Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society)
Cows and Fish is an Alberta non-profit society that delivers riparian health assessments, education, and stewardship programming to agricultural producers, landowners, municipalities, youth, and government agencies across the province, using a proprietary field-based assessment methodology and a distributed regional staff model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLethbridge, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) does
Cows and Fish, legally the Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society and operating under the Riparian Management Society brand, is an Alberta-based non-profit society registered in 2004 and originating from a 1992 initiative co-founded by Alberta Beef Producers and Trout Unlimited Canada (now Freshwater Conservation Canada). Its mission is to promote the conservation and beneficial management of riparian areas — the vegetated zones along waterways — through education, assessment, and stewardship programming aimed at agricultural producers, landowners, watershed groups, municipalities, youth, and government agencies across Alberta.
The organization's core technical product is its proprietary Riparian Health Assessment and Inventory methodology, a visual, field-based evaluation framework developed over more than three decades and delivered by a distributed team of riparian specialists. Programming includes the long-running Southern Alberta Grazing School for Women, formal partnerships with ALUS Canada and Red Deer County, the From Street to Stream urban stormwater initiative, and youth education reaching approximately 500 children annually. Delivery is supported through a provincial office network spanning Lethbridge (headquarters), Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Airdrie.
The business model is that of a registered charity / non-profit society rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is generated through a mix of project-based government and foundation grants (including from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas), individual and corporate donations and memberships, and at-cost educational materials and workshop fees. There are no equity funding rounds, and the organization reinvests operating surpluses into programming rather than distributing returns to owners or shareholders.
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society)
- Legal name
- Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society
- Website
- https://cowsandfish.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cows and Fish is an Alberta non-profit society that delivers riparian health assessments, education, and stewardship programming to agricultural producers, landowners, municipalities, youth, and government agencies across the province, using a proprietary field-based assessment methodology and a distributed regional staff model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming, including Feedlots (11211)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beef Cattle Production Support Services (Fencing, Water Systems, Range Improvement) (AFAEABAM)
Keywords
Where Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lethbridge
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Memberships: Cows and Fish is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO), registered society since 2004, relying on donations and membership support. Tax receipts are issued for donations above $20.
- Educational Materials Sales: Publications are provided at cost (printing cost only, no handling or profit margin). Free orders are shipped to support their educational mission. Materials are funded by funders and available at minimal cost.
- Project-Based Funding: Funding from government bodies (Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas), foundations (Alberta Real Estate Foundation, The Calgary Foundation, RBC's Bluewater Fund), and conservation organizations supports specific projects and initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free/Educational Materials |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation-Supported Access |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cows and Fish is a non-profit society that delivers riparian area education, assessment, and stewardship programming across Alberta. The organization works with agricultural producers, landowners, Indigenous communities, youth, and government agencies to assess riparian health, host workshops and field days, and provide practical grazing and land management guidance to support healthy watersheds and sustainable ranching.
Product overview
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) is a non-governmental organization registered as a society since 2004, focused on riparian education and stewardship in Alberta. The organization offers a portfolio of educational products and services rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include publications such as 'Caring for the Green Zone' and 'Riparian Areas: A User's Guide to Health', along with Riparian Health Assessment Field Workbooks and Forms that help landowners evaluate riparian condition. The organization provides digital educational content including Digital Stories, Podcasts, and Webinars covering riparian management topics. Educational programs include Workshops and Training sessions, the Southern Alberta Grazing School for Women, and youth programs like the 'Cows, Fish, Cattledogs and Kids!' game show. Additional resources include Technical Reports, Fact Sheets, a Photo Gallery, and collaborative initiatives like the From Street to Stream program. Publications are distributed free or at cost (printing cost only) through an online ordering system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Riparian Health Assessments
Quantifiable outcome
- Riparian health improvements documented at ALUS projects across Central Alberta with 150+ producers participating
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society)
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Alberta Beef ProducerscoreFounding partner of Cows and Fish. Represents the cattle production community and emphasizes the organization's mission to demonstrate that cattle and fish can coexist with appropriate riparian management.
- Freshwater Conservation Canada (formerly Trout Unlimited Canada)coreFounding partner representing freshwater conservation. The name 'Cows and Fish' reflects this dual-origin partnership bridging agricultural producers and conservation advocates.
- ALIDP (Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership)coreCollaborative partner on the From Street to Stream Initiative, developing tools and outreach for low impact development connecting urban riparian and upland areas. Partners on workshops from Lethbridge to Edmonton.
- Alberta Native Trout CollaborativecoreMember organization working to advance native trout recovery in Alberta via habitat restoration, restoration stocking, land use planning, watershed and fish population assessments, and public education.
- Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS)minorPartnered on Ranching in Alberta's Headwaters project, re-assessing riparian sites along two streams in the Bow River watershed where ranching is the dominant land use.
- StoryCenterminorInternational digital storytelling organization that has helped Cows and Fish enhance its storytelling skills and engage audiences with meaningful messages about riparian stewardship.
- ALUS (Alternate Land Use Services) – Red Deer CountycoreALUS farmers and ranchers are having a measurable impact on riparian health. Cows and Fish collaborates on measuring riparian health improvements at ALUS projects, with Red Deer County having 150+ producer participants.
- Miistakis InstituteminorCollaborated on 'Working with Beavers' project producing fact sheets on beaver coexistence tools, materials and suppliers, cost-benefit analysis, and the relationship between beavers and fish.
- Bow River Basin CouncilminorWatershed planning and advisory council. Cows and Fish staff featured in Bow River Basin Council publications including State of the Bow River Watershed Report (2025) and Preserving our Lifeline newsletter.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) Canada: A national charitable organization that works with farmers and ranchers to deliver ecosystem services on agricultural land. Direct comparable: ALUS partners with Cows and Fish (Red Deer County has 150+ producers) and shares the same producer-facing, voluntary-stewardship model.
- Miistakis Institute: A Canadian conservation research and outreach institute based in the Rockies. Direct comparable: collaborates with Cows and Fish on the 'Working with Beavers' project and shares a focus on riparian/watershed science and producer engagement in Alberta.
- Trout Unlimited Canada (Freshwater Conservation Canada): Co-founding partner of Cows and Fish. Operates as the freshwater-conservation counterpart and shares the dual ag-conservation mandate; directly comparable as a Canadian riparian/freshwater NGO with a producer-engagement model.
- Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership (ALIDP): Partner organization on the From Street to Stream Initiative. Comparable as a collaborative Canadian NGO focused on watershed/land-use education, but with a specifically urban/low-impact-development focus rather than agricultural riparian management.
- Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS): A regional land trust working with ranchers in southern Alberta on conservation easements. Partnered with Cows and Fish on the Ranching in Alberta's Headwaters project; comparable as a regional NGO bridging agricultural land use and conservation outcomes.
Others
- Alberta Beef Producers: Co-founding partner of Cows and Fish representing the cattle production community. Not a direct competitor, but a closely aligned industry association whose mandate (cattle producer interests) overlaps the producer-side audience Cows and Fish serves.
Emerging players
- Canadian Forage & Grassland Association: National association focused on forage and grassland management for Canadian producers. Comparable overlap on range management and grazing best practices for beef producers, but operating nationally rather than at the riparian-habitat intersection.
Broad incumbents
- Nature Conservancy of Canada: Canada's largest land conservation NGO, with significant programs in Alberta. Comparable as a conservation NGO working with private landowners on stewardship outcomes, but at national scale and with broader biodiversity scope.
- Ducks Unlimited Canada: Canada's largest habitat conservation NGO, focused on wetlands and waterfowl. Comparable as a conservation NGO working with agricultural producers on habitat outcomes, but at significantly larger national scale and broader mandate.
Regional players
- Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (Alberta): Alberta government-established councils (10+) for watershed-scale planning. Not a competing NGO but a direct ecosystem partner and funder channel that Cows and Fish collaborates with across multiple watersheds (Bow, Oldman, Battle River, etc.).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) social profiles
Digital presenceCows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society)
What does Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) do?
Cows and Fish is a non-profit society that delivers riparian area education, assessment, and stewardship programming across Alberta. The organization works with agricultural producers, landowners, Indigenous communities, youth, and government agencies to assess riparian health, host workshops and field days, and provide practical grazing and land management guidance to support healthy watersheds and sustainable ranching.
Is Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) a public or private company?
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) founded?
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) based?
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) is headquartered in Lethbridge, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Memberships are the primary driver. The others are educational Materials Sales and project-Based Funding.
Who are Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) Canada, Miistakis Institute, Trout Unlimited Canada (Freshwater Conservation Canada), Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership (ALIDP) and Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS). Alberta Beef Producers is listed as an others. Canadian Forage & Grassland Association is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (Alberta) is listed as a regional player.
Does Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society).
What industry is Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) in?
Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society)'s product category is Environmental Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEABAM, Beef Cattle Production Support Services (Fencing, Water Systems, Range Improvement). Its NAICS code is 11211 and its SIC code is 700.