Goal 14 - Institutional Stewardship Initiatives

Institutional Stewardship Initiatives

Campus Planning and Design Guidelines for Implementation

The Campus Planning and Design Guidelines provides guidelines to support the vision and principles of sustainability, urban design and smart growth. The implementation of the plan is crucial for establishing the future of innovative campus development at the University of Alberta.

Seafood Certifications

To help ensure that seafood served at the University of Alberta is sustainably harvested, Dining Services has chain-of-custody certifications from the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council through their contract with Aramark. Meals in Lister Hall and Peter Lougheed Hall may include certified basa, cod, haddock, pollock and sole.

U of A Water Management Plan

Through its Water Management Plan, the University of Alberta develops strategies for resource conservation, decreased production waste, a minimized ecological footprint, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, and for building a culture of sustainability at the university and in the wider community.

Water Resource Management Certificate 

The University of Alberta’s Continuing Education offers several specialized training courses for professionals and organizations to increase competencies and knowledge in the management of aquatic resources in our environment. Water resource management courses focus on the management, evaluation, and monitoring requirements of surface water and groundwater. These courses are short, flexible, and will stack into a renewed certificate in Water Resource Management. 

Source to Tap Training 

University of Alberta students and researchers involved in the forWater Strategic Network participated in the fifth annual Source to Tap Training event. Source to Tap Training dives into the complexities of watershed management connecting to rivers, lakes, and oceans. The Source to Tap Training program helps create a common language between the different stakeholders and fields involved in watershed management. 

Tracking Change

Tracking Change is a multi-year social science research network of Indigenous communities, universities, governments and other organizations building capacity for documenting and sharing local and traditional knowledge about changes in the Mackenzie River Basin. Free lesson plans for NWT and Alberta Secondary Science Classrooms are available through Tracking Change. These lesson plans draw upon Indigenous knowledge and focus on freshwater river systems and aquatic stewardship. 

Water Quality Treatment 

EPCOR treats all water discharged from the University of Alberta before it enters surface waters. The water treatment process ensures that water quality meets standards indicated in the EPCOR Drainage Services Bylaw and the Government of Alberta’s Environmental Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Waters. This ensures that water discharges maintain sufficient quality to protect ecosystems, wildlife and human health.

Preventing Marine Pollution

The University of Alberta adheres to policies, regulations and processes established by provincial and municipal legislation that govern water.

This commitment includes strict compliance with local mandates such as the City of Edmonton and EPCOR Drainage Services Bylaw which details responsibilities of EPCOR and its customers with respect to drainage infrastructure, permitted and prohibited wastewater releases (and definitions of each category of prohibited, restricted and hazardous waste), and water release reporting requirements. The university disposes of waste according to the permitted and prohibited wastewater release guidelines and contributes to preserving freshwater and marine ecosystems from pollutants from land based activities.

Additionally the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act prohibits the release of a substance into the environment in excess of allowable amounts or at an amount that will cause a significant adverse effect. It requires approvals and strict guidelines for many industrial and municipal activities to ensure protection of water and biodiversity. Related, all University of Alberta land-based activities that involve the extraction or diversion of water must comply with the Alberta Water Act which regulates such activities, issues licenses and regulates the amount of water that can be used.

Internally, the University of Alberta is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. The University of Alberta Water Management Plan strives to decrease water consumption through various measures which will result in environmental, social, and economic benefits for the university and the Edmonton region.

Key benefits include: 

• Less chemicals produced for treatment
• Less industrial waste because of treatment
• Improved carbon storage due to maintaining wetland health
• Lowered instances of land erosion due to agricultural and irrigation requirements
• Less habitat degradation due to fewer surface water withdrawals

These internal and external measures prevent marine and freshwater pollution from land-based activities and minimize environmental and public health risks.

Sustainable Fishing Practices - Educational Outreach 

The University of Alberta offers many educational research and outreach activities for local or national communities to raise awareness about sustainable fishing practices such as overfishing.

Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre 

The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, a research and educational outreach facility located on the pacific ocean, is a University of Alberta supported centre and hosts a "Summer Seminars" series which highlights scientific ocean and marine research happening at the centre including topics on sustainable utilization of oceans. This free, public series is open to everyone — from local community members to visiting scientists and curious minds around the world (no registration required).  Also available are ocean field trips for high school students and university undergraduate students, and an Ocean Discovery Lab Tour for the general public.

Poesch Lab

University of Alberta researcher Dr. Mark Poesch manages the Poesch Lab for the conservation of freshwater fish. This research has four main themes, including: 1) threats to freshwater species at risk, 2) stream augmentation and hydrologic alteration, 3) climate change impacts to freshwater fishes, and 4) the spread and impact of invasive species. Dr. Poesch collaborates with regional and national communities including “Tracking Change: Local and Traditional Knowledge in Watershed Governance where he is the co-investigator of freshwater fisheries, as well as a co-investigator with the “Canadian Freshwater Species at Risk Research Network”.  

Alberta Conservation Association + the University of Alberta 

The Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) is a research and learning centre that generates and freely communicates scientific knowledge to communities for the effective stewardship of Alberta's wildlife and fisheries resources.  Dr. Mark Boyce is a Director of the ACA and currently is the ACA / University of Alberta Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife. 

Related Courses 

Renewable Resources course for students at the University of Alberta (REN R 376) - Fisheries and Wildlife Management teaches principles of ecology as applied to the management of fisheries and wildlife communities. Topics include the growth and regulation of populations, interactions among species and their environments, tools and techniques used to assess and manage fisheries and wildlife. Special emphasis is placed in applying knowledge using case studies and class exercises to demonstrate key principles.