Leta Pezderic (Photo by Brent Calver)

Leta Pezderic

Leta Pezderic is the grassland stewardship manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in  Alberta. She is responsible for the delivery of conservation programs in the grassland region of Alberta; specifically focusing on large ranching conservation easements; developing, managing and expanding stewardship incentive programs; facilitating stewardship funding; and supporting landowner relations across the grasslands. She is grateful for the privilege to get to work with local landowners, partner organizations, conservation volunteers, funders and other stewards of the land.

Leta grew up in Claresholm, Alberta, and then moved to Lethbridge to pursue her post-secondary education. She received her diploma in renewable resource management as well as a certificate in fish and wildlife technology from Lethbridge College. From there, she transferred to the University of Lethbridge where she obtained her degree in environmental science. Leta spent her summers working in Waterton Lakes National Park. After graduating, she was fortunate to work at a variety of places, including Cows and Fish, Lethbridge College and Alberta Environment. She spent nearly seven years with the Oldman Watershed Council as their program coordinator before joining the NCC team in 2015 as the natural area manager for prairie grasslands.

Leta is married and has three boys, so it’s difficult to find time to fit in hobbies, but she and her husband spend their ”spare” time restoring their log home and working on the native prairie property they invested in north of Coaldale, along the Oldman River. She is passionate about all things nature and tries to capture its beauty through photography; you’ll rarely find her without her camera in hand.  

You can see her photography at River Run Photography and on Instagram at @river_run_photography. Leta also enjoys travelling, hiking, horseback riding, camping, gardening, fly fishing, motor biking and most of all spending time outside with her kids and her chickens.