NATURAL HABITAT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Habitat management is a science; one the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area is striving to make understandable through active participation by students and volunteers of all ages. The Conservation Area believes that people will gain more understanding and appreciation for the environment if they are involved with it in some way. Having students and volunteers help gather scientific data on the land and see their results translated into management actions is a powerful conservation tool. The initial step in this project included dividing the Area's rich environment into five manageable habitats: aspen forest, native grassland, tame pastures, willow/shrubs and aquatic habitats. A baseline vegetation inventory and soils analysis was then completed as a donation by Agra Earth and Environmental. Next, the project team chose indicators of health for each habitat and with the help of volunteers gathered data over the summer for each of the indicators. For instance, in the grassland habitat, percentage of weed cover was determined to be an indicator of health i.e. the higher the percentage of weed cover, the lower the health. Jacquie Gilson, General Manager for the Area notes, "One of the project goals is to have usable data right away so it made sense to target specific indicators rather than spending years and many dollars gathering everything possible about each of the habitats." Badgers have been selected as another indicator of health in the grassland habitat. To gather information on badgers, volunteers lined up and walked in a row across all the native prairie fields. Actual sightings of badger holes were recorded on a map and transferred to a computer for analysis. Monitoring the badger holes will be an annual event, giving new students and volunteers a chance to participate. The next step in the project was to establish all the data on a Geographic Information System- a computerized mapping program. Komex International Ltd. has donated many hours of expertise towards establishing this computer mapping system for the non-profit Conservation Area. The computerized maps now contain layers showing the vegetation, soils, habitat types and field data. Computer mapping is an invaluable tool for management of the habitats as it permits scientific data to be visible and easily understood. Students and volunteers will see the results of their work on maps generated off the computer. The mapping program also allows the various habitats to be ranked and prioritized for management based on selected indicators. Neil Gilson from the Environmental Design Program at the University of Calgary, analysed the indicator data from this first year and prepared recommendations for management. If you would like a copy of his Master's thesis for $15, please contact the Cross Conservation Area. The final step in the project entails the establishment of an ongoing monitoring system to allow the Conservation Area to continue gathering data over the years. Yearly data gathering will be undertaken by students in school programs, youths completing badges or Area volunteers. "Our job is to ensure that the system is workable for non-scientific people. Ongoing monitoring of the habitats is essential and students and volunteers can continue to play an important role," says Neil Gilson. Alberta Ecotrust is the major financial sponsor of the project. The Alberta Ecotrust is a unique Canadian cooperative effort between major corporate sponsors and environmental organizations. Launched in February of 1992, the Ecotrust provides financial support for educational or practical programs which help conserve and protect Alberta's environment. Other sponsors include the University of Calgary, Komex International Ltd., the Chevron Cross Conservation School and Agra Earth and Environmental.