SAPAA is organizing a field trip to Open Creek Natural Area on June 15, 2026. Located SW of Edmonton, pre-registration is required. Wear rubber boots and bring bug juice! Tony B., Steward extraordinaire, is the trip leader.
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June 7 – Celebration of North Sask. Watershed
The North Saskatchewan watershed is home to about 2,000,000 Canadians, the vast majority (est. 1.3 million) in the metro Edmonton area alone. We play, drink, bathe, and enjoy this water resource. As with all things, the watershed has many competing demands including industrial development, agriculture, recreation, and of course preserving the river’s natural heritage.
Continue readingSIR-SAPAA v1.0 User Guide
SAPAA has conducted over 100 site inspections. For those granted access, SIR-SAPAA is the preferred reporting method otherwise a Google Form is available. iNaturalist will be utilized for biophysical data collection. Orientations and training sessions are available upon request.
Continue readingRural MLAs and SAPAA – 2026-03-20
The March 20, 2026, session informed Alberta’s MLAs about the WAERNAHR Act, emphasizing the importance of protected areas for biodiversity and local economies. It aimed to raise awareness of challenges these areas face and promote responsible use. SAPAA plays a key role in stewardship and monitoring these lands.
Download: Briefing Note for this meeting; Riding & Site Count: RuralMLA_SiteCount.
Riding/Protected Areas Map (same as the Annex Below)
2026-05-09 – NW Bruderheim Field Trip
Due to a late spring, the May 9, 2026 field is being moved to Northwest of Bruderheim Natural Area. Participants can pre-register. Members and those interested in becoming a member are all invited. Long time Steward, Hubert Taube will be on hand to provide 30+ years of reflections on this site.
Continue reading2026-01-31 – Student Field Trip – RL56
See you This Saturday!
A field trip organized for the University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan University students to explore Riverlot 56 Natural Area. Set for January 31, 2026, it encourages a better understanding of the Stewardship and Site Inspection Process.
Continue reading2025-11-01 – Student Field Trip – RL56
See you This Saturday!
A field trip organized for the University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan University students to explore Riverlot 56 Natural Area. Set for November 1, 2025, it encourages nature observation and community interaction. Pre-registration is necessary due to potential weather cancellations.
Continue readingOct 2 – Taking Nature for Granted
SAPAA is hosting an online seminar on October 2, 2025, which will guide nonprofits through the Grant Management life cycle, highlighting best practices and utilizing the SAPAA as a case study for effective grant management.
Continue readingOrganizational Steward – October 2 CoP Session
This session’s theme was replaced with one on Grant Management.
Be sure to register for Oct 2 – Taking Nature for Granted.
What is Citizen Science and how can the Organizational Steward support and benefit from a ‘CitSci’ project? Stephanie Weizenbach, Executive Director of Nature Alberta and founding member of Citizen Science Alberta joins other guests as we explore this topic through this virtual session.
Continue reading2025-06-12 Grant MacEwan PM Capstone Introduction
This presentation summarizes key elements from a June 2025 session for Grant MacEwan University students working on their Capstone Project. Key topics include the Tragedy of the Commons affecting Alberta’s protected areas, SAPAA’s Safe Operations Program, and recommendations focused on time, talent, and treasure. Success metrics involve student outcomes and real-world applications.
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