Reading Time: 7 minutes Tom Towers grew up on stories of plenty and lack. As a boy, his grandfather would tell him about a time when you could take a boat from the family farmstead into town — and in the next breath, about a time it was so dry, you could drop a crowbar down the cracks in […] Read more
Land stewardship for the long term
“Regenerating the land is a step ahead of sustaining it,” says one Alberta producer
Conservation program has lots of love — but not as much money
Reading Time: 3 minutes [UPDATED: April 20, 2019] An innovative ecosystem services program has grown at “lightning pace” in Alberta over the past three years — but future growth could be limited if ALUS Canada can’t attract additional funds. “We have a waiting list of new communities that would like to join the program, but right now our largest […] Read more
Wetland conservation a ‘win-win’ in dry ranching country
Wetland conservation has changed a lot since TK Ranch began partnering with Ducks Unlimited in 1957
Reading Time: 4 minutes Making a living off the land in Special Areas No. 2 has never been an easy prospect. During the Dirty ’30s, farmers in this little pocket of southeast Alberta were among the hardest hit in the province. And in a dry year, the area isn’t much better off today. There’s very little topsoil, very little […] Read more
Easement creates ‘massive block’ of protected land
Preserved area of White Moose and OH ranches 10 kilometres long and nearly as wide
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s the fulfilment of a long-term dream for rancher Stan Carscallen. “From the day our White Moose Ranch first acquired this breathtaking property in 1992, I knew that we needed to find a way to preserve it in its natural state,” said Carscallen. “We share a three-mile boundary on our south side with the OH […] Read more
Conservation deal ‘the right thing to do’ for historic ranch
Reading Time: 4 minutes When Edith Wearmouth thought of all the reasons why she loved the land her family has farmed for 113 years, it made sense to put part of it into a conservation easement. “When I was growing up here, I took a lot of things for granted — the creeks and the hills and that sort […] Read more
Grants preserve grasslands and wildlife habitats
Provincial funding funds conservation easements to protect 13,000 acres from development
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Land Trust Grant Program is giving more than $7 million to support 24 different projects that will conserve 13,000 acres of private land containing watersheds, grasslands and wildlife habitats. The grants will support projects by the Alberta Conservation Association, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Legacy Land Trust Society, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the […] Read more
Rain, rain don’t go away: How to capture more moisture on your land
When it comes to retaining rainfall, seeing is believing — and new infiltration tool does just that
Reading Time: 3 minutes Drought is a four-letter word in Alberta right now — but also proof that it’s critical to make the most of any moisture we get. “If we’re getting the types of rain we normally get, water infiltration probably isn’t that big of a deal,” said Ken Lewis, conservation co-ordinator with Red Deer County. “But in […] Read more
Goats and beetles used to fight invasive species
Leafy spurge is found across Alberta and its creeping root system makes it very difficult to control
Reading Time: < 1 minute Pull, mow, burn, and spray. These are common ways that Ducks Unlimited Canada manages invasive plant species on projects located on agricultural land. But there’s a new management tool in the mix now being used by the organization. It has started using goats and flea beetles to help combat leafy spurge at its Frank Lake […] Read more
Donation preserves central Alberta wetlands and grasslands
Reading Time: 2 minutes A central Alberta farm family has gifted 1,467 acres on the northwest shore of Gough Lake to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The Ferrier property, located 125 kilometres east of Red Deer, has 256 acres of wetlands and shoreline habitat that is home to deer, grassland birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Several species considered at risk […] Read more
One-stop shop for eco-services programs
Reading Time: < 1 minute Looking for an ecosystem services program that fits your operation? Alberta Beef Producers has created a seven-page fact sheet of several dozen programs. These include programs focused on conservation; wetland protection and management; and offsets. The fact sheet also breaks out several programs from Ducks Unlimited Canada, projects funded under Growing Forward 2, and Alternative […] Read more
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