Grassland Restoration Forum

Grassland Training Assessment – September 2024

Target Audience

Designed for students, agrologists, ecologists, land stewards, regulators, planners, reclamation practitioners and anyone interested in learning more about native grassland ecosystems.

Scope

Native Grasslands are healthy when production, soil stability, capture and release of water, nutrient cycling and functional diversity of native plants are performing well. Measuring the status of these key functions is the foundation of monitoring rangeland health. 

This course offers field-based training on common plant identification, use of soils and landscape mapping (AGRASID and GVI) in relation to Alberta’s Range Plant Community Guides and Range Health Assessment Manuals. Designed to classify and assess grassland plant communities, these tools are critical for pre‐site assessments, reclamation design to meet Reclamation Criteria and restoration of native grassland.

Curriculum

v  Use of AGRASID & GVI for planning and assessment; their relationship to Rangeland Plant Community Guides

v  Characteristics of Dry Mixedgrass Range Sites, Soils and Plant Communities

v  Dry Mixedgrass Plant Community Guide; Reference & Successional Plant Communities

v  Project planning, Ecological Site Restoration Risk Assessment and Recovery Strategies

v  Range Health Assessment Protocol and Methods

v  Loamy Range Site Range Site Grassland Assessment Exercise

v  Blowout Range Site Range Site Grassland Assessment Exercise

Registration is $250.00 per person.

Students $100 per person. 

Register on-line at www.grasslandrestorationforum.ca Contact Donna Watt at: [email protected] or (403) 563‐8925, for student rates and for additional information. There is a $50 administration fee for registration cancellations up to 48 hours in advance of an event. Sorry, no cancellations after that. Please bring your own lunch. Lunch will not be provided and the site is out of town.

Sponsorship

Our goal is to ensure that events and information are accessible to everyone. We rely on sponsorship to help with cost recovery and continuation of the Forum. Please contact us if you, or your organization, are interested in providing support for these events.

Event Cancellation

How to Use the Range Plant Community Guides and Recovery Strategies

Unfortunately with a number of late cancellations for the Range Plant Community Guides & Recovery Strategies Workshop scheduled for September 13th, 2023 we’ve had to make the tough decision to cancel the workshop for this fall due to insufficient registrations for a cost recovery event.  We will be offering the same workshop in conjunction with the CLRA Conference in March 2024.  The GRF Mailing list will receive notice/announcements about the event as details become available.

We are still proceeding as planned with the Grassland Assessment Classroom & Hands on Field Training on September 14th at the Cassils Hall/Antelope Creek Ranch.

Apologies for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.