Goal 15 - Institutional Stewardship Initiatives
Institutional Mandates
City of Edmonton Drainage Services Bylaw
The U of A Utilities Group operates (North Campus) or manages (remaining campuses) the storm and sanitary system for the university; wastewater is then sent for treatment at local municipal facilities. Wastewater treatment is subject to Bylaw 18093 (drainage bylaw). Water quality standards and guidelines ensure the protection of ecosystems, wildlife and human health.
Integrated Pest Management Program
The university has 118 hectares of grounds and gardens, of which 81 per cent is under an Integrated Pest Management program (IPM). IPM strives to reduce reliance on pesticides and to integrate preventative measures and alternative control technologies.
Species at Risk
The University of Alberta, which is bound by the national Species at Risk Act (SARA), works to identify, monitor and protect threatened and endangered species with habitats in areas affected by the operation of the university. Environment Canada and Climate Change created SARA and established the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) which has the authority to assess the conservation status of wildlife species that may be at risk of extinction in Canada. COSEWIC’s SARA criteria to assess the status of Wildlife Species are based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categories and criteria.
Space Planning
Open Space Plan
The North Campus Open Space Plan incorporates biodiversity protection throughout by providing a number of sustainable landscape strategies that help direct site planning and design, choice of landscape materials, vegetation renewal, safety and security, operations and maintenance, and water management. A key objective of the Open Space Plan is to "Conserve, protect, and enhance significant open spaces on campus...through accepted methods of conservation, including preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction and adaptive re-use." Under its strategy for urban forest management, the plan calls for native plant restoration and the creation of new biodiverse habitats on North Campus.
The Sector 12: Campus Planning and Design Guidelines advocate for sustainable design and embrace the natural features of South Campus land. Using archival aerial photography, the design augments the land’s original natural ecological features to support wildlife diversity, including the creation of wildlife corridors between South Campus and the North Saskatchewan River Valley.
University of Alberta’s Built for Purpose Strategic Campus Plan - Open Spaces
The University of Alberta’s Built for Purpose Strategic Campus Plan supports the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems associated with the university as open spaces and mature and varied vegetation contribute to the university’s overall sense of place while also providing important ecological services and enhancing biodiversity and providing habitat.
The Strategic Campus Plan governs and sets targets for the long-term management of the University of Alberta’s ecosystems and open spaces with a mandate to reduce the institution’s overall ecological footprint in alignment with the University of Alberta Integrated Asset Management Strategy. By focusing on improving the quality and diversity of existing open spaces rather than pursuing outward sprawl, the University of Alberta ensures its natural areas remain resilient, diverse and sustainably managed for the future.
Sustain SU Naturalization Project
Sustain SU actively restores and sustainably manages ecosystems on campus through their targeted Naturalization Project.
The Naturalization Project “demonstrates the ecological, social and economic benefits of increasing biodiversity and incorporating native species in urban landscapes” (Sustain SU webpage). The Naturalization Project restored an urban space situated in the courtyard east of the Education Building cafeteria to demonstrate ecological and sustainable design principles.
Institutional Initiatives
Forest Reserve
The University of Alberta has reserved approximately eight hectares of land on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River adjacent to North Campus. Setting aside this land from development maintains an unbroken length of the river valley and helps to preserve wildlife habitat and biodiversity in the heart of the city.
U of A Botanic Garden’s Green School
In the award-winning Green School program at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden, children in grades 4-8 are immersed in the natural world for five consecutive school days. With a philosophy of “slow education,” children have time to observe, hear, smell and touch the natural world. Many first-time participants are “nature starved” and have never been in close contact with the natural world. An appreciation of the natural world, and their relationship to it, leads students to an understanding of the importance of conservation and biodiversity. Green School sows seeds that participants and their communities will reap for years to come.
Mattheis Research Ranch Range Health Assessment
The University of Alberta owns and operates the Mattheis Research Ranch. Western Sky Land Trust, an Alberta based land trust, hired Tannas Conservation Services in 2023, to provide a report on range health at the Mattheis Research Ranch and identify any vulnerable and rare plant species within the ranch. The Tannas Conservation Services used occurrence data for rare vascular plants taken from the Alberta Conservation Information Management System (ACIMS) species rankings. The assessment deduced that the property contains several at-risk species.
Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station
The Beaver Hills are a distinct geography just east of Edmonton that encompass Augustana Campus (located in Camrose, AB). The 1,500 km2 moraine supports a rich, mixed-wood forest, kettle lakes and thriving wetlands. This island within the dominant aspen parkland supports a wide variety of wildlife alongside five rural municipalities. In 2016, UNESCO designated the Beaver Hills a biosphere, a region where people live and work in harmony with nature.
Nestled in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, the Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station is a facility with classroom, lab, office and event and residence space. Given its sensitive location, the station has adopted a strong model for environmentally responsible management and made significant investments in waste reduction, renewable energy and water conservation. Faculty use the station as a base for research into how environmental, social, health and agricultural domains intersect and affect one another in increasingly industrialized, urbanized and ecologically sensitive landscapes.
World Environment Day
World Environment Day is an annual day to celebrate nature and focus on conservation issues. The University of Alberta participates with events designed to get staff and summer students outdoors and engaged in conservation. Past events have included sustainable cooking classes, yoga and garden parties, walking tours, bicycle tune-ups, live expert Q&As and knowledge-building workshops.
Sustainable Use of Land for Tourism
Sustainability, Tourism and Recreation Lab
The University of Alberta offers educational programs or outreach for local or national communities on sustainable management of land for tourism. For example, The University of Alberta Sustainability, Tourism and Recreation Lab conducts research and outreach into local communities that educate about sustainable management of land impacted by tourism. For example, "Does Agritourism Change Consumer Behavior?" looked at the impact on tourists after visits to local farm land during the free and annual "Open Farms" program where visitors learned about local agriculture and land management. Also, the "(Un)designated Trail Use in Kananaskis Country" outreach done with multiple community groups in 2023 looked for better ways to manage hiking trails and tourist activity in this mountain region in Alberta; and similarly in the project, "Educating Visitors to Elk Island National Park: Advancing Human-Wildlife Coexistence."
Golf Courses as Land Use in Edmonton's River Valley
The University of Alberta’s December 2024 Alberta Land Institute podcast “Golf Courses as Land Use in Edmonton’s River Valley”, featuring University of Alberta professor Damian Collins and University of Alberta undergrad student Arshdeep Kaur discussed two important land and tourism questions: Edmonton’s iconic river valley is home to multiple golf courses, but are these exclusive green spaces the best use of this land? How do golf courses intersect with biodiversity preservation and water conservation? Listen to the podcast to learn more.
University of Alberta Botanic Garden
The University of Alberta Botanic Garden implements public programming and events every year that directly intersect with ecotourism, sustainability, and cultural conservation. The 240-acre garden in 2025 offered specialized adult public ecotourism experiences, including guided forest therapy walks and Wild Mushroom Walks. The garden also focused heavily on cultural ecotourism with its new Pathways: Art | Music | Culture series, driving sustainable regional tourism to its 110 acres of natural area preserves.
Mountains 101 MOOC
The University of Alberta developed the “Mountains 101” MOOC in partnership with Parks Canada and the Alpine Club of Canada. The MOOC started in 2017 and is ongoing to this day. Anyone in the community can take it online anytime of any year and it is free. Mountains 101 explores how societies and global cultures use, value, and relate to mountain landscapes over time, directly intersecting with the study of mountain and mountaineering tourism. The 12-lesson course covers how mountain ecosystems are protected, managed, and impacted by human activity, providing foundational knowledge for sustainable tourism practices (from Alpine Club of Canada).
Recreation, Sport and Tourism Management Certificate
The University of Alberta has an ongoing Continuing Education Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Management Certificate for community members that are looking for skills to effectively plan, manage, and support programs, services, and facilities that contribute to stronger communities. This certificate encourages global citizenship and sustainable management within the tourism industry.