Volunteers are an important part of the success of any national park. One of the many volunteer groups that make a difference in Jasper National Park are the caribou ambassadors.
The Caribou Ambassadors Program was first piloted in 2012 in order to build visitor awareness of woodland caribou through guided discovery. After receiving in-depth training, volunteers head out into the park and share their knowledge with visitors as trailhead hosts, roving trail ambassadors and as representatives at community outreach events. They passionately talk about the unique features that allow caribou to survive in Jasper鈥檚 alpine environment and help explain to visitors how they can help protect this species at risk. Training is also offered to local businesses, giving them the opportunity to be ambassadors during day-to-day interactions with visitors.
Getting started as an ambassador
Two caribou ambassador training sessions were hosted in June, where volunteers learned about caribou biology, the threats to Jasper鈥檚 caribou herds, and about Parks Canada鈥檚 conservation efforts to assist the species. The training also explored the basic techniques of interpretation to provide the skills needed to communicate information that is relatable and relevant to park visitors. Ambassadors then accompanied Parks Canada staff on a shadowing session in the field to gain confidence communicating with visitors. They were then able to volunteer on their own time at trailheads leading into caribou habitat or on the trails themselves.
2016 caribou ambassador participation
This summer, 10 active ambassadors from across the globe were part of the program including participants from Jasper, Edmonton, New Zealand, Germany and the Czech Republic. In just seven weeks, ambassadors participated in 17 volunteer outings, and talked caribou to almost 1,700 visitors. Trailhead locations included Edith Cavell, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, the Jasper SkyTram, and the Park Information Centre.
Parks Canada would like to thank this summer鈥檚 ambassadors for bringing their ideas, passion, talent and skills with them at each outing. They not only increased public knowledge of woodland caribou conservation issues but also built awareness of Parks Canada鈥檚 actions to protect species at risk.
The Caribou Ambassador Program is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to protecting the Southern Mountain woodland caribou herds. Parks Canada is a recognized world leader in conservation. Through its Conservation and Restoration Program, Parks Canada takes actions to preserve national parks and contribute to the recovery of species-at-risk. Together with its partners, the agency is committed to implementing caribou recovery actions to protect caribou populations and their critical habitat in the mountain parks. Current on-going conservation actions address the main threats to caribou and include restoring the balance in predator/prey dynamics, reducing predator access, preventing direct disturbance to caribou, preventing habitat loss, and reducing the small population effects.
Volunteer with us
The Caribou Ambassador Program will be in full swing again for June 2017. For more information on volunteering with Parks Canada, please email [email protected]. To discover more about caribou conservation in the mountain national parks, visit www.pc.gc.ca/caribou.
Parks Canada Special to the 51暗网
