The Alberta Prairie Conservation Forum brought partners together to build on previous range management courses and provide expertise to produce a relevant course for ranchers and land stewards.
Vision
A collaboratively delivered, annual range stewardship course that is provincial in scope and regional and local in delivery. A course that provides field training in core range management principles, plant identification and lessons learned from ranchers and agency staff to support continued stewardship of rangelands. To build a community of practice with an emphasis of sharing skills and enhanced working relationships both within and outside the ranching community to support long term sustainable management of rangelands.
Outcomes
The course format is intended to have a balanced triple bottom line approach, with ecological, economic and social components. The course contains key range management principles and information that includes other components or modules reflecting regional and local issues to ensure an audience of new and experienced rancher’s will each get information out of the course. The intent is to sup-port continuous improvement throughout the years and continue to attract new participants. The course is intended to complement and support related beef industry initiatives such as those related to the Canadian Round Table for Sustainable Beef.
Course Delivery Mechanisms and Approach
Based on rancher feedback, the course delivery would be ideal held as one day field sessions once or twice a year to support rancher attendance. Field days are intended to vary in location throughout the province to attract and reach a broad group of ranchers and reflect local conditions. The experience of ranchers will be incorporated as part of the field day.
The steering committee will collaboratively develop the overall course framework and coordinate funding support and work with the regional/local planning committee to support delivery of the course that reflects regional and local conditions and issues.
Each year feedback from participants will be incorporated by the steering and regional committee into the following year’s course to reflect continuing improvement to ensure course relevance.
