As a local charity with a small staff team, we rely on our dedicated volunteer team to help steward and care for our conservation lands. The Conservation Land Stewards program is intended for volunteers who are interested in taking on more responsibility and a bigger commitment.
Conservation Land Stewards (CLS) are champions of EALT and ambassadors of their chosen conservation land, where they provide a consistent stewardship presence for at least two years. They perform basic fieldwork and monitoring on their chosen land and provide EALT with regular reports. By committing to one land for at least two years, Conservation Land Stewards develop a relationship with their land and can help identify stewardship needs and changes over time.
Photo: Graeme McCrady (CLS)
What does the program involve?
Tasks may include (varies by conservation land):
Perform basic trail maintenance, generally by hand clipping
Remove invasive plants through hand pulling or clipping
Monitor boundaries for trespassing
Remove trash and debris
Maintain infrastructure such as signs and barbed wire fences
Check on geocaches
Clean nest boxes
Remove black knot fungus from infected trees
Document and report activity to EALT after each visit
Assist EALT with ongoing stewardship work as needed
Learn more about some of the work we do on our stewardship and fieldwork training page.
Which conservation lands can stewards visit?
EALT involves Conservation Land Stewards at nine of the eighteen conservation lands. These are lands that EALT owns and manages and are accessible to the public. You can visit our Conservation Lands page to learn more about each of these lands. You may be interested in stewarding one that is closest to you:
North of Edmonton: Boisvert’s GreenWoods (Sturgeon County), Sundew* (Westlock County)
East of Edmonton: Smith Blackburn Homestead (Lamont County), Golden Ranches (Strathcona County)
South of Edmonton: Pipestone Creek (Wetaskiwin County), Coates (Leduc County)
West of Edmonton: Glory Hills (Parkland County), Lu Carbyn Nature Sanctuary (Lac St. Anne County), JBJ McDonald (Lac St. Anne County)
*Sundew Conservation Land is very rustic with no trails and minimal stewardship tasks. The main tasks for this land are boundary monitoring and checking on wildlife cameras.
Each year, EALT recruits for a subset of these lands based on the current number of stewards at each land. If the land you were interested in visiting is not recruiting this year, you can either request to switch your land assignment in your second year of the program or inquire to join the program next year.
Am I eligible?
You are eligible to join the program if you are:
Over the age of 18
Available for a minimum two-year commitment
Able to safely perform stewardship responsibilities
Able to attend a mandatory online training session and an in-person field training session (training dates are listed below)
Able to visit the land at least twice per month from May-September, and twice from October-April (12 total visits per year – we can be flexible on a case-by-case basis)
Able to communicate and record data effectively
Able to represent EALT in a professional and polite manner while on conservation lands
Able to work with a partner while on the land (this can be another CLS, or a family member or friend).
Able to follow all EALT safety and check-in protocols, including site-specific hazard assessments at each visit
Please note that EALT’s conservation lands are not accessible by public transport, so a reliable vehicle is required.
Photo: Rhonda Van Heyst (CLS)
Why join the program?
Free core training in land management and stewardship
Work with EALT staff and other volunteers with similar interests and a shared commitment to conservation
Get to know a beautiful piece of land intimately
Volunteer hours will be recorded and can be requested for use on resumes or reference letters
Invitation to annual volunteer appreciation event
How can I join?
Conservation Land Stewards are recruited once per year in winter. Applications will be reviewed and candidates notified in early spring. Participants must attend the mandatory training (see below). Please note that Conservation Land Stewards must go out in pairs, and EALT is not able to assign partners. We strongly recommend signing up for training with a partner. Stewardship duties commence in May.
The deadline for the 2024 team has already passed. Join the waitlist to train as a Conservation Land Steward next year!
Training
Conservation Land Stewards must attend the mandatory online and in-person training sessions. Each person must attend one online training session in addition to the in-person training for their chosen conservation land.
Online Training
Volunteers must attend one of the two offered online training sessions. This training goes through general program information, including resources, our online volunteer and safety portals, and general stewardship information.
Wednesday, April 10 - 7:00 PM
Thursday, April 18 - 7:00 PM
More details will be provided to applicants closer to the training dates.
In-person Training
Volunteers must attend the in-person training for their chosen conservation land. This training goes through land-specific information and stewardship tasks and is an opportunity to show you around the land and go over how to conduct the various stewardship tasks. Training dates are usually on weekends and take place from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (but may end early).
Pipestone Creek: Saturday, May 4
Glory Hills maskihkîy meskanaw: Sunday, May 5
Golden Ranches: Thursday, May 16 *this is a weekday evening training session, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Coates: Saturday, May 25
Sundew: Sunday, May 26
Questions
For more details about the program e-mail Kayleen at kayleen.falkenstein@ealt.ca
Is this program not the right fit? Sign up for our volunteer newsletter to receive details about our upcoming group volunteer events, or check out our Citizen Science or Conservation Outreach opportunities!
See examples of Conservation Land Stewards in action! Click below to read more.
