A Walking Tour of the Stavely Research Ranch

Situated in the Porcupine Hills west of Stavely, Alberta, the Staveley Research Station is a unique and valuable demonstration of long-term effects of land management on grassland ecosystems in Alberta. Join Barry Adams, Rangeland Management Specialist – retired from Alberta Environment and Parks, for this day long, outdoor walk. Topics will include:

• The ecological context of the Foothills Parkland
• An introduction to the research of Dr. John Dormaar and Dr. Walter Willms
• The role of grasses in building soils and storing carbon
• The role of Stavely in the development of the Alberta Range Health Assessment
• Review of grazing history, plant community information and range health scoring
• The role of range health in the capture and storage of water in the watershed.