Botanic Gardens & Constructed Wetlands at Olds College

Olds College Center of Innovation

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The Botanic Gardens and Constructed Wetlands at Olds College truly offer something for everyone regardless of the season. In spring you’ll be treated to flowering trees and shrubs, early blooming perennials, swaths of spring bulbs and the sound of water starting to move through the constructed wetlands. Summer brings fabulous displays of annuals in select beds, and in containers strategically placed throughout the gardens. Not just a walk down the garden path, the gardens are designed to meet the instructional needs of courses and programs on campus, and are used as the location and subject matter for research projects and community learning opportunities. The Botanic Garden highlights include our collections of hardy peonies, lilies and roses, natural areas, a wide variety of aquatics, herb garden, fabulous annual displays and much more.

Our goal is to maintain a Botanic Garden that introduces and conserves a diverse, well documented and accurately labeled collection of prairie hardy plants. Our collections preserve our natural heritage and expand the role of Olds College as a Centre of Excellence in Horticulture. Olds College’s Botanic Gardens enhance and support education, training, demonstration, and applied research programs that span generations and encourage the exchange of information and ideas with industry, students, other botanical gardens and the public. The Botanical Garden also raises awareness with the public regarding the importance of sustainable environments.

In 2017 we started a Volunteer Program to allow members of the public to give their time and energies to the Botanic Gardens. Interested parties can send an e-mail to OCBotanicGardens@oldscollege.ca

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Olds College Crop Research Program

Olds College Center of Innovation

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Olds College is located on 2,800 acres of prime farmland in central Alberta, and the Olds College Centre for Innovation’s Crops division has dedicated fields for applied research purposes. Crops research – as small plot trials or full field investigations – is a key part of our research portfolio. With a 2,800 acre farm, greenhouses, labs, and a microbrewery, Olds College is an ideally situated partner with you to address your applied research requirements.

Crops Research Goals

• To develop and test ways to improve agronomic practices, and helping clients do the same.
• To help producers and agriculture companies enhance their yield, while consuming fewer resources.
• To assist producers transition to a climate-resilient agriculture economy.

For more information, please visit our website. 

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Olds College Entrepreneurship Support

Olds College Center of Innovation

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Olds College actively builds a culture of entrepreneurship across our entire province through training, support for entrepreneurs, learning enterprises, and business incubators. If you are developing a product related to livestock production, crops, wetland management, or turf grass applications, give us a call or fill out our client intake form.

Our Entrepreneurship Goals

• To support businesses by guiding them to the right networks using our own network of businesses and organizations throughout Alberta and Canada.
• To provide training and resources to developers to help them market their products effectively.
• To encourage innovation, create and sustain a healthy economy, and solve problems within the agricultural industry.

Please visit our website for more information.

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Olds College Land and Water Environmental Research

Olds College Center of Innovation

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With our constructed wetlands facility, Olds College is the place to go for wetland management solutions, applied research, and education. Our facility serves as a model to demonstrate the way wetlands can help reduce negative impacts on our environment and the increasing demand for clean water. We are producing high-quality recycled water through the removal of sediments, contaminants and undesirable nutrients with the use of plants for phytoremediation and new cold climate technologies, while researching wetlands in cold, high latitude climates. Together the constructed wetlands and the Botanical Garden provide an outdoor laboratory for students, an industry training site, and a nucleus for community programs – all in one. Extensive wetland applied research is also carried on in the Olds College greenhouses and off-campus sites with various industry partners.

Our Research Goals

• To find ways to negate water shortages, a problem that threatens the future of not just Canada, but the world at large.
• To find natural and efficient methods of irrigation by spearheading research that has never been done before.
• To create ways to promote and enable effective environmental stewardship through its research.

Please visit our website to learn more.

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Research Greenhouse

Olds College Center of Innovation

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The research greenhouses are computer controlled to provide consistent, reliable environments for optimal plant growth. Five greenhouse compartments are dedicated to research, including one large isolation compartment with a separate entrance to meet requirements for containment. Control systems are available to monitor and adjust all aspects of heating, cooling, lighting and watering according to the project requirements.

The facility is equipped with alarms and backup control systems in the event of equipment malfunction or power interruption. The research greenhouses are supported by a microbiology laboratory, wet chemistry lab, tissue culture lab, and several Conviron growth chambers.

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Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TAC)

Olds College Center of Innovation

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The Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TAC) offers resources and services required to move the livestock industry’s technological needs forward. We address industry priorities related to production efficiency, animal health and welfare, and environmental sustainability by giving livestock producers, technology developers and SMEs access to facilities, emerging smart agriculture technologies, testing services, research expertise and training opportunities. Thanks to funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Technology Access Centre offers resources and services required to move the livestock industry’s technological needs forward. Olds College’s vertically integrated beef program allows for technology and products to be tested at every step in production (seed stock, cow-calf, feedlot, processing).

Our Goals

• To improve animal health and welfare
• To increase the production efficiency
• To enhance environmental sustainability

Technology Access Centre Services
The applied research facilities and expertise allows innovators and businesses to evaluate proprietary concepts and technologies while being supported by the TAC’s robust confidentiality policy. Our services include:

• Residual Feed Intake testing for beef and small ruminants
• Trial protocol development and validation
• Third party verification and field testing
• Management of beef and small ruminant trials in a pasture or feedlot setting
• Agricultural student focus groups
• Coordination of producer training
• Genomics testing

Please visit our website to learn more.

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