This two-day Symposium will bring together ranchers, farmers, conservation groups, developers and industry to identify opportunities for rewarding land owners and managers for conserving and managing healthy grasslands for ecosystem service benefits.

Keynote Speakers

• Dr. Ed Bork, Mattheis Chair in Rangeland Ecology and Management
• Chef Ned Bell , Educator and Advocate for healthy ecosystems

Speakers

• Aaron Anderson, Altalink
• Sheldon Atwood, Western Ranchlands Corporation
• Denise Chang-Yen, Shell
• John Cross, Southern Alberta Land Trust & Rancher
• Brad Downey, MultiSAR, Alberta Conservation Association
• Lara Ellis, ALUS Canada
• Tom Grabowski, Alberta Chamber of Resources
• Kristi Hansen, Wyoming Exchange
• Tom Harrison, South of the Divide Conservation Action Plan
• Karen Haugen-Kozyra, Canadian Grasslands Protocol
• Brendan Hemens, Alberta Environment and Parks
• Bob Lowe, CRSB
• Tom Lynch-Staunton, Alberta Beef Producers
• Chad Macy, TransAlta
• Paul McLauchlin, Rural Municipalities of Alberta
• Cedric McLeod, Candian Forage and Grassland
• Bill Newton, Western Stock Growers Association
• Shawn Shao, IMWEBS, University of Guelph
• David Y. Smith, Orion Global Business Sustainability Consultants
• Andrew Vandenbroeck, Silvacom
• Marian Weber, Conservation Exchange Project, NAIT and InnoTech Alberta
• Shannon White, ABMI
• Deborah Wilson, TrustBix
• Todd Zimmerling, Alberta Conservation Association

Facilitator and MC - John Pattison-Williams

Preliminary Agenda

Day 1 - November 19

8:15 Coffee and Registration

8:45 Welcome

Objective 1– Increase understanding of grassland conservation & conservation market initiatives

9:00 – 9:45 Key Note Speaker: Grassland Ecosystem Services and Values at Risk

9:45 – 10:45 Canadian Grassland Initiatives Panel

10:45 – 11:00 Break

11:00 – 12:00 Conservation Markets 101

12:00 -1:15 Lunch & Keynote Speaker

Objective 2 – Demand Drivers, Opportunities and Barriers to Investment in Grassland Conservation

1:15 – 3:15 Industry Drivers

3:15 – 3:30 Break

3:30 – 5:00 Mitigation, Compliance and Grassland Offsets

5:00 -7:30 Reception and Networking Event

Day 2 - November 20

8:00 Breakfast

8:45 Welcome

9:00 – 10:45 Healthy Soils and Carbon, and Industry Sustainability Platforms

10:45 – 11:00 Break

11:00 – 12:30 Program Delivery – Municipal and Landowners Perspectives

12:30 – 1:30 Lunch (provided)

Objective 3 - Advance Grasslands Conservation Markets

Booking Your Room

A block of guestrooms is being held at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino for symposium participants until November 1. When booking your room please quote group code: GAINNO or Innotech to receive the special symposium room rate. (https://deerfootinn.com/hotel/ )