Blog Reflection

1. Can parks meet its dual mandate of access and protection?

2. How can this be achieved in Wapusk?

I believe that parks can achieve their mandate of access and protection. It is not easy but with enough caring workers and the right management plan I think that it is possible. Of course there will always be obstacles that we will have to over come. Different areas have different species and needs that must be met. I think that this is a big issue and one of the hardest things about maintaining a park. When you increase the amount of people coming through a park it gets harder to protect the park from everyone. However if you do not have enough people coming to the park then you have no money to protect it. It is a fine balance that takes an entire organization like Parks Canada to keep it maintained.

This can be achieved in Wapusk by creating interest in the park and reasons to keep it open. Because there is limited public access we need an increase in interest from schools and the scientific community. Hunting is only allowed if your aboriginal ancestors originally hunted in the area but even this is a potential danger since global warming is causing a change in the polar bear and caribou populations.

I think that National Parks are an important part of Canada's heritage. I used to live in Fort Smith, NT which has the main office for Wood Buffalo National Park. I even was a Parks Canada employee during the summer three years ago and got to witness first hand the hard work that goes into protecting a park and allowing access. I believe that parks are essential to preserving our most cherished natural environments.