By Outreach Assistant Sydney Taplin
Escaping to the outdoors has been one way many of us have been able to cope during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Consequently, there has been a larger human footprint in the backcountry of the Oldman watershed. As recreationists (just like all land uses), our actions can either help or harm the watershed. It is our responsibility to reduce these impacts to the best of our ability. There are choices we can make to reduce our impacts on the watershed and keep it healthy for many years to come. After all, a healthy watershed = healthy people!
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous effect on people all over the world. For over a year, we have been working from home, wearing masks, and have been separated from our loved ones. These unusual times will go down in history and will be talked about for many years to come. Luckily, residents of the watershed can now get vaccinations to reduce the spread of the virus and start to get back to a sense of normalcy in our everyday lives. But will our watershed recover from the side-effects of the pandemic?
Q: Will our watershed be able to build immunity to the side-effects of the virus?
In the summer of 2020, Alberta Parks saw a considerable influx of camping reservations - even though campgrounds were initially limited to 50% occupancy and out-of-province camping was not permitted (CBC). CTV documented a 5000% increase in camping reservations compared to 2019. Consequently, many people were unable to book a campsite in their favourite park or even visit them as they may have in past years. Global News reported that many families ventured further into the backcountry, utilizing Crown Land and Public Land Use Zones (PLUZ), when they could not book a campsite in a provincial or national park. In particular, the headwaters of the Oldman watershed have experienced a hefty human footprint throughout the pandemic.
McGillivray Staging Area, 2021. Photo by Randy Paquette.
In the future, when the pandemic is hopefully no more than a memory, we may still see the effects of coronavirus in the environment. Camping, fishing, hiking, birdwatching, and many other outdoor activities have gained popularity during the pandemic, and remote areas are being accessed more than ever. Unless we take care, there will be more littering, human disturbance, and wildlife interactions in the backcountry. It can take hundreds of years for an area to recover from disturbance, depending on the level of damage that is done (IUCN 2012).
A: With our help, yes!
Fortunately, by adopting some best practices we can reduce our footprint on the headwaters to ensure they stay as healthy as possible.
These include:
Walking on established trails to prevent new ones from being made.
Camping in designated areas or in the backcountry in locations that have already been utilized by someone else.
Avoiding areas with high wildlife traffic and never approaching or feeding wildlife.
Being very cautious when using fires and ensuring they are completely extinguished before leaving your campsite.
Disposing of waste properly and using an outhouse when they are available.
Packing out everything you bring in, and if there was garbage left by someone else, please pack it out as well.
Cleaning boots and equipment that enters water bodies to stop the spread of whirling disease and invasive plant and animal species.
Educating your friends and family that may be new to recreating in the backcountry about sustainable practices!
For more information about how to reduce your impact, check out this link from the Government of Alberta.
Healthy watershed ⇔ healthy people!
A silver lining of the pandemic is that many people are spending more time outside than usual, promoting a better connection to nature. A 2018 study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that having a strong connection to nature improves our well-being and alleviates feelings of social isolation. Research from the American Psychological Association has shown that spending time outside enhances our emotional, mental, and physical health. In the Oldman watershed, we are fortunate to have a vast area containing many different landscapes that provide opportunities for a wide variety of activities.
Find maps of these areas and more on the Oldman Watershed Council website.
When hiking in the Oldman watershed, it is a best practice to stay on the designated trail. Photo by Julie Walker.
Our watershed has continued to provide for us even when the world was in the state of a global pandemic, and it is our turn to reciprocate the favour in taking care of it. We, the residents of the Oldman watershed, are the vaccine for our watershed. This vaccine works when we pack out what we pack in, keep our wheels out of the water, take extra precautions with fires, and camp in designated areas. Find out more ways you can help the watershed. These sustainable practices can help our watershed get through the pandemic, just like it has helped us!
Cover photo by Connie Simmons.
