Community Stewardship for Biodiversity

The Community Stewardship for Biodiversity (CSB) program began in 2010 as a pilot in three natural areas across Calgary and has grown to include 15 parks with over 400 volunteers donating nearly 1500 hours to protect and sustain the biodiversity of Calgary’s natural areas.

The biodiversity of our natural areas is threatened by invasive species such as Leafy Spurge, Canada Thistle and Goatsbeard. These plants take over natural areas and choke out the native species which can destroy the integrity of the ecosystem. Whenever possible, non-chemical treatments are used to remove these invasive species. However, these types of treatments are time-consuming and require many hands. To better remove these invasive species and educate Calgarians about the processes, Parks created the CSB program which combines volunteer efforts and education sessions.

Volunteers and community groups that participated in the program increased their understanding of the strategic plans and regulations that guide Parks’ practice and were empowered with the knowledge to guide future actions that lead to the health and sustainability of our environment.

The CSB program is an example of Transforming Government through:

• Sustainability: making a healthy community and environment for now and in the future through the protection of the biodiversity of our natural areas.
• Transparency: allowing citizens to understand the complex work Parks does through hands-on engagement.

“I know that I make a difference and that’s satisfying. In my role with McHugh Bluff, I have acquired a new respect for the very difficult job of City workers.... “....CSB Volunteer

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