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Biodiversity Strategies for Cities?

April 12, 2016 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

My eyebrows reached my hairline when I heard my hometown had a biodiversity strategy. With over a million people, I hadn’t thought of Calgary, Alberta as a biodiversity hotspot. True, it has the most extensive urban pathway network in North America and I’ve enjoyed watching owls and eagles along the Bow River in the city center but isn’t a city a bad home for wildlife?
Surprisingly, there are more opportunities for critters than you might think. Next to parkland, wasteland, railway yards and industrial areas have high numbers of rare and important species. Perhaps because those areas have open spaces and few people. Some animals don’t coexist well with humans like the sharp-tailed grouse eliminated by off-leash dog use on Nose Hill but others adapt. Scientists have observed some urban birds adjusting their calls to be heard over traffic noise.

The City of Calgary tabled its biodiversity strategy in March 2015. With 80% of Canadians currently living in urban areas and with a projected increase of 90% in North American urban areas by 2030, it makes sense to develop biodiversity strategies that mitigate urban sprawl.

City of Calgary representative Chris Manderson says Calgarians understand abstract biodiversity concepts and 74% think biodiversity is important, but that doesn’t always translate to action in real life. As an example, he described comments people made on a ravine in their neighborhood, “some people asked if we were going to fill it in as it looks too messy.” Other comments included “a little too natural…because of this no one uses it” or “there are coyotes because of the ravine.” This ravine was important habitat for wildlife but not everyone connected their support of biodiversity with landscapes not designated as a park.

Manderson says the City needs to educate citizens on biodiversity. “We need to rethink our relationship with wildlife in our city.” Asked if provincial or federal jurisdictions are working with Calgary on their biodiversity strategy, Manderson said there was interest but it wasn’t a priority for them. It sounds like city biodiversity strategies are a new concept for many. Hopefully more city dwellers will soon be thinking about how they share the landscape with their animal neighbors.

To learn more about Calgary’s plans go to http://bit.ly/22o2wCW

TWEETABLES

Biodiversity Strategies for Cities via @Reinventure. Click to Tweet.

My friend, @Reinventure , is sharing the importance of biodiversity plans for the future: Click to Tweet.

Isn’t a city a bad home for wildlife? via @Reinventure. Click to Tweet.

How to find a bison stampede

February 26, 2016 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

When I learned to fly, my flight instructor told me flying was boredom 95% of the time and the other 5% delivered sphincter-narrowing excitement. That phrase ran through my head as I searched unsuccessfully for bison in Elk Island National park. With over 460 plains bison in a relatively small park, you might think they would be hard to miss. You would be wrong.
After two hours of driving back and forth on the 18 kilometer road that dissects the park I spotted nary a bison. Or a bird. Or anything moving. It was frustrating because I could tell by the poop scattered everywhere and the tracks in the snow there were bison around. “The best time to see them is at dawn and dusk,” suggested the Parks Canada visitor center employee. Unfortunately it was mid-morning and I would be long gone by dark.

Daydreaming to take my mind off my lack of photos I crested a small hill and saw several vehicles stopped on the road. “Wildlife!” I thought. I didn’t care if it was a squirrel, by now I was happy to look at anything with fur or feathers to break my wildlife-viewing drought. I coasted to a stop and spotted dozens of brown shaggy behemoths jogging across the frozen grasslands. Bison! They were several hundred meters away – too far to photograph – so I grabbed my video camera to capture the movement.

In the viewfinder I noticed the lead animals turning towards me. At the same time I thought, “they are coming this way” a stampede erupted behind my vehicle. Tons of plain bison thundered across the road, youngsters following moms and spunky teenagers kicking their heels in the air as they went. The snow flew up as they pounded across the plains, steam circling their dark heads. In seconds the reached a large stand of aspen and the forest gobbled them up as if they had never been. My racing heart told me otherwise. I love that 5%!

Watch the action on this video.

The man who inspired Charles Darwin

November 12, 2015 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Most people have heard of Charles Darwin but few know about Charles Waterton who played an important role in Darwin’s life. Waterton seems to have been forgotten by history but he created the first nature preserve, invented the artificial bird nest box and wrote a book that contributed to Charles Darwin’s decision to switch from medicine to natural history. I wanted to know whether Waterton’s conservation philosophies were still valid 150 years after his death; the answers are in this BBC story (spoiler alert: they are!).
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150921-the-man-who-inspired-charles-darwin

Is Wild Cool with Casey Anderson?

September 7, 2015 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Fairmon Chateau Lake Louise — Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Many people associate Chateau Lake Louise with luxurious accommodation and fine dining; a place where it is easier to expand your waistline than your mind. But this weekend, I was able to do both (and with a bit more hiking on the fabulous trails around Lake Louise the waistline should return to normal). Casey Anderson, host of Nat. Geo WILD series, is in Canada’s highest community to share stories about what it takes to survive a cougar attack (70 stitches and a promise to never forget), what it’s like to have a pet grizzly (Brutus likes belly rubs) and what happens when cougars move into your neighborhood (coming soon to a TV near you).

“My goal is to make wild cool again,” said Casey as he kicked off a ninety-minute presentation on his experiences with captive animals and as a producer of several wildlife shows. Thirteen years ago, Casey rescued Brutus, the tiny grizzly cub, from a wildlife ark in Idaho. Brutus has given Casey insight into the lives of wild animals and when Brutus cried from a belly-ache, “it shattered everything I thought I knew,” Casey said. “It is my goal to make sure no other animals live in captivity.”

Making sure there are wild places for wild animals propels Casey forward, meeting people and spreading the word about the amazing exploits of wild creatures. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise offered a special Into The Wild Package for people who wanting more than ninety minutes with Casey. I was one of ten lucky people who got to swap bear stories over dinner with Casey and hike to Lake Agnes where we could find out what it is like to film a reality show (the star suffers while the crew gets battery packs and beer helicoptered in). Casey explained how his relationship with Brutus is changing and while the bear is excited to see Casey when he returns from his trip, he’s choosing to spend more time with other bears. I may not have a pet grizzly but the next time I see a bear I will look at it differently because of Brutus.

If you want to learn more go to
http://www.fairmont.com/lake-louise/special-offers/hotel-offers/special-events/into-the-wild-with-casey-anderson/

Making It Easy

May 12, 2015 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

A large office supply company pioneered the idea of an easy button – one push and all your challenges fade away. What if you could make your trip to Canada’s national parks easier? Banff National Park staff has been trying to simplify outdoor adventures.
Last year Parks Canada launched Equipped Camping sites – a tent with sleeping pads is set up and waiting, removing the need to buy camping gear or stressing over how to assemble tent poles. At Two Jack Lakeside campground in 2013 Parks Canada constructed oTENTiks – sturdy tent/cabin hybrids to keep the rain out and your bones off the ground.

Both initiatives have been popular – the oTENTiks are fully booked most of the summer – and now the Red Chairs are coming to Banff National Park. The idea for the chairs came from Gros Morne National Park where pairs of red Adirondack-style chairs were installed hoping visitors would sit and ponder great views. The chairs were so popular, “there were line-ups to sit in some the chairs,” recalled Greg Danchuk, Visitor Experience Manager at Banff National Park.

Now visitors can relax in the red chairs at several locations in Banff National Park such as the Hoodoos interpretive trail or at the Valleyview picnic area. “We placed them in places that are very easy to get to,” said Danchuk. There are nine pairs of chairs in the park with the possibility of adding more.

Although some people raised concerns initially that the chairs would encourage environmental overuse, Danchuk stresses, “They are not placed in the backcountry or hard-to-find areas. We would also never place them on rehabilitated ground. We will monitor them to see if there are any negative impacts but so far there has been no significant problems.”

From 2006 to 2011 attendance at national parks dropped. Concerned about the decrease, Parks Canada saw attracting new Canadians as a way to rebuild visitation. But with more Canadians living in cities, outdoor skills can be rusty or non-existent. Making it easier for people to experience the outdoors is a strategy being tried by park planners across North America and it seems to be attracting new customers to Banff National Park. “We project a 7% increase in Banff park visitation for the year ending March 31, 2015 and we think some of that increase is from initiatives like oTENTiks, Equipped Campsites and the Red Chairs that make it easier to enjoy nature.”

TWEETABLES

What if you could make your trip to Canada’s national parks easier? Click to Tweet.

Discover how @BanffNP is simplifying outdoor adventures for you and me. Click to Tweet.

Discover how @ParksCanada is attracting new visitors with this unique & easy way to camp. Click to Tweet.