In 1997, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and the Nature Conservancy of Canada  (NCC) embarked on an ambitious project to conserve critical habitat adjacent to the Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta.

After visiting the area in the mid-1990s and learning of its exceptional diversity of animal and plant life, as well as the growing threat of development, the Foundation was moved to work with NCC and local ranchers to preserve this magnificent landscape for Canada.

The Waterton Park Front lies within the Crown of the Continent, a critical wildlife movement corridor within the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation (Y2Y) region. NCC’s ongoing work to conserve habitats in the Waterton Park Front represents an important contribution to these larger conservation initiatives.

Several different ecosystems meet in this region, creating a special biosphere. Wetlands, lakes, rivers, prairie grasslands, aspen parkland, montane and sub-alpine forests as well as alpine areas combine to create this unique region. As a result, a wide variety of wildlife, plants and wildflowers can be found throughout the Park.  This is prime habitat for grizzly and black bear, cougar, wolf, moose, elk, white-tailed and mule deer.

An interpretative centre and trail are situated in Waterton Park Front to educate visitors, including community members, tourists to the area and the general public about the Waterton Park Front Project. From May through September, the Weston Family Conservation Centre welcomes visitors and offers activities for school groups and nature enthusiasts. Through a partnership with the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta more than 300 elementary students and their teachers walk the trail and learn of Waterton’s unique ecosystem each year.

The Waterton Park Front Project, an ecological gem in southwestern Alberta, was celebrated at the 2007 Emerald Awards for Environmental Excellence. In 2009, it became home to a Geocache and welcomes those who participate in this high tech treasure hunt to use their GPS units to locate it. This outdoor adventure game is played by adults and children around the world. Visitors can bring their own GPS devices to find a hidden box or Geocache.

The Weston Family Conservation Centre also features family-friendly activities, display boards, nature specimens and other information that allow visitors to learn more about this area.

Today, this twelve-year project, involving more than 50 properties, has resulted in the protection of more than 100 square kilometers (28,000 acres) of key conservation and ranching lands surrounding Waterton Lakes National Park, creating one of the largest private land conservation initiatives in Canadian history.

Learn more about other Foundation supported land conservation projects.