Environmental Sciences: Learning in Action

Electrofishing is a basic skill for:

• assessing threatened trout
• evaluating sportfish communities
• implanting tracking tags
• rescuing and salvaging at construction sites
• removing invasive species

You’ll learn how to keep electrofishing safe for the fish, your crew members and the public in our Worksafe BC accredited course.

Then you’ll grab your waders, strap on the backpack and sample fish. As you work, you’ll see first-hand how fish react to, and recover from, electricity in the water. You’ll also build your identification, handling and processing skills.

Program: Wildlife and fisheries conversation (WFC) major

TransAlta Highvale coal mine has some of the largest equipment in the world, and is also undergoing a large scale reclamation and restoration.

Decommissioned in 2020, future land uses are driving the project located west of Edmonton.

Students were able to talk onsite with operators, planners and engineering about the challenges, opportunities and new developments in reclamation and restoration.

Programs:

• conservation and reclamation (ECR) major
• land stewardship and conservation (LSC) major
• general environmental sciences (GES) major
• Applied Bachelor of Science: Environmental Management

In this field lab, students delineate a wetland to determine the ecological boundary of a water body.

There are 3 elements of their assessment:

• identifying upland and hydric plant species in a sample area
• a soil pit study of soil characteristics and soil classification
• the presence or lack of water.

Boundaries are indicated by the different species and soil types. Once established, boundaries help the students classify the wetlands using the Alberta Wetlands Classification system.

Programs: 

• land stewardship and conservation (LSC) major
• general environmental sciences (GES) major

Lakeland College is one of few schools in Canada to teach soil classification in the field using soil pits across Alberta.

Students use a soil probe or auger to take a sample. Students test the soil with various chemicals and a Munsell colour chart to identify the soil type.

Soils are classified using the Canadian System of Soil Classification. Alberta has 9 soil Orders. The most common in the area around our campuses are Black Chernozems.

Soils are grouped and named by similar chemical, physical and biological properties.

Soil classifications are important to know when planning a remediation or reclamation project.

Programs:

• conservation and reclamation major (ECR)
• land stewardship and conservation (LSC)
• general environmental sciences (GES)
• Applied Bachelor of Science: Environmental Management

Practicing birding skills was part of a Field Week visit to the Beaverhill Bird Observatory.

2^nd year wildlife and fisheries conservation (WFC) major students participated in the observatory’s fall songbird banding.

Their next stop was at the Strathcona Raptor Shelter to discuss the challenges and rewards of rehabilitating and releasing health raptors. They also got to safely handle and release large birds of prey.

Program: wildlife and fisheries conservation (WFC) major

Learning how to strategically respond to spills is an important aspect of field week for environmental conservation and reclamation major students. Spills may happen due to equipment damage, failure or accidents.

Led by Ambipar Response, students:

• conduct hazard assessments to protect the environment
• develop response strategies to minimize environmental impacts to water, soil, wildlife and plants
• deploy and understand different types of spill containment equipment and cover initial steps in spill response
• discuss command structure for initial spill response and spill monitoring

Program: conservation and reclamation major (ECR)

Our Land Stewardship major students worked with an environmental consulting group to restore fescue on a previously disturbed site.

Fescue is notoriously difficult to grow from seed, so fescue plugs (small plants + roots) are planted to improve its survival rate.

Each transplanted plug was marked, so it can be measured over time to determine survival rates.

Fescue grasses are the climax grass species of a healthy native prairie. Unfortunately, native fescue has largely disappeared from overgrazing and conversion to cropland.

Program: land stewardship and conservation (LSC) major

Second-year wildlife and fisheries conservation (WFC) students carefully handle a southern red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi) they live-trapped using a Longworth trap.

They confirm the species using the iNaturalist app on a smartphone, while also measuring and recording morphometric characteristics of the animal.

Data recorded includes: sex, age, evidence of lactation, weight, total length, tail length, hind foot length, ear length, and whether or not the animal has been marked previously, indicating a recapture.

In less than a few minutes, the handling and data collection process is complete and the vole is carefully released back into its natural environment.

Program: wildlife and fisheries conservation (WFC) major

Part of a 4-day trip to Hinton, near Jasper National Park, is learning how to assess a watercourse crossing.

Applied degree students are guided by a local environmental scientist.

Poor bridges and culverts cause environmental problems such as water contamination, isolating fish populations and preventing spawning.

There’s lots of remediation ahead as the provincial environmental department estimates there are over 1 million watercourse crossings in Alberta that need assessment.

Program: Applied Bachelor of Science: Environmental Management