Edmonton & Area Land Trust

Edmonton and Area Land Trust (EALT) is a regional non-profit organization based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. EALT promotes conservation of the natural heritage of Edmonton and area through private stewardship, and is registered as a charitable agency with the Canada Revenue Agency. Currently the land trust stewards seven properties in the Edmonton area with more to come.

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Founded	2007
Type	Land Trust
Location	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Area served	Edmonton and area
Method	Conservation through Private Stewardship
Key people	Pamela Wight, Executive Director Rebecca Ellis, Project Coordinator Stephanie Weizenbach, Outreach Coordinator
Slogan	"Protecting our land. Preserving our legacy."
Website	http://ealt.ca

Vision, Mission, Values

Vision

The Edmonton & Area Land Trust has as its vision an Edmonton region where natural area systems are valued, preserved for future generations and play a key role in the social, economic and environmental life of the residents of the area.

Mission

The Edmonton & Area Land Trust will be recognized as a not-for-profit leader in the selection, securement and stewardship of natural area systems, appropriate natural interconnections and cultural heritage landscapes in the Edmonton area primarily for the use, enjoyment or benefit of its present and future citizens.

Values

The values that will guide the operations of the land trust will be focused on a respect for nature based on its intrinsic value and the value of its ecological goods and services, best management practices in all its operations, a commitment to meet the needs and be accountable to the community and leadership in innovative partnership building in the process of planning and delivering its land conservation programs.

Purpose

• Conserve, protect and restore natural areas of ecological significance in Edmonton and the surrounding area including water resources, cultural heritage landscapes, natural corridors and appropriate natural interconnections.
• Receive and maintain funds, to secure and manage land, support the educational outreach and operations of the land trust.
• Advance environmentally sound stewardship among landowners in the Edmonton area.
• Improve the public's and landowners' understanding of the ecological value of natural area conservation and stewardship, by offering seminars, courses, conferences, communication activities, meetings and education programs.
• Encourage, conduct and fund research as required for understanding the conservation and stewardship of natural area systems.
• Support land conservation or securement decisions within the greater Edmonton area and disseminate the results to interested parties.

Method

EALT approaches the conservation of natural areas through land trust using three basic tools:

• Land acquisition through purchase or donation
• Conservation easement
• Education and stewardship

History

The EALT was established in 2007 by a group of six local founding Members:

• City of Edmonton
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Edmonton Nature Club
• Urban Development Institute - Greater Edmonton Chapter
• Land Stewardship Centre of Canada
• Legacy Lands Conservation Society

Properties

EALT acquires and conserves ecologically significant lands in the Edmonton region, including Camrose County, Leduc County, Parkland County, Strathcona County, Sturgeon County, and Wetaskiwin County. After acquiring a new property, EALT conducts baseline studies to document the flora and fauna on each property and completes a management plan to determine any issues or actions to be taken. EALT works with other conservation organizations to acquire and steward natural areas. EALT relies on assistance from volunteers, and works with local youth groups, university students, businesses and other partners. Wildlife monitoring and invasive plant control are the most common stewarding activities and require annual attention. EALT encourages all kinds of passive recreational activities, including geocaching and has installed a dozen geocaches filled with facts on the local environment on six of the properties.

Hicks

Hicks

The Hicks property was secured in May 2009 and is jointly owned by EALT and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). It was given to the organizations by EALT's anonymous donor. It measures 149 acres and is located in Strathcona County. Hicks contains wetlands and aspen parkland habitat, that have a diverse array of plant life and are home to species such as coyotes, elk, beaver, woodpecker, waterfowl and great horned owl. Since the acquisition of the property, fencing and old buildings that posed a barrier to wildlife have been removed by volunteers. It is located in the Cooking Lake Moraine Natural Area and Prairie Pothole Region, which contains numerous wetlands and aspen forest.

Golden Ranches

Golden Ranches

The Golden Ranches property was secured in May 2010 with the assistance of Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), Alberta Fish & Game Association (AFGA), Beaver Hills Initiative (BHI), Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), and Strathcona County. Besides the three quarters purchased for EALT via an anonymous donor, funds to secure the property were provided by the organizations themselves and through creative fundraising events and donations. The secured lands measure approximately 1,400 acres and is the largest property EALT helped to secure. Golden Ranches is located in Strathcona County, between the North and South Cooking Lakes. It is fragmented into two adjacent sections and includes a mixture of mature aspen forest and open grassland. It also includes nearly 8 kilometers of the North Cooking Lake shoreline and provides an important link for wildlife habitat in the region. The most common wildlife species include: white-tailed deer, moose, porcupine, grouse, various waterfowl species and a variety of small mammals and songbirds. The open grassland provides habitat for ground nesting birds. To help maintain waterfowl populations, EALT installed nest boxes. Bluebird and tree swallow nest boxes were put up with the help of 60 grade 6 students from Holy Spirit Catholic School, Sherwood Park. To help restore forested areas a total of 220,000 trees were planted throughout Golden Ranches, through a partnership EALT had developed with The Carbon Farmer.

Glory Hills

Glory Hills

The Glory Hills property was secured in November 2010 with the assistance of an Alberta Ecotrust Foundation major projects grant. It measures 110 acres and is located in Parkland County, north of Stony Plain. Glory Hills contains dense aspen forest, open grassland, wetlands and a lake. It is located in the transition zone between the boreal forest and aspen parkland regions and therefor offers habitats to a wide variety of plant and animal life. These include a range of iconic Canadian wildlife species, such as moose, beaver, coyote, deer, fisher, fox, ruffed grouse, loons and great blue heron. Glory Hills is part of an environmentally significant area and its wetlands are part of a chain of wetlands that help filter and protect local water supply. EALT has installed pedestrian walk-through entry gates, trails and added signage for visitors. Glory Hills struggles with off highway vehicle and especially snowmobile trespassing during winter months, which cause erosion damage and harm vegetation and wildlife. In addition, there continues to be illegal hunting. EALT organizes fencing projects where wildlife friendly fences are installed to mitigate impacts.

Ministik

File:Ministik property.jpg

Ministik

The Ministik property was secured in May 2011. It was purchased for EALT by an anonymous donor. Ministik is perfect squared quarter section property, 160 acres in size. It is located in Camrose County, adjacent to the Ministik International Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The property includes a matrix of wetlands, modified grasslands and deciduous forest, it therefore holds important habitat for both prey and predator species. Waterfowl, moose, deer and small mammals have all been observed on the property along with raptors, wolves, coyotes and horned grebes. Ministik is located in a designated Important Bird Area and borders the Ministik Bird Sanctuary. It is a part of the Cooking Lake Moraine Natural Area and Prairie Pothole Region. Numerous wetlands on this property are important for filtering water and maintaining the region's water supply. 16,000 trees were planted on the property with assistance of The Carbon Farmer. Old fences that were a barrier to wildlife were removed and replaced with wildlife friendly fences. Waterfowl and saw-whet owl nest boxes were installed with the help of the 59th Greenfield Scout Group.

Pipestone Creek

Pipestone Creek

The Pipestone Creek property was secured in May 2012. It was purchased for EALT by an anonymous donor. Pipestone Creek measures 104 acres and is located in Wetaskiwin County, near Coal Lake. This property features several vegetation community types, including spruce woodland, aspen parkland and dry grasslands that feature plants not commonly found this far north in Alberta. It is named after Pipestone Creek, which it borders on the southwest side. The most common wildlife found in Pipestone Creek are deer, great blue heron, cedar waxwings and hermit thrush. Acquiring this property ensures that the creek and riparian area are protected and can function as a corridor for wildlife movement. Keeping the creek surroundings natural, ensures a healthy watershed, and in turn, a healthy water supply for the region. Over 31,400 trees and shrubs were planted in partnership with The Carbon Farmer. Trails and invasive plant control are maintained by EALT and local volunteers. Pipestone Creek struggles with off highway vehicle and especially snowmobile trespassing during winter months, which cause erosion damage and harm vegetation and wildlife. Wildlife friendly fences were installed to mitigate trespassing impacts.

Boisvert's GreenWoods

Boisvert's GreenWoods

The Boisvert's GreenWoods property was Secured in 2014. It was donated by Halina Boisvert in memory of her late husband, Bernard. It measures 80 acres in size and is located in Sturgeon County, north of Morinville. The property contains a large stand of deciduous forest, dominated by trembling aspen and balsam poplar, with a rich variety of shrub and forb species. The Property also has a small pond with a number of wetland plant species. Boisvert's GreenWoods is surrounded by agricultural fields and located near Manawan Lake, an Important Bird Area. Together with other forested quarters in the area, they form an important wildlife corridor with stepping stones for wildlife travel, as well as for habitat and biodiversity conservation. Most common wildlife species found in Boisvert's GreenWoods includes: moose, deer, pileated woodpeckers, great blue herons, wood frogs, and a wide variety of songbirds including various flycatcher and sparrow species, wrens, chickadees, and waxwings. EALT has developed a loop trail, entry way and added signage for visitors.

Coates

Coates

The Coates property is currently in the final stages of subdivision (January 2016). It measures 80 acres and is located in Leduc County, southwest of Devon. The property consists almost entirely of parkland forest, a habitat that is disappearing rapidly. This crucial habitat is located within an important wildlife corridor, Willow Creek, which allows wildlife safe passage from the surrounding agricultural areas, to the North Saskatchewan River valley a few kilometers away. The majority of the natural area is covered by mixedwoods forest with an aspen, poplar, birch, and spruce canopy. The richly diverse understorey includes red-osier dogwood, prickly rose, wild raspberry, honeysuckle, and multiple fern species. The property is dissected by a meandering creek with sections of sheer cliff banks and adjacent riparian plants such as willows, bulrushes, reeds, and sedges. Shadowing a portion of the creek is a white spruce forest stand with many plants like fairybells, wintergreen, twinflower, wild strawberry, and stair-step moss lining the forest floor. Coates is home to wood frogs, crayfish, mammals such as moose, deer, coyote, beaver, porcupine, and a wide variety of birds including red-tailed hawks, great blue herons, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, mourning doves, eastern phoebes, ravens, and chickadees. This natural area is located in an Environmentally Significant Area of Regional Importance and High Sensitivity. Willow Creek runs into the North Saskatchewan River, approximately 2 km away, therefore conserving this land protects a crucial link of a network of wildlife corridors and an integral part of the watershed. This section of creek has paleontological significance too: hadrosaur footprints were extracted by helicopter in the early 1990’s, as well as albertosaurus skin impression and bones. The area was therefore rated as having high potential for historic resources, by Alberta Culture and Community Spirit.

See also

• Land trust
• Conservation movement
• Wildlife Preservation Canada
• Ecotrust Canada
• Georgian Bay Land Trust

External links

• Edmonton & Area Land Trust