Search results for "alberta"

Alberta's Athabasca Heartland - A world class conservation opportunity for caribou and you

You may have read in the news yesterday Woodland caribou under threat in oilsands area, group says. Alberta’s Athabasca Heartland contains most of Alberta’s last unprotected intact wildness which is home to an amazing variety of plants and animals such as woodland caribou, wolverine, old growth forests, and peat lands. It is also the home of the Alberta oil sands , as well as other development such as logging and conventional oil and gas operations.

For the first time in over 10 years, the Alberta government will be identifying and creating new protected areas in the province --starting with the Lower Athabasca Region. What an incredible conservation opportunity! The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) wants the Alberta Government to protect at least 50% of the region by establishing a strong network of protected areas to conserve this valuable wilderness and give species, such as the threatened woodland caribou, a fighting chance for survival.

To learn more about the issues and proposed solutions visit the CPAWS Northern Alberta Chapter’s website or watch this great video prepared by the Chapter and sign the petition to protect Alberta’s last great intact wilderness for caribou and you:

(watch video on YouTube)

You did it! Thank you!

Absolutely huge news out of Ottawa today!  The federal government has released a scientific report on the Boreal population of Woodland caribou, a nationally threatened species.  The report identifies critical habitat needed for the survival of Boreal woodland caribou.

Why is this report so important?  Well, it shows that nearly 2.5 million sq. km of the Boreal is considered critical habitat.  That’s a lot of Boreal forest.  In fact it supports CPAWS’ position that at least half of Canada’s Boreal forest should be protected.

Now that this report is out and we know where the scientists say where critical habitat is, the next urgent step is for the federal government to consult Aboriginal Canadians and their Traditional Knowledge, and move quickly to release the national recovery strategy for woodland caribou.  In fact, this is a requirement under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

I'll let you know how you can help.  In the meantime, why not send a note to Environment Minister Jim Prentice?  He's responsible for the report's release, and will have a large say in how the government deals with its obligation to uphold SARA.  You can let him know you care about caribou and remind him that the recovery strategy is an important next step.

CPAWS and their partners have been pestering the government to release this report for months.  Thanks to everyone (more than 10,000 of you!) who signed the petition and postcards for caribou. You helped make it happen!  Now help us on the next step in protecting Canada’s woodland caribou and their Boreal forest home.

Check out the details of the report and background info here.

It's a little late, but...

I decided that Edmonton would be my Christmas destination this year, visiting my Katimavik friends.

Last night, they decided to go visit Candy Cane Lane. I heard so many great things about this area I decided to tag along. But what a night it was! We took the bus to city centre, where I was dragged across an intersection and then took another bus to Candy Cane Lane. Many people gave me funny looks, as if they had never seen a caribou before on a bus before.

At the Lane, my friends and I found a few of my reindeer relatives around many of the lighted yards. Other people visiting delighted in my appearance believing me to be a reindeer as well. Alas, no such luck, I was born on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

I also met up with some sleigh horses who gave me funny looks. I sang with some angels and had a great time taking pictures all around Candy Cane Lane. However, it was getting late, the night air was nippy, so my Katima-friends and I retired for the night. Tune in on December 27th to learn about my new adventures in Edmonton! 

Happy (belated) Holidays!

Caribou

Alberta gets coal in its stocking for reindeer, er, caribou protection

Have you seen this great news video on Woodland caribou in Alberta?  A reporter from National Geographic spoke with Helene Walsh, a biologist with CPAWS,  about the need to protect the 'bous' Boreal forest habitat.

Alberta is so far down with protecting caribou, but they're going about it a very unsustainable way -- by shooting wolves.  That just isn't a long term solution, says Helene.

You can watch the video at National Geographic's site.

Jamming at the Canmore Folk Festival

I love the Rockies, I just can’t stay away! I spent the August long weekend in Canmore, hanging out at the Folk Festival.

I got to hear some great music, which of course makes a caribou want to dance, and squeezed in a little shopping at the artisan booths too.

I met some really friendly folks, some who were even taller than me and a group of fellow forest creatures, a moose, a pika, and another caribou (they all bore a striking resemblance to some Parks Canada Interpreters)!

People and creatures alike were so helpful in signing postcards to help protect my habitat, thanks everyone!

Caribou returns to Banff

Where else would I celebrate Parks Day but in Canada’s oldest national park?

I visited the celebrations at the high school grounds, organized by the awesome parks staff, where I had a caribou-sound making contest with some of the locals.

Afterwards I walked around the famous Banff Avenue, chatting with visitors and having my picture taken with so many people!

At one point I thought I saw a couple of wolves, but turns out it was just one of Banff’s new hybrid buses.

The following day I was back in Calgary, hanging out at the Sun and Salsa Festival. There were so many people interested in meeting a caribou from the boreal forest, it almost felt like being back in the herd! A big thanks to the Running Room for all the water refills.

Off to Calgary!

Off to Calgary, turning cow-town into caribou-town! I barely arrived before I found myself at the concert of one of my favorite bands, Caribou. Many of the people there were a little confused that a woodland caribou was walking around the room, but once I explained I was here to help spread the word on how important it is to protect the boreal forest, were a big help and all signed postcards.

The next night I visited the local MEC store, and had a great time helping people pick out their gear, and found some interesting books to read.

On Friday some of the great staff at the Calgary/Banff office took me to Banff National Park where I had a GREAT time chatting with the friendly locals and tourists at the town of Banff. I got to see a couple of caribou landmarks, the Banff Springs Hotel, Cave and Basin, and even met a couple of newlyweds! When we had to go back to Calgary, I didn’t want to leave!

Back in Calgary, I visited the Climb for Wilderness at the Calgary Tower. I quickly decided to keep my hooves firmly on the ground while cheering on all the brave people who climbed those stairs all the way to the top!

I finished off with a trip to the Calgary Zoo, where I saw some caribou cousins, some familiar faces and some very new ones too! I don’t think a caribou has ever touched a stingray before! Finally, I said goodbye to all my new friends in Calgary, getting ready for the trip eastward to Toronto.

Being Caribou in Edmonton

I arrived in Edmonton on April 12. First stop - the Strathcona Farmers' Market. Here, the curious caribou was mistaken for a deer, antelope and moose! More often than not, children guessed my identity correctly the first time but parents often were mistaken. I really enjoyed the fresh bunches of flowers and the balloon animals at the market. I bumbled along through the throngs of people and very nearly knocked over a hanging sign when my antlers became entangled as I went to taste some baba ganoush! Evidently it is safer to stick to lichens...

I had some help from CPAWS Northern Alberta staff and volunteers to gather signatures to support protection of my Boreal forest habitat.  While they were doing the hard work, I boogied to the lively strains of a nearby accordion player.

We moved on from the market to our next destination: the Alberta Legislature. Upon arrival, we met a troupe of Cub Scouts, who eagerly gathered for a photo. When we arrived at the Legislature, we were shocked to see news crews. Was the media there to see little ol’ me? Alas not. Another rally was making its way to Alberta's government.  We took some photos and proceeded indoors where I managed to trap myself in a bathroom stall!  I was later accosted by a huge grizzly bear and a grey wolf  - it was scary!

Our final destination, Mountain Equipment Co-op, was teeming with people, mostly surprised and bemused to see such a large ungulate indoors!  We continued gathering signatures, and after a close encounter with a light bulb, I realized the city was making me very tired and longing for my forest home. And so I decided to slip away into the sunset, on the road to my next stop on my quest to raise awareness of the plight of Woodland caribou.  

There's no "Rampant industrial development" in "team"

Well, it seemed like a step forward. A few years ago, the Alberta government set up a committee to protect the best remaining Woodland caribou habitat in the province.  Government and industry representatives sat down with groups like CPAWS, and came up with some guidelines to keep industry out of critical habitat, including the Little Smoky area, near Jasper National Park.  in 2006, the province agreed to the group's findings. 

Or maybe not.  In 2008, the group found that over 90 new oil and gas wells had been approved in the area, kilometres of roads built, and new mineral leases approved.  When the group pressed for details, governement reps were tight-lipped.

This is bad news for the Little Smoky caribou herd. There are only about 60-100 caribou left in the herd, and the whole group is at immediate risk of extirpation (local extinction).

More:
Little Smoky Woodland caribou herd (CPAWS Northern Alberta)
Caribou herd could be wiped out, group warns (Edmonton Journal)
Alta government presents green face but oilpatch continues to erode caribou land (Oil Week)