Have you seen any signs or effects of Global Warming?

Jasper Park: I am not a scientist, but have read that snow patches that caribou use in the alpine in summer are getting smaller. As well if you look up the Athabasca Glacier, you will see that it continues to recede at a significant rate. Most glaciers in Canada are receding rather than increasing or staying the same

Banff Park: There are two source of evidence that show steady warming here. 

1. Glacial recession: there are many sets of repeat photographs, as well as aerial surveys, that show how much ice has been lost from glaciers in the Canadian Rockies.  For glaciers on the Alberta side of the Rockies, total surface area recession from 1985 - 2005 was approximately 25%, but glaciers in the Rockies have been shrinking in size since about 1850.  Future projections suggest we could lose between 70 and 90% of our ice volume by 2100. 

2. Instrument weather records: there are quite a few weather stations in the Canadian Rockies, and many have been running for decades.  The Banff weather station has online records available back to the late 1800s.  Dr. John Pomeroy, of the University of Saskatchewan, runs a weather plot called the Marmot Creek Research Basin, which has been recording weather data since the early 1960s.  In that time, the average annual temperature recorded at their weather station has gone up by about 1.5 degrees C, and the average winter temperatures have risen by about 3 degrees C.  As well, the annual precipitation and annual maximum snowpacks have decreased. 

Have you ever seen smokey the bear in your area?

Jasper Park: Jasper National Park is fortunate enough to have

healthy populations of both black and grizzly bear. As a result

they are quite frequently seen on trails and roadsides, especially

in spring ( May /June) We have a strategy for addressing wildlife

- human conflict.  Check the bear brochure online for messages.

Fires are a natural part of the ecosystem in this part of Canada .

After years of suppressing fires, we actually plan and initiate what

is called a prescribed burn during the right conditions in spring

and fall. This keeps forests healthy and communities safe.
How diverse would you say the wildlife is? Do you see animals frequently?

Jasper Park: The town of Jasper is located in the Athabasca valley near the confluence
of the Athabasca and Miette rivers. This is prime wildlife habitat so we
frequently see wildlife. Elk, deer and coyotes ( almost daily) come into
town often, bear and cougar much less frequently ( maybe once a month or
less). Bighorn sheep and  goats are frequently seen along the highway in
areas where they have prime habitat. About 100 large mammals are killed
each year by train and highway traffic. mostly elk, sheep and deer.

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