Alberta Ecotrust 2003 AGM Enjoys Sunny "Southern" Hospitality!
February 27, 2003. Library Meeting Room in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Alberta Ecotrust periodically hosts its annual meeting outside of Calgary to promote better awareness of regional projects and to engage more citizens and organizations in the good work of the foundation and all its partners. This year Ecotrust staff, board members, grantees and volunteers travelled to sunny Lethbridge - leaving blowing snow and freezing temperatures behind. Several members of City Council were in attendance, and we were warmly welcomed by greetings from the Mayor.

Joining local and regional groups and interested citizens from southern Alberta, all guests were informed about a broad range of 2002 initiatives and entertained by speakers, feathered friends and frogs! The star of the show was Joyce, a great-horned owl from the Alberta Birds of Prey foundation.

A number of community groups funded by Ecotrust in 2002 generously took the time to exhibit their projects and share their work with others.

The keynote speaker was David McIntyre of the Crowsnest Pass Environmental Society. He regaled us with entertaining stories of the ravens in the Crowsnest area and its rich history, unique environmental heritage, and largely undeveloped potential for ecotourism.

Guests were also encouraged by the community success stories of the Friends of Jasper National Park and Berry Creek School. In Jasper, the Pyramid Island Restoration Project created a new trail and reclaimed this loved-to-death recreational area with the help of more than 700 volunteers and tremendous community support.

In Berry Creek (a rural area that is "not at the end of the world, but within viewing distance") an enterprising elementary school teacher initiated a recycling program that has culminated in the installation of receptacles for recycled goods, making recycling an option in this small, close-knit community.

The Miistakis Institute and the Bow Valley Grizzly Bear Alliance reported on their current work. Guests learned that the Miistakis Institute is measuring the rate and patterns of development growth in the Crown region. This data may then be used for cumulative effects assessments of proposed developments in the future.

The Grizzly Bear Alliance is raising public awareness and promoting better grizzly bear conservation measures at provincial and national levels.

The W.P. Puppet Society rounded out the afternoon with an entertaining performance. The audience was treated to a portion of the "Frog in a Blue Bucket" program that the society has been presenting in schools to help children learn about wetlands and frog ecology.