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Southern Alberta’s grasslands are among the most biodiverse and most endangered ecosystems in the world. Yet they are often perceived as familiar, quiet, or even unremarkable. In landscapes like these, ecological change can unfold gradually and largely unnoticed, allowing species and habitats to decline without broad public awareness.This presentation explores how everyday observation plays a critical role in conservation. Using a local example from southern Alberta, the talk introduces the foundations of ecology, the study of living things and their interactions, and demonstrates how small, consistent acts of noticing can reveal meaningful ecological patterns. When people pay attention to what is present, what is shifting, and what is missing, they contribute to a broader understanding of landscape change.
From informal observation to organized community science initiatives, public participation strengthens conservation by increasing awareness, informing management decisions, and deepening connection to place. The session invites participants to recognize that attention is not passive - it is an ecological act - and asks what more might be protected if we simply took the time to notice?
Speaker: Brook Skagen, P.Biol., RTAg., AWB®
Brook Skagen is a Professional Wildlife Biologist, Rangeland Agrologist, and the Owner and Principal Ecologist of Larkfir Conservation Services, an environmental consultancy based in Lethbridge, Alberta. With over a decade of experience working across industry, government, academic, and non-profit sectors throughout western Canada, his field work has taken him from the boreal forest and Rocky Mountains to the southern prairies, with a particular focus on endangered species conservation and habitat stewardship within southern Alberta’s grasslands.
A former Faculty Member with the School of Environmental Sciences at Lethbridge Polytechnic and past Editor of Nature Alberta magazine, Brook brings teaching, writing, and applied conservation together in his work. He is also the founder of Queercus Club, a queer-inclusive nature-based program that encourages people of all backgrounds to engage with local ecosystems through guided outdoor experiences and observation-based learning. Through consulting and community programming, he works to bridge science and public connection. He believes meaningful conservation begins when we feel connected to the landscapes we share.
Date/Time: Thursday, May 28, 2026. The presentation begins at 12 noon & concludes at 1 pm.
Free to attend. Donations however, are gratefully accepted.
Location: SACPA sessions are held at Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO), Atrium Dining Room, 500 - 11 Street South, Lethbridge
Lunch and Refreshments: If you like, please arrive early to patronize the LSCO cafeteria and enjoy their excellent variety of good-value food/drink options in the Atrium Dining Room before the session
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Event Venue
Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization, 500 - 11 St. S.,Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Tickets
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