The University of Alberta’s Community Service-Learning program connects students with local community groups. A fall field trip involved snowshoeing and learning about volunteering from experienced stewards, fostering enthusiasm and new perspectives among participants.

The University of Alberta’s (UofA) has a hidden gem of a program called the Community Service-Learning (CSL). It offers University of Alberta students the opportunity to work with a local community group, while putting their university experiences in context.

In 2024, SAPAA has hosted three different student groups (two in the winter semester and this group in the fall semester). This third group was focus was how to encourage community partners to visit and complete site inspection reports.

Tyler, Brenna, and Osama landed on partnering with Scouts.ca. They developed a proof of concept program that integrated site inspections into the badge program. A winter 2025 student group will continue this effort working with Board Member David F..

Field Trips, Learning, and Pizza

SAPAA strives to run a field trip with these student groups. Last April we visited three sites (see SAPAA Field Trip – April 14, 2024). For the fall 2024 project team, we met up at the Kingswood Day Area in St. Albert (there is a heated building with washrooms, just saying). The students tried snowshoeing through the lower parcel of Riverlot 56 Natural Area.

The students heard from long time stewards George and Mary B. Two friends of SAPAA, Anne-Marie and Danielle, provided snowshoe instructions and discussed their life long association with volunteering.

As always, it is inspiring to work with university age students. They have very different perspectives and great enthusiasm. In exchange, these three individuals now know a little bit more about SAPAA and Alberta’s protected areas.

Images from Inspection