Media Release

Alberta students sounding call to protect grizzlies

Calgary, AB June 14, 2007. Students across Alberta are calling for government action to save grizzly bears. After learning about grizzly bear biology and threats, students at numerous Alberta schools are trying to make a difference and urging governments to do the same.

Over 1000 students in the Calgary area became Bear Guardians learning about ways to help bears, and promising to keep campgrounds clean and drive slowly in bear country. But some classes took their own actions a step further by penning letters to their local politicians, calling for greater action by the Alberta Government to protect grizzly habitat and populations. In light of the recent release of Alberta’s grizzly bear population data, this call to action couldn’t be timelier.

Students in Donna McLeod-Huynh’s and Krista Moriarty’s grade 3/4 classes at University Elementary in Calgary initiated a letter-writing campaign voicing their concerns regarding the Province’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan and population estimates. The students sent letters to the Alberta Minister of Sustainable Resource Development, Ted Morton, Premier Ed Stelmach, Prime Minister Steven Harper, and Federal Minister of the Environment John Baird.

In a letter to Minister Morton, one student wrote: “I am in grade 4 and go to University Elementary in Calgary. I am 10 years old. Please do NOT stop reading just because I am 10. I am begging you … I have learned that these bears are an umbrella species, meaning if they become extinct it will effect many other plant and animal species. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this letter, and I look forward to two things: one, that you have adopted the (Grizzly Bear Recovery) plan, and two, your reply.”

The letters caught the attention of at least one politician. Liberal MLA for Calgary Varsity, Mr. Harry Chase, visited the class to discuss the children’s letter writing campaign and their concerns over the lack of leadership on part of the government to protect grizzly bears in Alberta. Mr. Chase took several of their letters and presented them to the legislative assembly, which the students watched on live feed.

The call to save grizzly bears is being heard in the Capital, too. As part of the social studies curriculum, Shelley Kennedy’s students at Ellerslie Campus learned about becoming responsible citizens by taking care of the environment. Students studied the grizzly bear and how its habitat has become threatened. The grade 1 class decided to write letters to their local Liberal MLA, Mr. Bharat Agnihotri, saying: “I think the grizzly bear is important because they are part of our family, there are not many left and they help keep the food chain balanced.”

Kim Kiel, a bear educator and Director of School Programs for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in Calgary has seen many inspiring action projects arise from environmental education programs. “Children and youth understand that environmental conservation begins with them. They are not afraid to commit to taking positive steps to conserve nature, and challenging others to do so as well. These student letters are a great testament to that, especially given the small number of grizzly bears left in Alberta,” says Kiel.

For more information about the CPAWS Education Program or the chapter’s conservation work, visit www.cpawscalgary.org.

Contacts

Kim Kiel, Education Director
403-232-6686
kkiel@cpawscalgary.org

David Poulton, Executive Director
403-232-6601
dpoulton@cpawscalgary.org

Donna McLeod-Huynh or Krista Moriarty
University Elementary, Calgary
403-777-6240

Shelley Kennedy
Ellerslie Campus, Edmonton
780-988-5350

 

See also:
You can help Alberta’s grizzly bears

 

Backgrounder

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Calgary/Banff Chapter has provided grizzly bear and endangered species education programs in the Calgary region since 1997. They have delivered more than 2000 programs to approximately 56,000 students and their teachers. In 2003, they instituted the Action Challenge program, which encourages classes to take on environmental stewardship projects in their classes and communities.

Between 50–70% of classes undertake action projects, ranging from making informative posters and clean ups, to organizing bear awareness days or undertaking major fundraising activities where funds are donated to worthy environmental causes. Student action projects are profiled on CPAWS’ Awesome Action Web page at www.actionchallenge.ca.

More notable quotes from University Elementary student letters:

One student wrote: “To preserve grizzlies in their natural habitat, I will volunteer to clean up the highway so bears are not drawn to the smell. I think you should look closer at the recovery plan and read over parts with the pie charts in case you have not already. It would be a joy to have the grizzly population grow rapidly.”

Another noted: “I have educated myself about bears and their needs. I never leave a burning fire alone. Can you please build more overpasses for the bears to cross the highways and have more forest rangers to patrol parks to prevent poaching?”

CPAWS Calgary/Banff has partnered with Banff National Park to designate “Bear Guardians,” students who have pledged to keep campsites clean, drive slowly in the park and avoid causing bear jams. Over 1000 students in the Calgary Region have pledged to be Bear Guardians. For more information about the Bear Guardian Program, go to: www.pc.gc.ca/banff-bears.

With the release of the third phase results of the DNA-based population estimates for the province’s grizzly bears, it now appears the population is less than half the size it was estimated to be in 2002; less than 500 grizzly bears in the entire province.

The numbers:

2007: Area between Highway 1 and 3 = 90 (range 75-119)⁵

2006: Area between Highway 1 and 11 = 45 (range 41-52)³

Area between Highway 11 and 16 = 42 (range 36-55)³

This brings the number of bears in the southern half of the province, known to provide the best grizzly bear habitat in the entire province, to only 177 bears.

For more information on grizzly bears and their population, go to: http://www.grizzlybearalliance.org/ and http://www.fmf.ca/pa_GB.html.

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