Connecting Past and Present
October 18, 2023 By: Sky Freeman
Article 1: Conservation https://www.cbc.ca/radiointeractives/features/the-fallout-of-fairy-creek
The issue of old growth logging has come to a head with the recent protests at Fairy Creek which began in 2021 and ultimately ended with the area being clear cut and Governmental bodes deferring the logging of some old growth forests, about 2.1 million hectares for 2 years. While viewed as a lose-lose situation by both old growth/activists and logging companies, I find this to be much larger loss for the old growth forests. While more in-depth research or acknowledgement may come in the years of deferral, important old growth ecosystems, existing for centuries, have been lost perhaps in the wake of humanities never ending greed and superiority complex over not just some nature, but all of it.
Article 2: Parks https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/grizzly-bear-attack-canadas-banff-national-park-leaves-two-dead-2023-10-01/
With Canada having preserved parks such as Banff, in part due to their beautiful landscapes and nature, it is only logically that in combination with the promotion of tourism that accompanied it since its inception, that large numbers of people are now frequenting these areas. A large issue rears up when considering that these areas still contain wildlife, often large mammals, and predators, and that these tourists, often have an interest in them due to them being so foreign and unknown to them. This creates a potentially dangerous situation when these two groups are in close proximity to one another and not respecting space or behaviours due to lack of education on the subject. With recent fatalities in Banff to grizzly attacks not necessarily being due to this, actions such as human socialization from feeding and the need to get a “close up” picture with these wild animals only further increases the risks of a predator acting like a predator, and almost always ending in the death of the animal. An animal who is in theory, supposed to be living in an area that tries to protect it from human influences.
References
Balu, Nivedita. “Couple Killed in Grizzly Bear Attack in Canada’s Banff National Park.” Reuters, October 1, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/grizzly-bear-attack-canadas-banff-national-park-leaves-two-dead-2023-10-01/.
Oudshoorn, Kieran. “2 Years after Fairy Creek, Old-Growth Logging Protesters Ask: Was It Worth It?” CBCnews, June 21, 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/radiointeractives/features/the-fallout-of-fairy-creek.
I appreciate both topics you chose to write on, both super relevant and controversial. I agree that the loss of the old growth wood/trees is for those forests within themselves and the ecosystems that are being damaged by the greed (need?) of us humans to harvest these natural resources, that humans seem to so easily claim as our own. I agree that the ramifications for this harvesting will become more prevalent as time goes on. Secondly, I agree with the point of the interactions between wildlife and humans in parks being ‘potentially dangerous’. I feel as though these parks were created with well intention, to protect the land and the wildlife that lives on it. When in reality the harm that is caused by the wildlife interactions with humans, due to tourism, is ultimately harming the wildlife species. As these ‘interactions’ are deeming the wildlife as aggressive, therefore ending the life of the animal. Unfair in the least for these animals, who have always been there.