MRU and Alberta Parks partnership creates groundwork for future of stewardship

Mount Royal University and Alberta Parks partnered on what MRU calls a “first-of-its-kind collaborative effort” that has seen the two parties participate in a nationwide leadership course to establish the groundwork for future efforts to help connect people with nature. The project saw three students hired to play an integral part in the implementation of the course. “Alberta Parks is committed to evidence-based decision-making, but that means we need to have some strategy,” explained Don Carruthers Den Hoed, East Kananaskis area manager with Alberta Environment and Parks. “We need to engage with academics and institutes. It all tied in really nicely to what is happening at Mount Royal and other institutes who are saying, ‘we have great research, but we want to make sure it’s practical and that we’re tying it to real needs.’” MRU