Science

Led by Science, Supporting Science

The Alberta NAWMP Partnership seeks to maintain healthy prairie, parkland and boreal landscapes that support sustainable bird populations and provide ecological and economic benefits to society. All our efforts are founded in solid scientific principles and research, which guide the development and implementation of programs to conserve wetlands, from direct conservation programming to focused extension and communication endeavors, and proactive efforts to support conservation policy and legislation.

Through its Science Fund, the Alberta NAWMP Partnership supports various science projects and allocates annual funds to projects that relate to annual priorities set by Alberta NAWMP Committees, including ecosystem services, conservation planning and human dimensions.
Read more about each of these priority areas below.

Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits provided to humans through the transformations of resources (or environmental assets, including land, water, vegetation and atmosphere) into a flow of essential goods and services e.g. clean air, water, and food (Constanza et al. 1997). For Alberta NAWMP, this means supporting and advancing our knowledge and application of market and non-market values of wetland and grassland ecosystems, in the Prairie Parkland and Western Boreal regions.
Conservation Planning

Effective conservation planning requires that we consider current, local impacts as well as broader geographic and temporal influences; in context of long-term landscape-scale planning to guide the prioritization of site-specific conservation action. For Alberta NAWMP, this means enhancing and applying our knowledge, or creating tools to assist our partners and stakeholders with wetland and waterfowl conservation, including native grasslands and upland habitats.
Human Dimensions

Effective natural resources management requires understanding people: how individuals, groups and institutions respond to change and how their actions enable or constrain management. For Alberta NAWMP, this means supporting science-based initiatives and research that helps us better understand the people we work with, to advance wetland, waterfowl and grassland conservation across the Prairie Parkland, Western Boreal of Alberta and throughout the PHJV.

Science Project Funding

Call for Applications

Each year the Alberta NAWMP Partnership seeks proposals for science projects that will enhance our vision, missions and goals and add capacity to the wetland and waterfowl knowledge base for Alberta NAWMP partners. Successful projects will be chosen based on their alignment with AB NAWMP goals and their ability to deliver on current AB NAWMP priorities.

Applications are now being accepted. Download the application form today.

Download

Please direct all Science Fund application inquires to Alberta NAWMP Program Coordinator g_hale@ducks.ca.

Science Stories

Learn more about some of the projects funded by the Alberta NAWMP Partnership.

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 >>