Shirley Pickering

Shirley comes from a south-east Alberta pioneer ranch/agriculture family.

She received her first degree in Education Sciences from the University of Alberta. After several years of teaching high school science and working in laboratory research at the Institute of Sedimentary & Petroleum Geology, she completed a science degree in biology and geology at the University of Calgary, followed by advanced studies in applied environmental chemistry while living in Australia. Shirley and her husband Robert spent most of their careers working on international projects based out of Australia.

In 1994 they returned to Alberta where they reside on a rural property in the Upper Little Bow River watershed. Shirley greatly enjoyed coming back to the agriculture community and appreciates the natural heritage associated with this area of the southern foothills countryside.

This appreciation, along with her professional background and experience and a desire to ensure this natural heritage is not lost, has not only led to good environmental stewardship practices being used on their home property, but has been the motivation for her involvement in local and regional volunteer watershed stewardship activities.