Shell has donated $230,000 and solidified a partnership with the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park Foundation (GRPPF) to launch advanced research on land reclamation practices using native grasslands.
The inaugural funding not only allowed for the creation of the Shell Foothills Fescue Research Institute, as well as the construction of a greenhouse and research facility, but also the continued research and educational programs already in place at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park (GRPP).
Research and planning has been ongoing in the park since it was established as a park in 2006.
The GRPPF became a partner in 2008.
“Shell’s partnership will allow us to research innovative ways to restore grasslands, while cultivating an unrivaled way to store carbon,” said GRPPF CEO Andy Crooks. “This is the largest partnership in our short history as a park.”
The partnership between the GRPPF and Shell was announced on Dec. 17 at Shell’s headquarters in Calgary.
GRPP, which consists of more than 1,300 hectares of foothills parkland, is home to a large area of native grasslands.
The newly-created institute will be spearheaded by Steve Tannas, who holds a PhD in agriculture and range and pasture management from the University of Alberta.
Visit grpf.ca for more information on the foundation and park.
