ES: Land Stewardship and Conservation Major
Land Stewardship and Conservation Major
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Danielle White
Environmental Sciences Enrolment Specialist
780 853 8789
780 581 0805
Ask me your questions
Learn how to create healthy ecosystems through Lakeland’s land stewardship and conservation major.
As a graduate, you’ll make a difference for plants, soils, water and wildlife for future generations. You’ll know how to renew, restore and conserve everything from grasslands to forests and from butterflies to bison.
You’ll learn how through science and practical field skills.
You’ll start learning field skills from your first day. In first year, you’ll be introduced to the many facets of environmental science.
In second year you’ll focus on:
- best management practices
- stewardship techniques
Your outdoor classrooms, field labs, are where you’ll practice applied skills and gather data. You’ll use that data in classrooms and labs. Some examples include how to:
- identify critical habitat requirements for plants and animals
- use environmental standards to classify wetland, water bodies, forest and grassland
- assess, inventory and map disturbed and undisturbed ecosystems
- apply restoration techniques to rural and urban landscapes
- collect field data and report per industry standards
Requirements
More program details
Remember that studying includes other expenses than tuition and fees - you should
also be budgeting for your accommodation and living expenses. Alberta student loan
guidelines recommends $1,153/month.
Our tuition and fees page has details about academic, application and mandatory fees and their cost breakdown per term.
You can also find a list of the required environmental science textbooks.
Your weekly class schedule can be found on your My Lakeland student portal when available. This is usually one month prior to the program start date.
Important dates found below include your tuition due date, your program registration/start date, events and holidays.
Dates are subject to change. We recommend you check here regularly for any updates.
Face-to-face on-campus important dates
Note: These dates are subject to change.
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Aug 11 | Fees due, fall term |
| Sept 2 | Registration Day |
| Sept 3 | First day of classes, fall term semester 1 |
| Sept 10 | Last day to add semester 1 courses |
| Sept 23 |
Last day to drop semester 1 courses. Last day to withdraw with full refund of fees less tuition deposit. |
| Sept 30 | National Truth & Reconciliation Day, college closed |
| Oct 13 | Thanksgiving, college closed |
| Nov 3 | Last day to withdraw from semester 1 with W grade or change from credit to audit |
| Nov 10-11 | Fall break for students |
| Nov 11 | Remembrance Day, college closed |
| Dec 1 | Fees due, winter term |
| Dec 12 | Last day of semester 1 |
| Dec 13 - Jan 5 | Christmas break for students |
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Jan 6 | First day of classes, winter term semester 2 |
| Jan 13 | Last day to add semester 2 courses |
| Jan 27 |
Last day to drop semester 2 courses. Last day to withdraw with 100% refund of semester 2 fees. |
| Feb 16-20 | Reading week/spring break |
| Mar 13 | Last day to withdraw from semester 2 courses with W grade or change from credit to audit. |
| Apr 3-6 | Easter Break, college closed |
| Apr 24 | Last day semester 2 |
| Jun 5 | Vermilion campus Convocation |
Note: These dates are subject to change.
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Aug 12 | Fees due, fall term |
| Sept 1 | Registration Day |
| Sept 2 | First day of classes, fall term semester 1 |
| Sept 7 | Labor Day, college closed |
| Sept 9 | Last day to add semester 1 courses |
| Sept 22 |
Last day to drop semester 1 courses. Last day to withdraw with full refund of fees less tuition deposit. |
| Sept 30 | National Truth & Reconciliation Day, college closed |
| Oct 12 | Thanksgiving, college closed |
| Nov 2 | Last day to withdraw from semester 1 with W grade or change from credit to audit |
| Nov 9-13 | Fall break for students |
| Nov 11 | Remembrance Day, college closed |
| Dec 1 | Fees due, winter term |
| Dec 18 | Last day of semester 1 |
| Dec 21 - Jan4 | Christmas break for students |
| 2027 | |
|---|---|
| Jan 5 | First day of classes, winter term semester 2 |
| Jan 12 | Last day to add semester 2 courses |
| Jan 25 |
Last day to drop semester 2 courses. Last day to withdraw with 100% refund of semester 2 fees. |
| Feb 15 | Family Day, college closed |
| Feb 15-29 | Reading week/spring break |
| Mar 12 | Last day to withdraw from semester 2 courses with W grade or change from credit to audit. |
| Mar 26-29 | Easter Break, college closed |
| Apr 23 | Last day semester 2 |
| Jun 4 | Vermilion campus Convocation |
You'll master a minimum of 30 applied skills while you're in the land stewardship and conservation program.
That includes knowing 300 different plants.
Examples of the applied skills include:
- forest management techniques
- mammal, bird and amphibian identification
- ecological restoration techniques and strategies
- wetland delineation and classification
- ecological inventories
- wetland, riparian and range health assessment
- rare plant surveys
- native grassland inventory
- native plant species selection and planting techniques
- public or scientific engagement and communication with various audiences
Lakeland options
- Double major - spend another year taking one of the other environmental sciences majors.
- Applied degree - you have direct entry into Lakeland College’s Bachelor of Applied Science: Environmental Management program.
Further certification
Diploma graduates are eligible:
- for a Biological Technician in Training designation through the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB)
- to apply as an agrologist technologist in training (AIT) to earn Registered Technologist in Agrology designation through the Alberta Institute of Agrologists
- to apply as an Environmental Professional in Training (Ept) through ECO Canada. You can upgrade to an EP after you have completed 5 years of relevant experience
- for Level III of Alberta's Water and Wastewater Operator Certification
Diploma to Degree
After Lakeland, attend another institution to earn another credential. For transfers up to 60 credits, we call it 2 + 2. Take two years to earn your diploma here at Lakeland and then another two years at another institution to earn your degree.
Not all our agreements are a 2 + 2. Discuss the options with your academic advisor.
Lakeland has official transfer agreements with these institutions:
Options at the University of Alberta include BSc Environmental and Conservation Sciences
University of Lethbridge offers a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science.
Options at the University of Saskatchewan include:
- BSc in Agriculture - Environmental Science or Soil Science specialization
- BSc in Renewable Resource Management - Resource Science
Athabasca University offers programs as part of their Centre for Science.
Lethbridge Polytechnic offers a Bachelor of Ecosystem Management.
Bachelor of Science (Environmental Biology)
Note: up to 60 credits transfer
Bachelor of Science: Ecological Restoration
Note: up to 60 credits transfer
Bachelor of Science in Conservation Science and Practice
- Wildland Conservation and Recreation major
- Landscape Conservation and Management major
From the start of your classes at Lakeland, you'll be learning applied skills and spending time in the field.
When's the last time you took your learning outside?
