This is the fifth in a series of editorials from the East Kootenay Wildlife Association, aimed at raising awareness on the state of renewable resource and wildlife management in B.C. and our region
“Cultures around the world have long recognized natural settings as a balm for the soul” (Douglas Chadwick 2021). I would argue that we are far better served by connecting with nature, spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, foraging, fishing, and hunting.
The pocket park at the end of the block is a nice amenity and a wonderful place to play with your kid, but reaping the real benefits of nature requires a more immersive experience. This provincial election is an opportunity to adjust course.
I’ve experienced firsthand how much outdoor living is key to improving my physical and mental health. I’m not certain we need a lot of scientific studies to understand the value of spending time in wild places, but scientists have done a pile of them anyway. Research has shown that being in wild places quiets the mind, that sunsets and greenery relax our bodies, that the sound of leaves in the wind or the trickle of a stream releases your mind from worry, and that natural settings increase feelings of harmony.
Being in the backcountry can prevent or reduce obesity, as you move through the landscape harvesting natural foods. If eating the output of a global industrial food system worries you, it might be time to reconnect with nature.
Curated parks are great, and we encourage expanding urban greenspace, but they are not a substitute for wilderness.
To protect our access to the land and our ability to hunt and fish, the East Kootenay Wildlife Association is pushing to bring transparency and inclusiveness to co-management negotiations taking place in the Kootenays. All B.C.’s stakeholders need to be at the table if we are to share an abundant and sustainable future.
In my role with the East Kootenay Wildlife Association, I urge the provincial government to legislate an independent agency to manage wildlife sustainably, based on data and science, free from the whims of politicians.
I believe we are standing at the edge of a very steep precipice, and that it is up to each of us to engage with our elected officials and candidates for office and ensure that they hear our concerns.
I urge you to raise your voice, stand up for science-based wildlife and demand that our elected officials Put Wildlife First.
Ask questions of your candidates and demand answers.
Kevin Podrasky is the President of the East Kootenay Wildfire Association
