September 23 - 25, Edmonton River Valley
A big thank you to everyone who came out to River Rally 2011! Held at the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Edmonton, this multi-day conference brought together 
water stewards and ethusiasts from across the province to celebrate water and watershed stewardship.
Starting with a tour of EPCOR's Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, followed by a signature raft trip down the North Saskatchewan river to get us all paddling in the same direction, the Rally highlighted some of the great work that Albertans are engaged in to promote watershed protection and feature presentations by some truly outstanding nonprofit consultants and trainers.
Congratulations to Hugh Sanders, the winner of our $1,500 mini-grant!
With the culmination of our closing ceremony, Hugh Sanders, board member of the Battle River Watershed Alliance, became the 2011 recipient of the River Rally mini-grant! Hugh pledged to use the funds to help Norine Saddleback from the Samson Cree Nation build a watershed stewardship group in the community. We are so excited to see the ripple effect from this mini-grant!
Loved the Rally and want more?
Let us hear from you. Please return the event evaluation forms with feedback on the River Rally programs from 2011 and provide us with your ideas of how we can best support the water stewardship community as a whole moving forward. Like all Ecotrust programs, we rely on the generous support of our sponsors, partners and donors!
Missed the Rally?
If you were unable to attend, you're still in luck! Find the conference presentations, a gallery of pictures, and the program below.
Access the presentations (coming soon!)
Album is accessible even if you are not a Facebook user.
What was New for River Rally 2011?
Win $1,500 for watershed stewardship!
We know how hard it is to raise money for watershed stewardship and conservation in Alberta. Alberta Ecotrust believes that watershed groups have an important mission to ensure safe, secure drinking water, healthy aquatic ecosystems and reliable water supplies for a sustainable economy in Alberta. In order to qualify for the draw, participants had to remain until the end of the final session. The mini-grant was awarded to a nonprofit or charitable group of the winner's choice.
Road Trips to River Rally
Working with Host WPACS north, south, east and west of Edmonton, River Rally 
vans were offered to pick folks up along a route determined by participants, to travel together and save costs. We know cost is a barrier to participation for many small and rural groups so are doing our best to both reduce costs and advance important watershed networks. Two Watershed Planning and Advisory Council's stepped forward to pick up people along the way from their home base to River Rally. A big thanks to the Mighty Peace Watershed Alliance and thr Oldman Watershed Council for offering Road Trips to River Rally!
Who attended River Rally 2011?
- Water stewards and advisory councils
- First Nations communities and organizations
- Paddlers, anglers and other water enthusiasts
- Government agency staff from all levels of government
- Cottage & lake associations
- Farmers, ranchers, landowners, and business owners
- Conservation and environmental groups
- Consultants & facilitators
- Concerned citizens
River Rally Funders and Sponsors
River Rally is part of the Watershed Protectors Program sponsored by Suncor Energy Inc. with additional support from RBC Foundation through the RBC Blue Water Project. The program aims to improve long-term watershed protection in Alberta by assisting local watershed stewards to work more effectively and collaboratively in their conservation and protection roles.
River Rally would not be possible without the support of all our sponsors, partners, and donors. Thank you!
For information on Alberta Ecotrust Sponsorship Opportunities call Wanda Spooner, Partner Development Manager at 403-209-2245.
