Alberta Wetland Classification System Field Guide - Field Training

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation. A registered charity, DUC partners with government, industry, non-profit organizations and landowners to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment. Learn more at ducks.ca

Ducks Unlimited Canada

This free, outdoor training event will cover many of central Alberta's wetland classes, highlighting plant species and soil indicators.

Waskahegan Staging Area, Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, Beaver Hills Biosphere

This field training event will allow participants to utilize the newly released Alberta Wetland Classification System Field Guide and the skills learned in our online training course (September 23rd) in a practical, outdoor setting. The Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area of the Beaver Hills Biosphere has an abundance of prairie and forested wetland classes, forms and types on which we can apply wetland classificaiton skills, including plant identification and soil and hydrology characterization. All government COVID restrictions will be followed and attendance at the event will be limited to 20 participants (plus DUC staff). Physical distancing of 2 m will be enforced throughout the day. Participants are encouraged to only attend this event if they have received their COVID vaccination, and all participants will be required to complete a COVID screening questionairre prior to attending. The public can access this field guide as a free digital download or by ordering hardcopies from our website: <a href="https://boreal.ducks.ca/alberta-wetland-classification-system-field-guide/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Alberta Wetland Classification System Field Guide</a>Itinerary:<ul><li>9:30 meet at Waskehegan Staging Area, Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area: https://goo.gl/maps/LMJ8BfkaX6bM5Q5U6</li><li>Safety meeting and COVID checklist</li><li>Morning walk through the open field area to view prairie marshes. ~2km</li><li>12:00 Lunch at Staging Area (bring your own lunch, picnic tables and washroom facilities are available). </li><li>Safety check-in (have any conditions changed since the morning?)</li><li>Afternoon walk through boreal forest path (Neon Lake loop). ~ 4km</li><li>3:00 head home. </li></ul>Why should you attend?This is an opportunity to learn about the new AWCS Field Guide and how it can support your work or livelihood. Participants will :<ul><li>Gain new knowledge or refresh existing skills on wetland identification, classification and functions according to the AWCS</li><li>Explore a variety of wetland classes, forms and types typical to central Alberta within the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area of the Beaver Hills Biosphere</li><li>Gain an understanding of typical wetland plant, soil and hydrology indicators with hands-on, practical experience</li></ul>This outdoor, physically-distanced event will be limited to a maximum of 20 participants (plus DUC staff) to provide a forum to engage with the presenters and ask questions as we tour around several prairie and forested wetland areas.Expectations (please read carefully before registering):<ul><li>Participants will be asked to sign a photography/videography release to attend the event. </li><li>Participants will be screened for COVID symptoms prior to attending the event. You must not attend if you have any symptoms, have been in close contact or are waiting for a COVID test result. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to attend. </li><li>Participants will be required to maintain a physical distance of 2 m from each other during this outdoor event. In the event this is not possible, we will ask participants to wear masks. </li><li>Participants should bring weather-appropriate clothing and lots of food and water. There will be a lunch break with picnic and washroom facilities, however both the morning and afternoon excursions will involve extensive walking, mostly on trails but with detours into wetland sites off trail over uneven ground. We will cover approximately 6 km in walking over the course of the day. </li><li>Participants are encouraged to download or purchase their own copy of the Alberta Wetland Classification System Field Guide to use during the training event. </li></ul>We highly recommend that participants take our online training module on September 23rd prior to attending the field training event. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/alberta-wetland-classification-system-field-guide-online-training-tickets-167380444415?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb">Register here.</a> What is the AWCS Field Guide?With funding and support from Alberta Innovates, the Alberta North American Waterfowl Management Plan Partnership, and the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) developed a plain-language field guide based on the Alberta Wetland Classification System (AWCS). The Field Guide was released in summer 2021 and contains a wetland classification decision key, over 250 high-quality photographs and illustrations, 25 wetland fact sheets and a detailed plant identification section focusing on over 80 wetland plant species. The guide is formatted and designed for optimizing wetland identification and classification while in the field/working on the landscape. Find more information on the project <a href="https://boreal.ducks.ca/alberta-wetland-classification-system-field-guide/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.Contact:For questions or more information, contact: Kristyn Mayner at k_mayner@ducks.caFunder AcknowledgementsAlberta Innovates’ Water Innovation Program Alberta North American Waterfowl Management Plan PartnershipPrairie Habitat Joint VentureDucks Unlimited Canada Lastly, our sincere thank you to the Beaver Hills Biosphere for assisting with field logistics and wetland mapping.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}