Land Stewardship Resource Centre
"Land stewardship . . . because small changes can make a big difference"
What is it?
Whether you’re a farmer, rancher, acreage owner or backyard gardener, when it comes to looking after the land (now, and for generations to come), tracking-down the best available resources, conservation programs, practical tools and management techniques can be a confusing, and often difficult or impossible task.We’ve researched and collected hundreds of community educational resources and program information from across North America relevant to Alberta’s landscapes, and brought it all together to make it more easily accessible than ever before. Designed for land stewards everywhere, the Land Stewardship Resource Centre is an electronic clearinghouse and free educational referral service. The Resource Centre contains a wealth of information about user-friendly, land-use conservation practices, programs, agencies and referrals for hundreds of resources – from books, videos and fact sheets to websites.
You can search the Resource Centre by any keyword or you can browse by topic. Information is organized by land-use: water, grazing ranges, crop fields, woodlands and shelterbelts, nature and biodiversity, backyards and communities, etc. Similar to other "one-window" services, you quickly get a listing of resources, programs and organizations that could be helpful, along with a synopsis describing each item you select and concise ordering information. Records are being refined and new records added on a continual basis.
A referral system plus
Maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat, improving water quality, ensuring the long-term productivity of the soil . . . the Land Stewardship Resource Centre is a way for organizations, governments and the private sector to work together, on common ground, to help Alberta citizens easily find the information they need to care for their land. All that you see was made possible entirely through the commitment and support of Our Partners.
Our major objective is to continue building and improving the service for Albertans so if you have any ideas or suggestions that would help improve the service for you, please let us know.
We are delighted to announce that the Alberta Stewardship Network offers a 1-800 toll-free telephone service to further support Alberta's stewards with advice or contacts over the phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION 1:
"How do you determine what makes the list of resources, programs, organizations etc. you include in the Resource Centre?"
ANSWER:
Generally, all resources, programs and organizations we include must be:
1) This is a long-term journey – This service is a "non-denominational" clearinghouse, recognizing no one sector of society or organization has all the knowledge and ALL the answers.
2) When in doubt, leave it out - if we receive serious concerns from users and/or we have doubts that the item in question is consistent with our acceptance criteria, or is defamatory in any way to another party, we will not include it on the database.
QUESTION 2:
- Accessible/available to serve the public;
- Focused on helping persons acquire knowledge and skills to take direct and practical actions in caring for landscapes that can be personally influenced (e.g. their own backyards, farms, ranches, neighborhoods and communities);
- Positive with or at least neutral/not detracting from Four Guiding Principles of "environmental sustainability"
- Caring for the system as a whole (ecosystems, holistic resource management approach) - understanding the fundamental roles and values of natural systems, building up biological fertility in the soil, incorporating an understanding of the ecological cycles on the landscape (water, energy, nutrients) and how land-use practices can either benefit, be in harmony or negatively impact these cycles and other land-users, flora and fauna.
- Resource conservation - maximizing efficiency and striving to reduce the linear use (consumption) of renewable and non-renewable resources; long-term optimization versus short-term maximization of production.
- Maintaining, building and enhancing stability in Nature - maintain and encourage natural biological diversity and complexity; maintaining natural areas and functions on the land (a.k.a. wildlife habitat conservation).
- Cultural values - caring for the health of the land for future generations and long-term economic stability; the link between civilization (urbanization) and the land-base and ecosystems that are vital to survival; the intrinsic value and right to exist of all life on Earth.
1) This is a long-term journey – This service is a "non-denominational" clearinghouse, recognizing no one sector of society or organization has all the knowledge and ALL the answers.
2) When in doubt, leave it out - if we receive serious concerns from users and/or we have doubts that the item in question is consistent with our acceptance criteria, or is defamatory in any way to another party, we will not include it on the database.
"Why do you have listings for chemical weed control resources on your site? I thought this was an environmentally conscious service?"
ANSWER:The use of government-regulated chemicals on agricultural lands is, and will continue to be, the subject of public debate and scientific study. There are organizations and individuals that are vehemently opposed to each other’s views and research - pitting scientific experts against scientific experts. Some say pesticide use is completely safe, without a doubt; others say it is totally dangerous, without a doubt.
This is all wrapped up in the bigger picture of global population growth, most of the world’s citizens living in urban areas, growth market-demand curves, food price policies, industry size, and an economic/political system of international trade and export agriculture that are vastly complex. There are no simple solutions that will bring all sides together in harmony; and farmers are very much caught in the middle.
Amid the environmental/social/economic aspects of the debate, and the ongoing scientific study of farm chemical applications, assessment of cumulative impacts on the landscape, as well as continued research into technological, cultural and other weed controls, our position at the Resource Centre is to not marginalize or eliminate from consideration the 50,000 farmers in Alberta that apply some level of pesticides on their fields each year. Ideally, the preference would be to never use any chemicals at all to be absolutely safe, but this would be ignoring the reality most food producers are working within. Resources, programs and organizations listed on this site pertaining to chemical use emphasize safety, careful application and Integrated Pest Management approaches. There are also many other listings for cultural and organic controls.
The use of pesticides on lawns and gardens is another matter. On this scale, chemical use is largely for cosmetic reasons and often done by homeowners who have made little effort to become knowledgeable about the impacts of misuse, safety/application precautions and, most importantly, the wide-range of options, ideas and landscaping techniques that would drastically reduce or eliminate pesticide use and expense. The Resource Centre lists resources, programs and organizations that promote alternative approaches to the way we care for lawns and gardens.