Free Lunch & Learn Series 

Natural assets—like forests, wetlands and grasslands—are critical infrastructure that support cost effective municipal services and help manage risks. Yet most local governments in Canada are falling short on accounting for these assets or valuing the services they provide.  

As pressure from aging infrastructure and climate change intensify, overlooking natural assets can lead to higher service delivery costs, less resilient infrastructure, and fewer benefits that make our communities worth living in.

This free lunch and learn series is designed specifically for local government administrators and finance professionals. Discover why natural asset management is increasingly important for your organization’s financial sustainability and risk management activities.

Who should attend?

• Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) and Town Managers
• Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), Financial Directors, Officers or Treasurers
• Senior municipal decision-makers responsible for budgets, assets, services, and risk management
• Finance professionals / consultants who work closely with municipalities

Session descriptions

Session 1:
The case for natural asset management

Friday, May 15, 2026, 11:30 – 12:30 Mountain Time, 12:30 – 1:30 Central Time

This introductory session will introduce the term natural assets and the concept of natural asset management. It will highlight gaps in the municipal sector in accounting for natural assets and the implications for your local government’s bottom line. 

Session 2:
The benefits of accounting for and valuing nature’s services 

Friday, May 22, 2026, 11:30 – 12:30 Mountain Time, 12:30 – 1:30 Central Time

This session will provide an overview of trends in natural capital accounting and valuation and how it may affect local governments. We will also share information about current guidance and standards to support the development of natural asset inventories, which is the foundation required for effective natural asset management. 

Session 3:
Low barrier, low cost first steps in natural asset management 

Friday, May 29, 2026, 11:30 – 12:30 Mountain Time, 12:30 – 1:30 Central Time

This session will provide an overview of productive first steps your local government can take even with limited resources and capacity. It will focus on the benefits of identifying priority natural assets and risks to them in your unique geographic and service delivery context, which can help inform short-term management priorities. 

Additional Overview

This series is made possible with support from the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Natural Infrastructure for Water Solutions (NIWS) program. 

Examples will focus on the Prairies Region; participants from other regions are also welcome to attend.

Sessions will be recorded and made available to registered participants who are unable to attend one or more of the sessions live.