During the month of May and early June, Parks Canada will be presenting a series of Research Updates each Thursday night at the Whyte Museum.  The presentations will cover a diverse range of topics including; aquatic ecosystems, the Burgess Shale and the Trans Canada highway crossing structures.  Please follow the link for further details on dates and topics.

Same great organization, fantastic new name and logo.   For those of you who are not familiar with the organization, MPHIA stood for Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association.  In an effort to streamline their marketing and communicatoin, MPHIA has shortened their name to Interpretive Guides Association (IGA) with the tagline: Connecting You With Canada's National Parks.  They feel this name is easier to convey what they are about and easier for people to remember.  The main purpose of the non-profit Interpretive Guide's Assocaition (formerly MPHIA) is to establish and maintain high standards of heritage interpretation in Canada's Rocky Mountain National Parks. To have a look at the new logo, follow the link.

The Summit of Excellence Award was introduced at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in 1987 on the recommendation of Jon Whyte, longtime Banff resident and ardent festival supporter.  It is awarded annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to mountain life in the Canadian Rockies.  To the annual recipient, the award truly represents the recognition of one's peers.  The deadline for nominations is May 15, 2008.  The award will be announced to the public at the end of September and presented to the winner onstage at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in November.

Springtime is almost upon us once again in the Bow Valley.  The arrival of spring means special wildlife considerations.  The Bow Valley Parkway traverses some of the most important wildlife habitat in Banff National Park, especially at this time of year when much of the park is still snowbound at higher elevations.  Parks Canada asks all travelers to refrain from using the Bow Valley Parkway between Johnson Canyon and the parkway's east entrance off the Trans Canada highway, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.  This will allow wildlife to experience traffic-free periods along the parkway at this sensitive time of year. This travel ban is in effect from March 1 through to June 25.

The Biosphere Institute lends out PowerCost monitors to help residents of the Bow Valley track their energy expenditures. Also, if you are considering retrofits or new building construction you may also qualify for a ecoENERGY grant or incentive. Please contact the Biosphere Institute to learn more!