Alberta Ecotrust Foundation’s Environmental Grants fund initiatives across Alberta in support of our charitable purpose and vision of healthy ecosystems for all Albertans. Throughout the history of our programs we’ve supported a diverse range of initiatives, from identifying key biodiversity and conservation areas in Alberta, to engaging Albertans on the issues of climate change and energy transition, to supporting ecological restoration work on farms, creeks, and landscapes across the province. And many, many other important environmental initiatives over the last 30 years.

Our Environmental Grant Programs reflect the refreshing of Alberta Ecotrust Foundation’s integrated program framework and responding to the urgency of both the biodiversity and climate crises as well as advancing the circular economy.  It is because of these challenges that we offer funding to a variety of organizations so you can take your remarkable initiative from idea to reality.

We offer two environmental grant program streams: the Springboard Grant (open for applications early summer 2024) and the Environmental Impact Grant (2024 intake opens mid-December). 

When it comes to teaching about complex sustainability topics like climate change, teachers are largely left to their own devices. Thanks to support from Alberta Ecotrust, we've been able to address this important gap through innovative programs such as a three-day summer institute on climate education and a national environmental and sustainability education e-course for teachers-in-training.

The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) wished to create a more inclusive organization where diverse and Indigenous voices feel welcome and encouraged to share their unique perspective. 

With funding from Alberta Ecotrust, the OWC undertook a project to provide critical environmental quality data to two First Nations in the Oldman watershed, while also building relationships that will start their community on a path of reconciliation. 

The Piikani Nation Lands Department has approached the OWC to support its Climate Change Adaptation for Piikani Nation Native Grasslands through Rangeland Health Assessment and Monitoring Project. Similarly, the Blood Tribe Lands Department was seeking funding to complete habitat assessments and mapping for species at risk. 

Environmental management cannot be done well without baseline data and mapping. This project was critical to support data driven decision making and long-term monitoring of how changes in practices are improving land health. 

Over the last few years both Nations have made impressive progress in environmental management – planting trees, reducing over grazing, creating buffers around water, etc. – and these data and maps are the next big step forward. 

The data helped land managers day to day, and provided validation when unpopular tradeoffs have to be made.

In the short-term, success was measured by the beneficial management practices that result from the land assessments, by the relationships that are built and the traditional knowledge that is incorporated into the OWC. 

Over the long-term, success will be measured by an improvement in the quality of the environment (by repeating the assessments), and by the reconciliation of our communities.

Oldman Watershed Council

Reconciliation with Indigenous Environmental Management

Coal exploration and development poses an enormous risk in the headwaters of our rivers. CPAWS Northern Alberta and concerned residents of the North Saskatchewan River watershed believe that widespread, sustained, and educated public engagement in the province’s coal consultation is necessary to ensure that coal mining does not result in long-term negative impacts on the lands, waters, and species of the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River.

Most of the focus on the issue of expansion of coal mining in the Eastern Slopes to date has been in southwestern Alberta, but Central Alberta is at significant risk as well. There are 149,060 ha of coal leases, with two open pit mine projects in the exploration and planning stages, within the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River. Both projects are in areas where open pit mining has been restricted since the introduction of the Coal Policy in 1976. Additionally, during the period when the Coal Policy was rescinded, new leases were issued immediately adjacent to Goldeye Lake, Fish Lake, and Crescent Falls, all popular recreation destinations and located within the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River.

It is crucial that this project occurs at this time since the Government is consulting on a replacement for the 1976 Coal Policy. CPAWS Northern Alberta will will collaborate to amplify the concerns that Albertans have about the risk of open-pit coal mines in our drinking water sources. CPAWS will provide the necessary accurate information to the public and to coordinate community groups, municipalities, and our membership to engage in this issue and ensure that the health of our landscape and climate are properly considered in this process.

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Northern Alberta

Protecting North Saskatchewan River from Coal Mining

Their project, Wizard Lake Water Quality Analysis Phase II 2022, addresses the need to assess nutrient inputs from outlying in-let tributaries to the Wizard Lake waterbody during runoff events by identifying nutrient level changes at ten historical in-flow tributary locations.

Wizard Lake Watershed and Lake Stewardship Association

Phase Two: Wizard Lake Water Quality Analysis

Get funding for projects that are working on Alberta’s most pressing environmental issues.

Environmental Grant Programs

Environmental Impact Grant

Springboard Grant

Projects we've funded

Reconciliation with Indigenous Environmental Management

Lethbridge

Land Use

Protecting North Saskatchewan River from Coal Mining

Edmonton

Land Use

Phase Two: Wizard Lake Water Quality Analysis

Wizard Lake

Water

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