What's New?
WaterEDWest Conference 2009: A Confluence of Ideas
(June 1, 2009)
WaterEdWest is western Canada's first conference solely dedicated to evaluating, advancing and promoting water education. This exceptional opportunity will host approximately 200 delegates from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The conference is to be held September 10-13, 2009 at the Banff Centre in beautiful Banff Alberta. For more information, please visit the conference website
4th National Stewardship & Conservation Conference, July 8-11, 2009
(June 1, 2009)
From July 8-11, 2009, Calgary will play host to Strengthening Stewardship...Investing at Every Step, the 4th national stewardship and conservation conference. Held every three years, this is the national conference where Canada's stewards meet to discuss emerging issues and develop solutions for the best possible stewardship of Canada's environment. Registration for the conference closes on June 30, 2009. Please see the conference press release and flyer for more information.
Watershed Management Planning Recommendations and Shared Governance Frameworks Released
(March 31, 2009)
The Alberta Water Council has released "Strengthening Partnerships: A Shared Governance Framework for Water for Life Collaborative Partnerships" and "Recommendations for a Watershed Management Planning Framework for Alberta" to the public. These documents will have important consequences for water and watershed management in Alberta under the Province's Water for Life strategy. Read more at the AWC website...
US Coastal Wetland Loss
(February 17, 2009 - US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
A joint report by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration and the US Fish and Wildlife Service shows losses of coastal wetlands in the Eastern United States. Rates of coastal wetland loss from 1998 to 2004 approached 60,000 acres annually. Read the whole story...
Huge Numbers of Proposals for Prairie and Wetland Conservation in Minnesota
(February 9, 2009 - Minneapolis-St. Paul StarTribune)
The Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council has already received proposals in excess of $95 million for wetland and prairie conservation, well in excess of expected funding. And proposals for forest, fish, and wildlife work, which may exceed $100 million on their own, have yet to be submitted. Funding requests for wetland conservation, including funding leveraged from other sources, approach $112 million. Read the whole story...
Canadian Agricultural Producers Rethink Approaches to Wetlands
(February 2, 2009 - Ducks Unlimited Canada)
A large percentage of wetlands in Canada's agricultural areas have been drained to increase the amount of productive farmland available. But with increasing awareness about the effects of wetland loss and technical support from Ducks Unlimited Canada, many producers are rethinking their approach to managing wetlands on their property. Read the whole story...
Manitoba Waterbodies Compromised by Wetland Loss
(November 7, 2008 - Ducks Unlimited Canada)
New research into the effects of wetland loss on aquatic ecosystem health shows just how serious and widespread the problem is in Manitoba. A project by researchers at Ducks Unlimited Canada has shown the startling extent of wetland loss in that province, with losses of up to 70% between 1968 and 2005 in some areas. Wetland costs Manitobans approximately $15 million annually to offset nutrient loadings and carbon emissions.
The estimated costs of wetland loss are an extension of a DUC research project conducted in the Broughton's Creek watershed. See the Broughton's Creek project factsheet for a summary, or read the whole story here...
Encana, Ducks Unlimited Canada Partner to Conserve and Restore Wetlands
(September 10, 2008 - Ducks Unlimited Canada)
Encana Corporation is contributing $1 million in a partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada to conserve, reclaimer, and restore key wetlands in Alberta and British Columbia. The five-year collaboration will complement the ongoing environmental work of both partners. Read the whole story...
Amphibian Populations Dropping in Edmonton Wetlands
(July 9, 2008 - University of Alberta)
Urban wetlands in Edmonton, both natural and artificial, are showing declining diversity and abundance of amphibian species. Brett Scheffers, a Master's student in Biological Sciences Department at the University of Alberta, is investigating both the causes and what may be done to mitigate the problem. Read the whole story...
Oilsands Wetlands Reclaimed Through Conversion Into Upland Forest
(March 27, 2008 - Fast Forward Weekly)
A wetland area impacted by Syncrude's oilsands mining activities was certified as "reclaimed" by the Province of Alberta. However, the site was converted into an upland, apparently in contradiction to the Province's policy of restoration to "equivalent land capability." Read the whole story...