Healthy Parks

Ensuring the wild health of Alberta’s parks and protected areas.

Canoeing in Switzer Park

	Issue AB parks are under threat		Take Action Read the report, tell us your story, join the team, become a Guardian
	Where are parks in Alberta? View the Map, take the Tour.		In-Depth The state of AB Parks, Plan for Parks, Parks report, List of recommendations
	Solution Recommendations and Campaign

Issue

Parks and Our Identity!
A 2003 national public opinion poll found that Canadians believe than PARKS play a more important role in defining our Canadian identity than HOCKEY!

Alberta’s Parks and Protected Areas harbour spectacular examples of the province’s rich natural heritage. Many are truly world-class gems. Unfortunately, many of our wild parks are seriously imperiled.

Major concerns:

Inadequate legal protection
Industrial activity in parks
Motorized recreation (OHVs)
Small size of most parks
Islandization of parks (i.e. park is surrounded by development)
Insufficient resources for park management
Alberta’s protected areas network is far from complete and over a decade behind schedule.

Solution

Alberta's Parks and Protected Areas need:

Increased Funding: to properly manage parks and enforce protection
Stronger and Expanded Legislation: that makes ecological integrity the top priority in parks.
Improved Network Design and Land Management: to connect Alberta's protected areas, shelter them from adjacent activities, and ensure natural diversity is preserved.

Read CPAWS's complete list of recommendations

ParksWatch: What CPAWS is doing

The goal of the ParksWatch Program is to help protect the wild diversity and ecological integrity of Alberta’s parks and protected areas. Anyone who loves parks has a role to play. We work cooperatively with Alberta Parks staff and citizens at large.

In 2007 we published The State of Alberta's Parks and Protected Areas (an analysis of the challenges and opportunities for ensuring ecological integrity).

In 2008 ParksWatch is training its sights on select parks, and engaging volunteers and park visitors in to celebrate and monitor their favourite parks. If you’re interested in helping out we’d like to here from you. Here’s some ways to get started:

Take Action!

Get informed! If you are unfamiliar with the issues, a good place to start is with our report.
Visit a Park! Get out and see for yourself and, on your return...
Tell us your story!
Join a park stewards group or become a steward for an orphaned park
Stop by the CPAWS Northern Alberta office today for your copy of our "I love Alberta Parks" bumper sticker!