Monitoring and conservation of rare species, particularly in the boreal forests of northern Alberta, is a challenge due to knowledge gaps on distribution and abundance of species, lack of systematic prior surveys/effort (data gaps), and in some cases difficulty in detecting species when present for cryptic organisms. New methods and tools are therefore needed helping to prioritize species and places for future monitoring, conservation, and restoration. In this talk I will explain how we are defining rarity, how we are identifying and monitoring rare plants and their habitats, how information is being used to adapt future rare plant surveys, and more generally how this information is assisting with regional land use planning efforts in Alberta’s Lower Athabasca region.