Environmental Sciences: Land Stewardship and Conservation Major

How many of Alberta’s wild plants could you name on a prairie walk: ten, fifty, three hundred? Graduates of Lakeland’s Environmental Sciences: Land Stewardship and Conservation Major learn to identify about 300 species. The major is a two-year diploma taught face to face at Lakeland’s Vermilion campus.

Once the shared Environmental Sciences first year has covered ecology, soils and mapping, the Land Stewardship and Conservation year focuses on living landscapes. You learn wetland delineation and classification, ecological inventories and wetland, riparian and range health assessments. Further study covers rare plant surveys, native grassland inventory, forest management and the identification of mammals, birds and amphibians, together with ecological restoration techniques, native plant selection and planting, and how to engage the public and scientists in conservation work.

In this major your field labs are outdoor classrooms where you delineate wetlands, assess ecosystems, apply restoration techniques and collect data to industry standards. Field Week each September travels to Vermilion Provincial Park, the Rockies and Prairie grasslands, and past trips have included songbird banding at Beaverhill Bird Observatory, the Strathcona Raptor Shelter and a four-day Hinton and Jasper National Park trip. Graduates can apply for Biological Technician in Training with the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists and Environmental Professional in Training with ECO Canada, and can continue to the Bachelor of Applied Science: Environmental Management or transfer to programmes such as BCIT’s BSc in Ecological Restoration and the University of Regina’s BSc in Environmental Biology.

Land Stewardship and Conservation graduates carry out habitat enhancement, species-at-risk recovery, invasive plant management and landscape restoration for Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Alberta Conservation Association, national parks, consulting firms and energy companies. Typical roles are conservation technician, vegetation survey technician, wetland assessment technician, park technician and restoration crew lead. It suits patient observers who love wildlife and native plants.