It takes more than just saying as a community we coexist with wildlife, it also means citizens actively engaging in the right behaviours and maybe going even further and volunteering their time to be an ambassador for Wildsmart.
This year, Canmore-based Wildsmart is engaging in a recruitment drive for volunteers for its Wildlife Ambassador program, which is offered in partnership with Alberta Parks.
The program has spent 11 seasons on the ground, training and managing a crew of volunteers that spend time on trails in Canmore and Kananaskis Country to provide public education on how people can avoid human wildlife conflicts and be safe when they are in the wilderness.
Wildsmart’s Wildlife Ambassador liaison Tyler McClaron said in that time volunteers have spoken to more than 42,000 individuals and spent 5,300 hours on the trails or at visitor information centres.
He said right now there is an active recruitment campaign for new volunteers online, with the deadline for those interested in taking on a volunteer role of Feb. 16.
“There is a pre-commitment to the actual volunteering and I think this is something that sets this program apart from others,” said McClaron, adding there are four training sessions in March and April for volunteers. “Really, what we are striving to do there is make sure people have a strong foundation of the issues as they stand in Canmore right now.
“Sometimes individuals understand a piece of the puzzle, but it is a complex beast, this living with wildlife, so we put a lot of effort into helping people understand the issues.”
In those 11 years, a core group of volunteers have remained with the program, providing consistent messaging around human-wildlife safety in the Bow Valley.
“They are a really strong eyes and ears force out there and they pass a lot of information back to us,” McClaron said. “They do help us understand what messages people are receptive to and what messages we need to build up to support people on trails.”
The training for the volunteer role includes how to start conversations on the trail and encourage proper Wildsmart behaviour, or correct behaviours that are not appropriate, without it being confrontational.
“It is a skill that we try to build people up with,” he said. “We try to give them creative solutions to deal with problems (behaviours) that can arise on the trail, from off-leash dogs to littering to having the safety clip still on bear spray.
“They are keeping their eyes open for all kinds of potential things that pop up and help people be more proactive.”
The roster he hopes to achieve would include 25 Wildlife Ambassadors for the 2018 season that runs April to September, an increase from 15 volunteers that have been part of the program in the last several years.
McClaron said he hopes the recruitment drive will also result in raising community awareness of the Wildlife Ambassador program itself. Throughout 2017 and the recent municipal election there were suggestions that this kind of program should be created – and it was – in 2007.
“Last year, during the election process in particular, we heard a lot of calls for increased awareness and education and some people calling for an ambassador program on local trails, and this program has existed for 11 seasons.
“The community needs to know this is an active program … they can get involved to give them that ability to spread those messages about wildlife. People seem really eager right now to get the word out and this is a great opportunity to learn about the issues and pass that information on to other locals and visitors.”
Volunteers with the program wear uniforms so they can be easily identified and the time commitment is a minimum of one four-hour shift each month out on a trail, at a trailhead or at a visitor information centre – and always as part of a team.
Go to www.wildsmart.ca, of Wildsmart’s Facebook page for more information on how to apply.
