Watershed Stewardship in Alberta - Land Stewardship Centre of ...

WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP IN ALBERTA:
A DIRECTORY OF STEWARDSHIP GROUPS, SUPPORT AGENCIES AND RESOURCES
APRIL 2005
INTRODUCTION
FOREWORD
This directory of WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP IN ALBERTA has been designed to begin a process to meet the
needs of individuals, stewardship groups, and support agencies (including all levels of government, nongovernmental
organizations, and industry). From recent workshops, surveys, and consultations, communitybased
stewards indicated a need to be better connected with other stewards doing similar work and with
supporting agencies. They need better access to information, technical assistance, funding sources, and training
in recruiting and keeping volunteers. Some groups said they felt isolated and did not have a clear sense that the
work they were doing was important and appreciated by society.
A number of steps have occurred recently that are beginning to address some of these concerns. The Alberta
Stewardship Network, for example, has been established to better connect stewards to each other and to
support agencies. Collaboration with other provincial and national networks (e.g. Canada’s Stewardship
Communities Network) is occurring on an on-going basis. Internet-based information sites, such as the
Stewardship Canada Portal (www.stewardshipcanada.ca), are being established to provide sources of
information, linkages to key organizations, and newsletters featuring success stories and progress being made
by grassroots stewards. These sites are being connected provincially and nationally to keep people informed
with activities across Canada.
The focus of this directory is on watershed stewardship groups working in Alberta. The term ‘watershed’ is
inclusive of all stewardship activities occurring on the landscape, be they water, air, land, or biodiversity-based.
We define a watershed as an area of land, bounded by topographic features, that drains water to a shared
destination such as a lake, stream, estuary, or ocean. Another important feature of the directory was to move
beyond simply obtaining contact information about a group or organization, and including a profile that captures
who they are, what they do, and where they work. This was included to provide users of the directory
information to facilitate locating groups with similar projects or objectives.
The directory has been formatted on a watershed basis in Alberta, listing organizations in each of the seven
major basins. Where group activities span more than one watershed they are cross-referenced within the
watershed section or listed by the major sectors, such as: provincial or federal government, provincial or national
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Aboriginal and First Nations, or private sector. An alphabetical index
at the end of the directory will assist readers who are not sure where to find a particular group. This directory
has been a project funded by Alberta Environment and was conducted by the Alberta Stewardship Network with
contractual obligations being met by the Interim Secretariat, the Land Stewardship Centre of Canada.
Ernie Ewaschuk
April 2005
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Watershed Stewardship in Alberta Alberta Environment
April 2005 Alberta Stewardship Network
Land Stewardship Centre of Canada