With spring right around the corner, ice is starting to thaw across B.C. As the season changes, it’s important to know how to stay safe around ice, and when it’s time to pack away your skates or ice fishing rods. As temperatures rise, frozen bodies of water may no longer be safe to recreate on. …
Seeing bears is an exciting experience for park visitors. And how you behave in the park has a direct impact on the safety and wellbeing of bears and other wildlife. Bears that come into conflict with people, especially those that have learned to associate people with food, may pose a threat to public safety and …
Guest blog by Sandra Riches, BC AdventureSmart Executive Director —– Hiking season is almost here, and B.C. loves to hike! BC AdventureSmart wants you to get informed, be prepared and #HikeSmart. The BC AdventureSmart trail-specific videos, launched April 25 – May 18, 2022, focus on the 11 trails in B.C. with the highest number of …
Guest blog by BC AdventureSmart Did you know that BC Search and Rescue volunteers respond to 1,900 incidents each year? Did you know that over 30% of those incidents, in winter, are for user groups such as snowmobilers, backcountry skiers, winter hikers and snowshoers? Did you know that the majority of those winter incidents are …
About Get ready for Take Me Outside Day on October 20, 2021! Bring your positive attitude, remember that a rain jacket, and a warm pair of shoes. This event is for K-12 students, teachers, and parents to encourage outdoor education and promote the wonders nature has to offer. Sign up here! Get a break from the regular style of classroom activities to explore beautiful BC Parks in an inclusive and safe manner. Take Me Outside Day supports outdoor education and being a respectful steward in society and in nature, while having fun! The event hopes to “deepen your connections …
With the weather getting warmer, it’s time to get outside and explore the nature surrounding us. BC Parks’ iNaturalist (iNat) project has over 300,000 observations! In 2020, the project collected 53% of the total observations since the launch in January 2019. In addition to increasing the number of observations in parks, we are looking to broaden …
Written by Niall Clancy Imagine someone has sneezed over all the rocks in your local stream. If you’ve ever seen Didymosphenia geminata, it shouldn’t be too difficult to imagine what that looks like. In fact, that’s exactly what the people who decided to call this unfortunate algae ‘rock snot’ thought it looked like. Yes, not …
Did you know the benefits of outdoor play for children are dramatic and long lasting? Studies have shown that access to nature improves brain activity, increases self-confidence and self-esteem, and promotes physical activity and skill building—all crucial components of early childhood development This is just one of the reasons why BC Parks has partnered with …