Freedom to Roam

BY RICHARD SCHNEIDER

What if people were allowed to walk through and explore undeveloped landscapes wherever and whenever they chose? And what if this was considered a basic human right with deep cultural roots and wide public support?

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Botanical Treasures in McClelland

A collection of rare plant species, presented by the Alberta Native Plant Council have been curated, in a heightened effort to create awareness among the communities across Alberta and beyond regarding the ecological significance of the McClelland Lake watershed.

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Don’t Mine McClelland

Photo Credit: C. Wearmouth

BY PHILLIP MEINTZER

The McClelland Lake Wetland Complex, dominated by peatlands, and features a beautiful and provincially significant patterned fen, is one of Alberta’s greatest, but also lesser-known natural treasures—one that’s at risk of destruction.

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Conservation Trade-offs

BY RICHARD SCHNEIDER
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Situations where conservation objectives are themselves in conflict are challenging for conservationists to grapple with and lead to divisions within the conservation community.

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Does Going Green Put Wildlife in the Red?

BY LORNE FITCH
There is no question we need to transition from fossil fuels to alternate energy sources. It’s hard to find a species in Alberta not affected by climate change. But we shouldn’t be blind to the issues renewable energy solutions can cause to wildlife and their habitats.

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Who Is Minding Alberta’s Fish and Wildlife?

BY LORNE FITCH

The task of allocating fish and wildlife has been hived off to Forestry, Parks and Tourism. The fish culture section (all the hatcheries) has been sent to Agriculture and Irrigation, leaving the species at risk function behind in Environment and Protected Areas.

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Deadly Fungus Adds to Bat Conservation Concerns

Photo Credit: N. Heaslip

BY CORY OLSON

While bats have a remarkable ability to manage energy reserves, only a few can withstand the devastating impacts of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by a fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that grows on bats during hibernation, which will lead to more frequent arousals during the winter, depletion of energy stores, and eventual starvation.

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How Do UCP Environmental Policies Stack Up?

Photo credit: Steph Weizenbach

BY RICHARD SCHNEIDER

One thing almost all Albertans will agree on is that it’s important to take good care of our environment, both for our own well-being and for the generations that will follow. So how are we doing on the environmental protection front? In this article we will review how past and present governments have sought to balance resource development with environmental protection.

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