Section 4 - Alberta NAWMP Partnership

Delving into the human dimensions of bird habitat conservation

This recent study, led by the University of Alberta’s Dr. Howie Harshaw and Dr. Katherine Sainsbury, provides a fascinating look at Canadians’ willingness to pay for bird habitat conservation. Although NAWMP itself does not solicit donations, asking about people’s willingness to pay for the things that NAWMP does is a useful way to assess the level of support for NAWMP’s activities. In this survey of over 2300 Canadians, about one-third of participants were willing to make a one-time donation to NAWMP to protect and conserve bird habitats. This finding establishes that many Canadians support the activities of NAWMP. Other findings from the survey identify what types of conservation actions people would prefer to support and other useful information to help guide development of NAWMP’s programs and outreach activities. Learn more >>

Science Matters. Through our Science Fund, the Alberta NAWMP Partnership supports research towards achieving our vision of maintaining healthy prairie, parkland and boreal landscapes that support sustainable bird populations and provide ecological and economic benefits to society.

We are grateful to everyone who contributes to this work and for their willingness to enable us to profile their research through our Science Stories Series. For additional Science Stories, visit https://abnawmp.ca/science/#science-stories. For further information regarding their work, contact the researchers directly or email the Alberta NAWMP Partnership Coordinator.

A successful test run of a cool new conservation planning tool

A 2023 pilot project showed that a new conservation planning tool, called Where To Work, is effective, fast and user-friendly. The tool prioritizes where in a landscape to deploy conservation efforts for maximum effect. Learn more >>

At the leading edge of waterfowl ecology

Dr. Mitch Weegman, his collaborators and his students are in the vanguard of research in waterfowl ecology and statistical ecology. Their work aims to help foster sustainable, resilient waterfowl populations in our changing world. Learn more >>

Blending Science and Traditional Values

Wetlands are a vital part of the diverse landscapes of the Blood Reserve in southern Alberta. The Blood Tribe Land Management (BTLM) is working on an inventory of these wetlands to guide their community-based wetland conservation efforts. Learn more >>

Wetlands and Crop Yields

The perception that we hear often from agricultural producers is that draining a wetland produces an economic benefit because you create an area where you can now grow crops. But is there actually an economic benefit to the practice of draining and cultivating a wetland in a crop field? Learn what researchers discovered >>

Tracking Pintails

Exactly where a northern pintail duck places her nest has a big impact on her nesting success. If she chooses the wrong spot, all her eggs could be destroyed. And pintails really need better nesting success. In this project, researchers tracked pintails to help target conservation efforts. Learn more >>

The Human Dimension of Wetland Conservation

Waterfowl hunters are key supporters of waterfowl and wetland conservation. But the number of waterfowlers in North America has seriously declined since the late 1970s. This decline is hampering conservation efforts in many regions, including Alberta. To better understand and address this issue, a project is diving into the human dimension of waterfowl hunting in Alberta. Learn more >>

Cattle, Carbon and Wetlands Go Hand in Hand

The perennial plants that blanket well-managed grazing landscapes do much more than provide forage for livestock. They store carbon in the soil, provide wildlife habitat, maintain biodiversity, prevent soil and nutrients from being carried away by wind and water, and protect watershed health. Learn more >>