ABWRET-A Blended Course (F24)

Next Interactive Class:
Fri. Dec. 13/24 (12pm MST)

ABWRET-A Blended Course

Course Fee:                        $400 (plus GST)

ABWRET-A, or the Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool-Actual is a standardized method for assessing the important natural functions performed by all types of Alberta wetlands using both field and spatial data.

Designed for Authenticating Professionals, Wetland Practitioners & Regulators

Use of the ABWRET method is required by the Government of Alberta’s Wetland Policy, when Water Act approval is sought and wetlands will be permanently impacted. A strong understanding of the ABWRET-A tool is required at three stages and sign-off points in the Alberta Water Act approval process for wetlands:

  • Pre-disturbance Stage as part of the Wetland Assessment & Impact Report (WAIR),
  • Restoration Design Stage as part of the Wetland Restoration Plan, and
  • Final Verification Stage as part of the Verification Report.

SALMTEC has designed this course to provide participants with a strong understanding of the Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool-Actual (ABWRET-A). This course targets an intermediate audience with some experience working in natural sciences. The course is primarily instructed by Dr. Paul Adamus, the creator of the wetland evaluation tool, who lends his voice, experience and knowledge to this intensive online course.

Course Format

This course has eight learning modules and consists of online, offline and interactive components, as follows:

  • One to five online instruction elements per module (25 in total)
  • One to five online quizzes per module
  • Four offline activities
  • One 2.5-hour online interactive class
  • One final online exam

Learning Objectives

  • Context for using ABWRET-A
  • Methods used to create ABWRET-A
  • Basic theory behind the wetland functions
  • ABWRET-A indicators
  • Wetland functional models
  • Submission of ABWRET-A
  • Interpretation of the ABWRET-A results
abwret-a course instructor
Laurie Hamilton

Course Instructors

­­­­­­Online instruction: Dr. Paul Adamus (creator of ABWRET-A) & Laurie Hamilton, M.Sc., C.E.T., P Biol

Interactive class instructor:  Laurie Hamilton, M.Sc., C.E.T., P Biol

Course Outline

Did you know…
  • The Canada-Alberta Job Grant has been used by many of our students to fund the ABWRET-A Blended Course fees?
  • For more information on the Canada-Alberta Job Grant CLICK HERE
  • Some of the information you will need to apply for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant is in the ABWRET-A Course Outline.
  • Start Immediately!

    This course takes between 21 to 24 hours to complete, and you can start immediately upon registration!

    Interactive Classes

    1. Students must have all online material completed prior to attending class
    2. 2024 Class Schedule:
      • Fri. Dec. 13/24 noon-2:30pm MST

    F24 Students have until end of Winter 2026 (April 2026) to finish this course.

    What Our Students Have to Say

    I just wanted to say thank you very much for putting together the ABWRET-A course. I thought it was an excellent course and that the exam was a great exercise where I was able to solidify a lot of the gained ABWRET-A knowledge in completing it.
    Marion
    From Alberta
    A definite deep-dive into the inner workings of the tool. Thanks for the graphics and animation, which brought the concepts to life.
    Anonymous
    From Alberta