Waterton subject of national podcast
The first episode of a new national podcast entitled “NatureTalks” will highlight one of the most beautiful drives in Canada between Pincher Creek and Waterton Lakes National Park.
The podcast, which aired recently, will take people to the Waterton Park Front Preserve for a visit by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. It highlights the Waterton Park Front and the conservation efforts that have been made to keep the landscape intact.
Listeners will hear about the Waterton Park Front, where conservation and the economy go hand in hand, along with the Eastern Slopes, one of Canada’s most distinctive landscapes and the people who share it with nature as the last five-mile strip where the Prairies meet the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. It is also where NCC partners with cattle ranchers who have a deep connection to the land and nature, keeping the area’s landscape healthy in a race to save the remaining undeveloped grasslands.
A release from the NCC says the big threat at Waterton Lakes is development and fragmentation as a prized location for resort-style vacation homes. Over the years, the pressure to subdivide properties has been building steadily as land values continue to rise. Although the local ranchers and other landowners do all they can to protect the open spaces, this task is almost impossible. Younger people are not getting involved in ranching, meaning these areas and home for wildlife habitat are at risk of being lost.
That’s why the NCC and ranchers are teaming to create working landscapes where natural values are preserved. Today, 82 per cent of the private land that borders the national park is conserved through legal agreements between the conservation group and ranchers. Those agreements prevent actions such as subdivision or draining wetlands, while enhancing stewardship.
It’s a model that works – for ranchers and for nature, according to the NCC’s release. This “NatureTalks” episode is dedicated to Charlie Russell, a world-renowned naturalist who grew up in Waterton. Russell passed away two weeks after a visit and interview for the podcast.
The podcast features the perspectives of Russell, as well as the NCC’s Larry Simpson of Pincher Creek, who has dedicated his career to conservation; Tracy Latham, passionate manager of a ranch; and Julia Palmer who grew up in the area, is 33 years of age and is a third-generation rancher.
The NCC says the Rocky Mountains are a vital natural corridor for wide-ranging mammals, such as bear, wolf and cougar. As the Rockies are narrow at this point, these animals need more space than what is protected by the park. They live in the landscape outside of the park much of the year, as it is far more productive than higher up the mountains.
For decades, the NCC has worked with private landowners to protect the area surrounding the park, creating a natural buffer for the species that live in this area, including grizzly and black bear, cougar, wolf, moose, elk, white-tailed and mule deer.
Fortunately for these species, the ranchers who for generations have cared for the area surrounding the park, are careful stewards of their land. Their sustainable use of the ranchlands has meant many species continue to thrive here.
The NCC has worked with partners and area ranchers to preserve more than 100 square kilometres (32,000 acres/13,000 hectares) of this stunning landscape.
The NCC “NatureTalks” podcast has seven episodes from locations across the country aimed at bringing Canadians closer to nature. These highlight special areas and passionate people with the vision of conserving nature, and explores why nature is needed in our lives. Each episode offers an in-depth look at the challenges facing some our most fragile areas and the reasons why conservation action and partnership is needed.
People can subscribe to the “NatureTalks” podcast by visiting the NCC’s website: http://www.natureconservancy.ca/podcast. They can also download and subscribe on iTunes, find it on Stitcher or their favourite podcast app.
People can also support the podcast and the NCC’s conservation work by visiting http://www.natureconservancy.ca/podcast and donate on that page. They can also contribute to the discussion on Twitter by using the hashag #NatureTalksPodcast.