Prairie Coneflower

We saw a number of these vibrant yellow wildflowers when a group of us visited the Beynon Ecological Preserve, east of Calgary, on 3 August 2013. This is a macro shot, as the flowers are not very big.

"Upright Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae, that is native to much of North America. It inhabits prairies, plains, roadsides, and disturbed areas from southern Canada through most of the United States to northern Mexico." From Wikipedia.

"Beynon is primarily a private 500+ acre ecological preserve. Located within a deeply sculpted portion of the Rosebud River valley, the area is recognized as being regionally significant. Due to its unique topography, picturesque valley setting, and relative rarity in terms of biodiversity, Beynon protected its surrounding area by permanently protecting over 400 acres (1.6 km2) from development. This protection was achieved by way of an outright donation of land by Beynon's founding family, who still own most of the unincorporated area called Beynon. The Nature Conservancy of Canada were the recipients of the 400-acre (1.6 km2) land donation in 1999." From Wikipedia.

By the way, the Beynon Canyon was featured in the cemetery scene from the 1978 film Superman: The Movie.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beynon,_Alberta