We are excited to announce the 36th Alberta Native Plant Council Workshop will be held on Saturday, April 20th, in the Main Campus at Medicine Hat College, Medicine Hat, in southeastern Alberta, with the theme “Native Plant Superheroes – the plants and people who are saving the world”.
We will be hosting an in-person workshop with an online option for those who cannot travel to Medicine Hat.
During the workshop, there will be vendors displaying and selling plant-themed items. We will hold a Silent Auction. Unfortunately, we won’t be holding a Plant Sale in 2024.
After the workshop, we will hold the annual ANPC AGM to hear about ANPC’s activities and achievements over the past year, thank retiring Directors and elect volunteers to our Board of Directors.
In the evening, we will hold a Banquet in Ómahksípiitaa, the college’s cultural gathering space, in the Main Campus at Medicine Hat College. The cultural gathering space formally received its name, which means Big Eagle, from Blackfoot Elders at a special naming ceremony in Fall 2022, and has been a hub of indigenous and cultural teaching, learning and connection ever since.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2024 ANPC Hybrid Workshop. If you have any questions please contact us at workshop@anpc.ab.ca.
Registration
To register online for the workshop (field trip & banquet) click on this link.
ANPC membership and donations are also accepted on this form.
You may pay via PayPal or with your credit card.
To download a registration form and mail it with your cheque, please download the form here.
Our workshop is open to everyone, however ANPC members receive a discounted rate and we have reduced rates for seniors and students.
Dates of Importance
- Friday April 12th, 2024 – EARLY BIRD RATES EXTENDED
- Friday April 12th, 2024 – Last date for Mailed-In Registrations (postmarked on or before this date).
- Midnight Thursday April 18th, 2024 – Workshop registration closes & last date to purchase Banquet Tickets.
Location
WORKSHOP LOCATION:
The Workshop will be held in the Main Campus at Medicine Hat College, Medicine Hat, in southeastern Alberta.
The map of the Medicine Hat Campus is here.
Find out what you can do in Medicine Hat, “Canada’s sunniest city” here.
PARKING:
Please park in the north parking lot this will be the easiest access to the event and use the North Entrance to enter the building.
The parking lot map is here.
INTERIOR MAP:
We are using several rooms at the Medicine Hat Campus, but ANPC signage will guide you:
- Registration, workshop presentations and the ANPC AGM will be in Lecture Hall F156 (green star on the map)
- Vendors in Crave (blue star on the map)
- Refreshments in The Den (orange star on the map)
- Banquet in the Big Eagle Room (yellow star on the map)
The interior map is here.
Accommodations
Accommodation has been set aside at a discounted rate for attendees at Baymont by Wyndham, Medicine Hat for one or two nights from Friday April 19th to Sunday April 21st.
Call +1 403 548 7070 and mention you are part of the ANPC to receive the discounted rate.
($149 plus tax for a king room per night or $179 plus tax for a two queen beds room per night)
Field Trip
We are currently planning a post-workshop field trip to the Mr. Burnside Trail to view Tiny Cryptantha (Cryptantha minima), a SARA listed species, on the morning of Sunday April 21st. The field trip will include a hands-on exercise to distinguish it from it’s close relative Cryptantha kelseyana. Click here to view the Heritage Trails Map and a brief description of the trail though native grassland (Dry Mixed grass) and photos here from the Grasslands Naturalists.
If you are interested, sign up for the field trip online when you buy your workshop ticket, using the mail-in form, or on the day of the workshop when you register.
If you have any questions please contact us at workshop@anpc.ab.ca.
More information about the field trip will be posted here as it becomes available.
Vendors
Cows and Fish
Riparian plants are the hands holding the interface between land & water; they are the front line that resists erosion and holds watersheds together, they filter and buffer flows while providing essential habitat for 80% of wildlife species (even though they only occupy 2% of the landscape in grassland areas). Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) works to support the stewardship of amazing landowners and communities, who are passionate about sustainable management and healthy landscapes, and recognize the fundamental role that riparian plants play. Find out more at https://cowsandfish.org
Grassland Naturalists
The Society of Grasslands Naturalists will celebrate the beauty and interest of native grassland wildflowers. The super-powers of several dramatic plants will be highlighted. Graphics will illustrate some of their adaptations to drought, particularly their deep roots. Seeds from local species, both common and rare, will be distributed for free. A wildflower identification brochure will be available.
For more information, please call Rob at 403-527-2052 or http://grasslands-naturalists.org
South East Alberta Watershed Alliance
South East Alberta Watershed Alliance (SEAWA) is one of 11 watershed planning and advisory councils in Alberta that helps achieve Alberta’s Water for Life goals:
- Healthy aquatic ecosystems
- Reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy
- Safe, secure drinking water
SEAWA educates about ecosystems, hosts watershed-related events, assists with watershed assessment and collaborates with like-minded organizations such as the Alberta Native Plant Council. The importance of native plants to ecosystem health and water quality is undeniable. Native plants retain water during drought, slow water movement and reduce flooding. They also filter nutrients and provide habitat for native species such as the endangered or threatened swift fox, sage grouse, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, northern leopard frog and short-horned lizard. Ensuring that native grasses, bushes and trees are thriving on the land is imperative and it’s work that SEAWA supports.
Find out more at https://seawa.ca
Windmill Garden Centre
https://windmill-gardencentre.com
University of Lethbridge Herbarium
Herbaria are often overlooked in discussions about environmental conservation. These collections of diverse local and exotic plant specimens are important repositories that hold great value in preserving biodiversity and understanding ecological dynamics. Herbarium collections not only offer insights into plant evolution, distribution, and taxonomy but also serve as a historical record of environmental change. By keeping these well-documented specimens, herbaria contribute to ongoing research aimed at addressing environmental challenges such as habitat loss, climate change and species extinction. Additionally, they provide essential resources for education, enabling scientists, students, and policymakers to make informed decisions about conservation strategies and sustainable land management practices. In this way, herbaria can indeed be seen as an important partner in the fight to save the planet by promoting the protection and management of the Earth’s botanical diversity.
The herbarium at the University of Lethbridge (LEA) was founded by Dr. Job Kuijt in 1968 and is currently managed by Dr. John Bain. Our collection contains more than 22,000 specimens, all of which have been digitized, providing an important research tool for botanists, ecologists, students, and the general public.
Find out more at https://www.ulethbridge.ca/artsci/biological-sciences/herbarium
Silent Auction
We are seeking donations of plant related goods, experiences and services to offer as auction items, please contact us at workshop@anpc.ab.ca for more information or to make donations.
More information about the silent auction will be posted here as it becomes available.
Program
The draft workshop program can be viewed here.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Api’soomaahka (Running Coyote) – William Singer III
is a member of the Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy. His main profession is as an artist/illustrator with over 40 years of experience. He devotes a lot of time as an educator, an entrepreneur, and an environmental and political activist, utilizing Blackfoot Ecological Knowledge and protocol. He currently operates Naapi’s Garden and Katoyiss Seed Bank and teaches at the Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society. He is member of the Kainai Ecosystem Protection Association, the Oldman Watershed Council, a board member of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association and a partnership agreement with Parks Canada, Waterton Lakes.
I’nssimáá (Planting the seeds)
In the Blackfoot worldview, plants were the first things created and each comes with a story of its benefit and purpose. These and other stories are lessons that continue to sustain the later generations. Plants and people have a strong connection, we are reliant because of the power they have on us. As with water, we can’t live without each other. The children I teach in preschool, I show them the power and vast knowledge of plants thus creating and maintaining a strong connection that strengthens the mind and body. I tell them that knowing this makes you a super hero as it teaches how to be a good steward of the land by planting the seeds for the future.
SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY:
