Events

Chapter Meetings and Presentations

In the past, we have offered monthly chapter meetings, consisting of brief reports and discussions about recent goings-on at CPAWS, including chapter activities, advocacy issues, special events, and more, followed by a guest presentation on an issue of relevance to our work. We are currently looking at the feasibility of a speaker series, and the inaugural presentation occurred on February 4, 2010 (see past events listed below).

Past Chapter Meetings and Presentations:

• Thursday, February 4, 2010
  
  Preston Manning: "Land Stewardship , Ethics, and Faith"
  

Preston Manning's presentation, attended by nearly 200 people, was followed by a discussion surrounding the challenges of expressing and practising land stewardship convictions in the context of the global marketplace and the Canadian political arena.

Mr. Manning served as a Member of the Canadian Parliament from 1993 to 2001. Since retirement from Parliament in 2002, Manning has released a book entitled Think Big (published by McClelland & Stewart) describing his use of the tools and institutions of democracy to change Canada’s national agenda. He continues to write, speak and teach on a variety of subjects including environmental conservation.

• Monday, April 13, 2009
  
  Are You WildSmart?
  Wildlife and people in the Bow Valley, including Calgary, are increasingly competing for a finite amount of space. The Bow Valley Wildsmart program is a proactive conservation strategy that encourages efforts by communities to reduce negative human-wildlife interactions. We learned more about how to avoid encounters with bears, cougars and other wildlife and how you can play your part in keeping these wildlife safe from habituation by joining Pat Kamenka, Wildsmart Chair, retired RCMP Staff Sergeant and third generation resident of Canmore, as he gave a local’s perspective on human-wildlife issues.
  
  
• Tuesday, March 10, 2009
  
  Wellness and Health Benefits of Wilderness
  Professor Janice Cook, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary discussed wellness and health from a multidimensional perspective, exploring the physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social and environmental benefits of activity in wilderness. What is Green Exercise? How can we benefit from it? You may have heard of Active Living … how about Active Living Outdoors?
  
  
• Monday, February 9, 2009
  
  Fish Need Corridors Too!
  
  The Bow River watershed in Banff and Kananaskis Country is the source of drinking water for many Bow Valley communities, a recreational mecca, a world renowned angler’s paradise and a source of hydroelectric power. These and other activities are straining the river’s capacity to support native trout populations. Wendy Francis of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative presented new findings about factors causing the decline of once abundant bull and west slope cutthroat trout in the upper Bow.

• Monday, January 12, 2009
  
  CPAWS Education Program: The Bear Necessities
  
  Grizzly Bears Forever? Attendees learned about the science and conservation of these amazing creatures in Alberta. What do grizzly bears eat? What is happening with our bears in the Bow Valley? What can you do to help? This chapter meeting, led by our very own award-winning education staff, opened everyone's eyes to the biology of grizzly bears and inspired them to become bear stewards.

• Monday, December 8, 2008
  
  Borealis - a wilderness adventure movie by Frank Wolf
  
  'Borealis' follows Frank Wolf and Taku Hokoyama as they canoe 3,100 km through the remote Boreal forest of Manitoba and Ontario during the summer of 2007. Their 75-day odyssey provides the context for an intimate look into the current environmental and social issues facing the region and its people. Tightly shot action sequences, humour, and the voices of those who live on the frontlines of the Boreal make this a unique film in the adventure genre. Check out the trailer here: www.youtube.com/user/frankwolf70.
  
  Frank Wolf is a Canadian adventurer, filmmaker, photographer and writer with over a dozen years of experience. Frank and Taku’s Boreal trip was part of the Big Wild, a major partnership between MEC and CPAWS aimed at protecting at least 50% of Canada’s wilderness.

• Monday, November 10, 2008
  Why did the snake cross the road? The Prairie Rattlesnake and Roads
  
  What is it about rattlesnakes that makes them particularly susceptible to road kills? Adam Martinson, researcher from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design, presented an overview of his research in and around Dinosaur Provincial Park seeking to answer this question. The presentation included an introduction to the biology of prairie rattlesnakes, how Martinson’s research is being conducted and how we can use the new information being discovered to mitigate the impact roads are having on these snakes in Southern Alberta.

• Monday, October 20, 2008
  Healing Environmental Despair: Finding Hope and Empowerment in Protecting Wilderness
  Mishka Lysack, a professor with the University of Calgary, presented on the relatively new and timely subject of ecological grief. As people become more aware of the seriousness of environmental issues facing us today, many become discouraged and despairing of the possibilities available for protecting wilderness and the planet. This presentation outlined the responses that many of us experience, and will explore how we can find a renewed sense of hope, commitment, and empowerment as we work to protect wilderness and the web of life on Earth.

• July 14, 2008 – Nose Hill Evening Walk
  Nose Hill is a wonderful place to escape to on a mid-summer eve. John McFaul of Alpenglow Nature Hikes led our group on an evening walk in the largest natural area urban park in Canada. A gradual climb to the top of the hill led to an expansive view of the city and the mountains. There were plenty of beautiful flowers to enjoy as well as glacial erratics to ponder.

• June 9, 2008 – Wildlife Corridors
  Jacquie Gilson, Executive Director of the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area, presented the results of their recently completed study on the identification of important wildlife travel routes and habitat around the Cross Conservation Area. This was an excellent introduction to wildlife corridors and an opportunity to discuss how corridors relate to Calgary at a time when the area around the city is facing continued growth and pressure for country residential development.

• May 12, 2008 – Wildlife Rehabilitation
  The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (CWRS), a not-for-profit organization, is the only wildlife rescue hospital within the Calgary city limits. Its mandate is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release wild animals back to the wild. Virtually all CWRS patients have been injured or orphaned due to human actions; numerous patients are from endangered and at-risk species. At this presentation, there was a special guest appearance from Oberon the great horned owl and attendees were invited to bring in-kind donations for the CWRS from a list found at www.calgarywildlife.org under “wishlist.”

• April 14, 2008 – Design and Sustainability
  Dr. Brian R. Sinclair, FRAIC AIA, is Professor of Architecture/Environmental Design, and Presidential Advisor on Design + Sustainability, at the University of Calgary. His research and consulting on socially and environmentally sustainable design is broad-reaching and global in scope and he is internationally known for his work. Dr. Sinclair spoke to CPAWS about frameworks for sustainable planning and design which considers culture, diversity, complexity, uncertainty and possibility. Sustainable design is a way for our society to use fewer resources, which will help take pressure off of wild spaces.
• March 10, 2008 – Wild Alberta at the Crossroads, with authors Robin and Marian White
  March’s chapter meeting featured local authors and photographers Robin and Marian White, who presented a stunning slide show based on their popular new book, Wild Alberta at the Crossroads (for details see www.naturewatchworld.com). This is the story of a seven-year personal adventure through Alberta’s six natural regions, looking at their astonishing diversity and beauty, and the key conservation issues of each region.
• February 11, 2008 – Dr. David Keith presented on the subject Wilderness and Climate Change. Dr. Keith’s talk focused on the role of forests in mitigating climate change, forests and carbon credits, and his work on land use trade-offs in Alberta. Dr. Keith is a professor at the University of Calgary and was named the Environmental Scientist of the Year by Canadian Geographic in 2006. Learn more about him at www.ucalgary.ca/~keith/.
• January 14, 2008 – Save Kananaskis: Stop Logging, Create a Park! Ralph Cartar, Paola Romanelli and Doug Sephton talked about their Tag-A-Tree campaign. They are designers, artists and a biologist from Bragg Creek who represent a group of people with a passion for trees, wildlife and wild places. They presented an overview of current logging threats to eastern Kananaskis, the success of the Tag-a-Tree campaign, and the current campaign to stop the logging and create a park to protect the watershed, recreation, tourism and natural habitat.

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