Alberta

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
This wild eyed, punk-haired duck breeds on some of northern Alberta’s more remote wilderness lakes and large rivers. Generally quiet, the male issues a cat-like yowl during courtship.

Did you know?

NAWMP is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2006; nearly $1 billion has come to Canada for conservation initiatives since NAWMP was signed.

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Conservation Partnerships

There is strength in unity. Ducks Unlimited Canada partners with governments of all levels, industry, 1st Nations groups, universities and other conservation organizations to achieve its goals. These partnerships are as variable as their participants but can range from government policy reviews, to influencing industry practice and initiatives, from the sharing of resources for exploration and discovery to more concrete conservation or restoration projects.

The larger and more complex the project, the more partners are likely to be involved – each partnering organization brings its unique perspective, priorities and problem-solving skills to the table, and the outcomes are almost always more comprehensive and cohesive than a single organization could manage on its own.

Alberta NAWMP Partnership

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), an agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, is DUC’s most important partnership to date. The Prairie Habitat Joint Venture is the largest habitat implementation plan under NAWMP. In Alberta, NAWMP is delivered by the Alberta NAWMP partnership.

Beaver Hills Initiative

The Beaver Hills Initiative uses an innovative “Protected Landscapes” approach to sustain both the natural qualities and the social and economic well-bring of the Beaver Hills Area near Edmonton.

Joint Conservation Planning

Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Alberta Conservation Association and the Alberta Fish and Game Association have taken stock of their common interests and formalized their partnerships by signing an agreement to work together on joint priorities and new ventures in Alberta.

Agricultural Partners

DUC has partnered with producers and the agricultural industry since its inception. Landowners and industry are key to protecting, restoring and conserving wetlands and waterfowl (link to On the Ground, AB013) and DUC provides them with education, assistance and support. DUC is an active partner on other agricultural initiatives like the Alberta Winter Wheat Producers Commission, the Alberta Agricultural Policy Framework and the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan. (link to AB025)

Grazing Partnerships

DUC works in partnership with public lands, grazing associations, producers, irrigation districts, municipalities and forestry companies and other partners in the development of grazing extension programs and site specific rotational grazing systems.

Irrigation Districts

Alberta’s irrigation districts in the drought-prone south were among DUC Alberta’s first partners. These partnerships began in the 1940s war years when the Eastern Irrigation District based in Brooks, the Western Irrigation District based in Strathmore agreed that DUC could have the free use of land to develop waterfowl habitat using the return water from their operations. They have expanded to encompass other districts such as the Bow River Irrigation District.

Woodlot Extension Program

The Woodlot Extension program is a joint venture between government, industry, conservation agencies and the Woodlot Association of Alberta.