June 30, 2004

Urban Ecosystem Health Dialogue Days

Thanks to Health Canada and Environment Canada's Community Animation Program, Alberta Ecotrust toured around the province in January hosting dialogues on urban ecosystem health in major centres. Not only was this an excellent opportunity for interested citizens to collaborate, strategize and learn about local funding sources, it also allowed Ecotrust staff to become better attuned to the complex environmental issues facing Albertans. Additionally, we were pleased to meet more of the dedicated people working to create a healthier, more sustainable future for our cities.

Environmental group members, students, government representatives, social activists and self-professed "ordinary citizens" gathered together in Lethbridge, Edmonton and Fort McMurray to explore emerging issues in each city. Participants engaged in a variety of facilitated issue-mapping exercises centred on their topic of choice. Though the conversations were specific to each urban centre, there were many similarities in the problems faced by Albertan cities.

Groups discussed the root causes of environmental problems, such as overconsumption, an eroding sense of community and stewardship and a culture centred on personal vehicles. Some of the key urban ecosystem health issues identified by the communities were: growth management and city planning, transportation and air quality, water issues, natural spaces and waste management challenges. Major barriers to change included systemic inertia in decision-making bodies, a lack of public awareness and insufficient funding for environmental projects.

The intent of the Dialogue Days was neither to solve these problems immediately nor to pressure community members to take more action to address urban environmental issues. Rather, the purpose was to bring a group of diverse people together and allow them to identify their common ground and common vision for the future. Most participants said they were surprised to learn about many of the promising initiatives already underway in their cities and they recognized opportunities for potential collaboration. In some cases, innovative new strategies were hatched and new information sharing networks were initiated.

Presentations by several funders also made participants more aware of the diverse resources available to help them finance and support their environmental projects. These funders included Alberta Ecotrust, Environment Canada, Mountain Equipment Co-op and the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

Tools for Project Planning Workshops

The Dialogue Days sparked another community initiative supported by Community Animation Program funding. Recognizing that many community environmental groups do not often have the resources for training, or skills for program planning and evaluation, Alberta Ecotrust recently hosted free workshops in Edmonton and Calgary. Consultant Steve Brewster and representatives from Health Canada provided the participants with tools for project planning. A major topic was how evaluation methodologies can ensure projects are always focused on fulfilling stated objectives and how these tools can help groups accomplish their missions. Participants were introduced to several toolkits for project planning and evaluation and were provided with a list of useful resources (PDF) to supplement the workshop.

Alberta Ecotrust would like to thank Health Canada and Environment Canada for providing funding for both the Dialogue Days and the Project Planning Workshops. Appreciation is also extended to Dwayne Van Bavel of Alberta Community Development, who provided facilitation training and lead facilitation for the Dialogue Days, and to Barb Kinnie and Randy Haluza-DeLay for their volunteer time on these projects.