren’t just fun; they’re gateways to deeper engagement. Many women attend an event first, then join the committee or volunteer at future fundraisers.

Taking flight in new directions

Even with their success, the Pintails are thinking bigger. Dani sees opportunities to expand youth engagement, build partnerships with Calgary’s post-secondary institutions and eventually introduce more hands-on conservation work, similar to DUC’s MarshKeepers program in British Columbia.

“I think we’d retain more volunteers if there were more opportunities for ‘in the dirt’ experiences in Alberta,” she says. “Get ladies out there to see what Ducks Unlimited Canada does, participate and be part of it in that way.”

The chapter is also exploring a collaboration with a local brewery to create a DUC‑branded beer — a refreshing way to bring conservation messaging into everyday spaces.

For Dani, the message to younger generations is simple: if you love the outdoors, you have a stake in safeguarding it.

^“

With the growing population, we’re losing wetlands at an alarming rate. If you enjoy hiking, camping, kayaking and seeing wildlife, you might want to think about joining organizations like Ducks Unlimited Canada, where it’s all about preserving those places we love.

Dani Smerek

The Bow Valley Pintails embody that spirit, and are proof that a small group of committed women can build community, raise awareness and help protect the landscapes that define Alberta.

Where women lead, impact follows.

Do you care about the outdoors, wildlife and the environment?

Become a Ducks Unlimited Canada volunteer and turn your passion into action.

Join our flock today

Read These Stories Next

Drawn to nature: The work of artist Justine Proulx

Conservator

The Bow Valley Pintails: Where these women lead, impact follows

The Bow Valley Pintails are building community, confidence and conservation impact in Calgary

Bow Valley Pintails Volunteer Chapter: Finding their flock

Taking flight in new directions

Do you care about the outdoors, wildlife and the environment?

Read These Stories Next

Drawn to nature: The work of artist Justine Proulx

The boreal region: Canada’s great green heart

The snowy owl claims the 2026 Marsh Madness crown