Why Grasslands?

Meet your prairie home again, for the first time

Alberta's grasslands provide gifts of vast biodiversity, rich cultural heritage and essential ecosystem services. Yet less than 2% of this amazing natural region is protected. What gives??? And why should you and your students care? Join CPAWS to unearth how relationships lie at the heart of why grasslands matter now and forever...

Intent on revealing and celebrating all the amazing that is our prairie heartland, Why Grasslands? engages all eight of Alberta Education’s Student Competencies while inviting all educators to:

• honour Indigenous connections to the grasslands
• discover the interrelationships of grassland organisms
• explore grassland ecological processes, and
• recognize prairie-made-possible climate solutions

Discover for yourself how grasslands CAN and WILL save the world!

BOOK TODAY!
Hunt like hawks, belong like bison, and experience first-hand the beauty, strength, and diversity of your grasslands!

What other teachers are saying

  • “Before this program, I knew of the grasslands. But now…now I feel like I KNOW the grasslands. I learned so much. CPAWS programming allowed me to ‘live’ the grasslands, and that’s where it truly affected me. And, I am going to be a better teacher for it.”

    - Amy Van Lankvelt, Grade 4 Teacher, RancheView School, Cochrane, AB, RancheView School, Cochrane, AB

  • "[Because of CPAWS’s Palliser Teachers’ Convention experience, I] just signed up to have Why Grasslands in my Grade 4 classroom! We look forward to meeting Sheri!"

    - Katie Weyman, A.E. Bowers School, Airdrie, AB

  • “I really appreciated learning more about grasslands ecology. Because so much current controversy exists around cattle and ranching practices, learning about the ‘cryptogamic layer’ helped me to gain—quite literally—a deeper understanding of grasslands health. It was made clear to me how important, and fragile, our thin, crusted soil layers are to protecting the roots that make our grasslands so incredibly fertile and productive. Thanks for outlining how our Alberta grasslands need our unified attention, affection and protection”

    - Kelsey Galbraith, Grade 5 Teacher, Livingstone School, Lundbreck, AB

Which modalities are available for this experience? 

INDOOR

We will visit you in your classroom or community space for 2 x 1 hour visits. Hands-on activities, visuals, and FUN await!

VIRTUAL

A 1 hour online extravaganza! With interaction, discussion, and activities, we'll make sure to bring all the online fun!

GUIDED HIKE

You can choose between the following locations for this experience: Nose Hill Park or Beauvais Lake Provincial Park.

Please note down your planned located as you will be asked to fill this information out during time of booking.

COMMUNITY WALK

We will meet you in your local community and show you how you can make the most of the green spaces right at your doorstep!

BOOK TODAY!

*Please note down your planned located for a hike/community walk as you will be asked to fill this information out during time of booking.

Continue your discoveries in the classroom with these activities! 

Bring Nature Home is our online database of tried-and-tested CPAWS Southern Alberta activities! Here are some ways that you can bring nature home (or to the classroom) today! 

Featured image for “Lessons From Trees”

Lessons From Trees

Let’s investigate what trees are telling us! From their age, to historic events, Alberta’s trees are able to teach us…
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Featured image for “Grasslands 101”

Grasslands 101

Join CPAWS educator Sheri as she peeks into the “underground forest” and explains the essential role of native fescue grasses…
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Featured image for “Pollinator Quadrant Study”

Pollinator Quadrant Study

Identify and record sightings of local small insects/animals and submit to community science.…
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More Bring Nature Home Activities
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