AWA Talk Night – The Nature of Connection: Bridging Alberta’s Urban and Rural Landscapes

Ecological connectivity is essential to maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting wildlife movement across Alberta’s diverse landscapes, from urban environments to rural and wild spaces. This presentation will explore how the Miistakis Institute is working with municipalities, conservation organizations and other partners to identify, protect and restore ecological connections through two initiatives: Nature’s Network, focused on ecological connectivity across the Greater Calgary Region, and Reconnecting the Rockies, focused on identifying important wildlife habitats and movement corridors in southwestern Alberta. Together, these projects demonstrate how connectivity science can be translated into practical conservation strategies, land-use planning policies and collaborative action to keep Alberta’s landscapes connected.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. ABT
Location: AWA office, main floor/Zoom
Price: By donation

Meet our presenter:
Danah Duke is the Executive Director of the Miistakis Institute, where she leads an interdisciplinary team dedicated to advancing applied conservation research and turning science into meaningful conservation action. With over two decades of experience, Danah has built her career at the intersection of science, policy and practice, working to ensure that ecological knowledge informs decisions about how landscapes are managed and conserved.
Under her leadership, Miistakis has become a trusted partner to governments, conservation organizations and communities, bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise to tackle complex environmental challenges. Danah is passionate about the power of collaboration to achieve lasting conservation outcomes and the importance of developing practical, science-based solutions that benefit both people and nature.
Her work spans ecological connectivity, wildlife movement, landscape conservation, human–wildlife coexistence and citizen science. Danah holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Biology and Ecology from the University of Alberta.