Beyond Conservation: Connecting Communities for Resilience in the Northern Great Plains
The Transboundary Grasslands Partnership’s (TGP) purpose is to achieve better grasslands conservation outcomes by communicating, connecting, and collaborating across the TGP geography. TGP is a voluntary collaborative partnership working towards native grasslands conservation. The TGP provides a forum where transboundary jurisdictions and sectors work collaboratively to conserve and enhance native grassland landscapes. The TGP covers an expansive international area between Canada and the United States, including the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and a vast majority of northern Montana.
2024 Workshop Outline
Tuesday October 22 Pre-workshop Field Tour
Optional pre-workshop field tour: Grazing Management in the Blackfeet Nation
10:30 Blackfeet Community College, 504 SE Boundary St, Browning, MT, meet outside the Beaver Painted Lodge.
10:45 Tour departs from BCC, sack lunch included in registration.
5:00 Return to Shelby, dinner on your own.
Wednesday October 23 – Workshop Day
Marias Valley Golf & Country Club, Shelby, MT 59474
8:00-8:20 Welcome and TGP Update- Ruiping Luo
8:20-9:00 Grassland Partnership Development at the Biome Scale: an update on the Grassland Roadmap and USFWS Grassland Ecosystem Team—John Carlson, USFWS
9:00-9:10 Break
9:10-12:00 Connecting for Community Health
9:10-9:35 County of Warner, Alberta—Ross Ford
9:35-10:05 Pikanii Lodge Health Institute—Andrew Berger
10:05-10:30 Community Building in Rural Places—Laura Nowlin, Winnett ACES
10:30-11:00 Break
11:00-12:00 Community Panel Q & A
12:00- 1:00 Lunch
1:00-4:00 Connecting for Land Health
1:00-1:45 As above, so below: How life underground mirrors life above- Kendall Morgan and Conni French
1:45-2:45 Local Producer Panel: Highlighting Land Stewardship Practices
2:45-3:00 Break
3:00-3:30 NRCS Indigenous Practices Team – Brenda Simpson
3:00-4:00 Short sessions: Innovative Approaches to Stewardship
Living Lab- Kelly Williamson, South of the Divide Conservation Action Program (SK)
Land Health Dashboard and Soil Carbon—Chris Mehus, Western Sustainability Exchange
Montana Grassland Partnership—Marisa Sather, USFWS and Martin Townsend, RSA
5:30 Happy Hour/Social at the Alibi
Dinner on your own
Thursday October 24 – Workshop Day
Marias Valley Golf & Country Club, Shelby, MT 59474
8:00-11:00 Connecting for the Future
8:00-8:30 Youth Range Days, Alberta- MRWCC
8:30-9:00 New Agrarian Program- Hayden Vandeberg, Quivira Coalition
9:00-9:30 Ranch Succession- RSA
9:30-10:00 Break
10:00-10:30 Kainai Ecosystems Protection Agency- Mike Bruised-Head
10:30-11:30 Tribal Colleges Showcase: Transferring Knowledge to the Next Generation
Aaniiih Nakoda College – Blackfeet Community College – Fort Peck Community College
11:30-12:00 Wrap up and fill out feedback forms
12:00 Conference adjourns, lunch on your own
For more information about the Transboundary Grassland Partnership please visit their host website: https://albertapcf.org/about-prairies/transboundary-grasslands
Blocks of rooms have been set aside at the Best Western Shelby Inn & Suites and the Comfort Inn & Suites Gateway to Glacier National Park. Group Rate Code: TGP
