In 2015, the Aboriginal Environmental Services Network partnered with Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency (AEMERA) to design and deliver a five-week Environmental Monitoring Technician Program pilot. Fifteen participants successfully completed the pilot which was designed to fill in the gaps in existing training programs, and to meet the monitoring interests and needs of indigenous communities.
Building on the success of the pilot program, a second 5-week Environmental Monitoring Technician Training Program will be offered in 2016 for 10 Indigenous community members in Northeast Alberta. The goal of the program is to provide training to indigenous community members to enhance their technical skills and enable their participation in environmental monitoring in the oil sands region. The program will focus on:
Basics of environmental monitoring program design
Surface water monitoring
Fish health monitoring
Safety training in environmental monitoring
Data management tools
