nature

The Real Santa Claus
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The Real Santa Claus

Hail Bravehearts

The holiday season is upon us, filled with love, light, peace and happiness.
Joy to the world, even nature sings!
Some lucky people witnessed the unusual event of a caribou sighting at Marmot Basin Ski Area, Jasper National Park on December 17, 2014. Eight handsome caribou, made a grand appearance on the ski run. These are eight of only 41 left in the Park.
The significance? Come Dasher, come Dancer, come Comet, come Vixen, come Prancer, come Cupid, come Donner, come Blitzen, and the rarest of them all, the Mountain Caribou.
My photo shows a female caribou and her calf on a snow patch, taken from the top of the Mt Edith Cavel Meadows, in July 2014. We needed binoculars to see them.

http://www.thejasperlocal.com/caribou-make-rare-appearance-as-closures-loom.html Caribou sighting at Marmot Basin, Jasper,Alberta, December 17, 2014

The Christmas season is heralded by a merry old gent in red who brings us gifts of Christmas joy. No poverty during this warm season of friendship, worship and brotherly love. The real Santa Claus is not an elf, but a real person, so revered for his abilities to enact miracles. A marvelous human being with powers so great that he could raise the dead and bring gifts of gold to the needy.

Miracles! The holiday season is filled with joy and fellowship. A miracle of humanity and community sharing, of peace and goodwill. The merry old gent, who fills your stocking, is a saint of immense proportions for humanity. His story is told and his contributions deserve our continued respect. Jolly old St. Nicholas who helped to ease the needs of the poor in his day, is remembered still as Santa Claus.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/ Who is St. Nicholas, the real Santa Claus.

Merry Christmas to all of you. Happy holiday season.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
December 24, 2014

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A Time for Peace

Hail Bravehearts!.

To a strong and brave new day.
The ancients rose to a world of grandeur. Awesome planet with marvels to explore. Awesome human with daring to discover. Brilliant exchange of the marvelous wonders of the Earth, to stimulate the intellect of brilliant human minds. Where shall we go, oh brave ones? Where does the fascinating wonder take us?
The hunters and gatherers followed the great herds of migrating animals. The roaming beasts led them through valleys and plains, following a path of instinct to fertile areas for feeding and mating and bearing their young. The vast herds of wildlife, co-existing with their own predators. The migrating humans, following their food supply, the migrating predator, following their own food supply. A compatible niche of predator prey relations, of environmental sustainability, of the Earth, keeping its ecosystems intact.
The human, with simple needs of survival, but a brain in need of self fulfillment. Go there, oh brave ones and seek the destiny of your fine minds. Oh brilliant inventors, who eased the struggle of the masses, who taught the people to hunt and fish, to build and cook. The need of the brain is high. Explore and adventure, stretch your legs and your minds. Fine humans, to evolve to such greatness, of medicines and industry, of space exploration and travel, of culture and music and games and sport. Fine human, with skills so worthy, the Earth is your home and it saves you.
Plunder no more, oh great ones, for in this festive time of feast and plenty, of holidaying and cheer, of goodwill and peace, the Earth gives up more of its bounty and your stomachs overfill.
We starve!
Where is the food in a world with so much plenty? The starving, again. Our farms are productive, our industry secure. Food is wasted and the people starve.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/holiday—celebration-recipes/christmas-recipes Christmas holiday recipes

Yet in this time of celebration and joy, we cast off our burdens and sing with praises: Joy! Joy for the living, joy for the earth, joy for creation and joy for the birth!
It’s time, in our weary lives of strife and struggle, to throw off the chains of pain and animosity and rejoice in the wonder of the heavens and the earth. A time to sing, a time to pray, a time to laugh and a time to play. The joy of creation, where all is one. An Earth of beauty, of prosperity, of hope and caring. A birth of great wisdom, a holiday of peace, to all of you living, this holiday is for giving. The child of wonder, so dear and so pure. To celebrate living, only once a year!
This holiday is for everyone, regardless of everything. Christmas is a time for holiness and love, peace enduring. What represents life and love and humanity, only comes to us, once a year.
Hail, oh brave ones, in this time of gladness, spread peace and joy and love and kindness. A short season of happiness and giving, of love, laugh, life and living.
To celebrate peace, only once a year. A marvelous birth, to bring us great joy. Lay down your weapons and war no more.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
December 20, 2014

What is Reality?
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What is Reality?

Hail Bravehearts

To this glorious day! To rise to health and happiness, to support and care. A strong society of compassionate people with courage and intelligence. Properly educated, properly nourished, diverse and interested. The time to seek out difficulties, to pursue the challenges of need and growth. The leadership of negotiation, of salvation, of prominence and effectiveness. A nation of riches in diversity, cultural and environmental. To seek all of the spectrum of humanity and life and to protect us and to save it all.
A unique nation, with multi-cultural lives, flourishing under a banner of freedom and support. Hail, you almighty human for the nation building of strong, humane ties, to the roots of our past, of history, of glory, of a wholesome victory. To win, for the worlds peoples, a place of international peace.
The wars that kill us, kill the planet. We destroy, not only ourselves, but the beautiful great earth, that dies as we die. Awesome planet, your needs are small, only to ask that we tread softly and light the flames of war no more. Think differently, oh brave ones, your lives will prosper without so many, and the greed of the needy, who ask for your land, will subside with the control of your populations.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29788754 population control, does it work?

The revolving issue of food for the hungry, quell starvation, open a food bank and feed the world. More land for farming, more land for housing, more land for more of us to share.
Awesome planet, with your fabulous diversity, trees and flowers, birds, reptiles, insects, animals and fish. The beautiful wonder of the creation of earth. Biodiversity, wondrous sites, mountains and pristine lakes. All intertwined and connected to form a fabulous great earth with so much life and living. Show off your awesome wonder, oh great planet, the flowers nod their brilliant heads and greet us with colour and variety. The bees for pollination, dying by the thousands. Food for the hungry? So many issues to address. The constant assault against the environment. Tear down the forest, destroy that ecosystem, fill in the marsh.
The planet groans under the weight of so many. Where will its precious life forms survive? Another dead lake, another contaminated river, the oceans a garbage dump of waste and over production. Too many factories, too much consumption, too much production. All creating waste and refuse. A society of consumerism and an ever increasing marketplace, showing off its abundance of riches and wealth, but still the ever demanding cries from the hungry, feed us!
The infrastructure of the city wallows in decay. Tear it down and rebuild, higher and higher into the sky, to house more and more people. Increase population density, increase urban sprawl, live in larger and larger abodes. One person per unit, takes up a lot of space.

http://www.infowars.com/from-7-billion-people-to-500-million-people-%E2%80%93-the-sick-population-control-agenda-of-the-global-elite/

Hear us, oh great planet, as we call to you for more. Just increase your size, oh planet earth. We need more room, become larger, so that we can spread out more and save us oh planet, save us all.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 21, 2014

Cavell Meadows
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Cavell Meadows

The Meadows have finally opened. It ‘s late for this year, being the second week in July, and we braved the sweltering heat wave at 35 degrees, just for another peek at the outstanding Cavell Meadows.
It’s 8:30 am and already the warmth of the day is upon us.  A few vehicles are already in the parking lot and some early tourists have focused their cameras on a site, way  up the side of the mountain. Way up, only a speck of white, is a lone mountain goat. We view his early morning activity through the borrowed cameras of the tourists. Their good fortune for this photo opportunity is far better than mine, since their equipment will give them that superb, possibly once in a lifetime  shot,  that my cellphone camera can’t manage.

Packing light sometimes has its downfalls and this is one of those times. I’m grateful to the tourists for giving me the opportunity to view the goat through their lenses and to see the wonderful photo that they have been able to take.

We continue on our way.  The runoff from the Angel glacier is streaming in torrents into the lake below.  The heat of the day, already melting the skirt of this Angel, and we wonder how much longer we will be seeing this beautiful sight.  We make our way up into the meadows, so full of colour, it’s a spectacular sight.  Although this is an annual hike, we never tire of the splendor that awaits us in this easily accessible alpine terrain.   The wildflowers are unbelievable.  Heath and arnicas, paintbrush and avens, they stretch on and on and on, with a backdrop of mountains and the beautiful hanging  Angel Glacier.

Our destination, is the climb to the summit of the meadows.  A rough path of scree and a scramble at the top, that make the already steady climb, more challenging at the top. We’ve planned for a seven hour day, with time for photos and a relaxing lunch when we reach the summit.  The steady uphill hike, takes us through outstanding alpine meadow, to the well worn, rocky path above.   Then on to the scramble at the finish which will take most of the morning.  The views become more and more fabulous and the marmots come out to play.  Today, they are not shy.  They don’t hurry away.  Instead, they pose for photos and watch us with curiosity.  We are one of the first visitors to the meadows today, and since it’s so hot, one of the few.

The climb through the rocky scramble is difficult at times, but the finish greets us with an expansive view of the valley on the other side.  We can see the Whirlpool River, Leach Lake and a long stretch of the Athabasca River.  Unfortunately, the haze of wild fires burning in the south, cloud our view, so the landmarks aren’t as distinct as they usually are.  We peer into the valley below.  There are many snow patches, which is a good sign.  Usually caribou inhabit lands like these.  They like the snow patches to cool their bodies on hot days.  No sign of any.  That is, not until a pair of biologists on the grizzly bear study, join us at the top, and the keen eyes of one of them, spots a caribou and her calf in the valley below.  I pull out my binoculars and hand them around for everyone to have a look.  We linger for about twenty minutes, watching these animals, listed as a threatened species,  until  finally she moves out onto the snow patch with her calf, and lays down beside a large rock.

http://www.mountaincaribou.ca/content/recovery-plan

Mission accomplished.  We have the sighting that we wanted, but not the photo. Impressed and satisfied, we make out descent, through the glorious meadow and back to the nearly empty parking lot.

Now on to the next most splendid venture, the lake.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

A Great Escape
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A Great Escape

Good Day Bravehearts

The splendid great wild, with its remote and awesome places. Here, in a world class national park, a UNESCO world heritage site, we live and play and hike to our hearts content. The world of opportunity knocks and we respond with enthusiasm, for the endless adventure in hiking the great wild.
This week, we travel into a remote and little known mountain pass, high up in the alpine. where the curiosity of remote, wild adventure takes us. Ever cautious, we prepare for all weather, rain suites, first aid kits, water ,sunscreen, food, insect repellent, hat, gloves, binoculars and cameras, maps and gps.   It can be cold in the alpine, with changeable weather and here it can be blistering hot, or freezing rain, sometimes turning to hail or snow. We all pack bear spray.
It’s been a good year for bears. Many sightings of females with two and three cubs and the powerful grizzly bear has made her presence well known, with frequent sightings and photo chances of her and her healthy offspring. The alpine is a favorite place of the grizzly and we don’t want to startle one, so our group is large and loud. It’s better to be safe, with large numbers, so the resident predator hears us coming.

The climb is steep and the footing is uneven.  We spent three hours hiking to this remote place, high up into the alpine for a view of the glaciers on another mountain range.  The intermittent showers cooled us and the climb was not as difficult as it sometimes is.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/index.aspx  Jasper National Park

Our fathers fought for this great land.  A magnificent mountain range in a far off place.  They fought for  freedom, for prosperity, for a better world and here, in a remote and little known mountain pass, we enjoy and praise the brilliance of that choice.  To protect the land, to save it for future generations, relatively untouched, preserved and intact.  A home for the wild and an escape for us.

We are early in this years adventure.  The spring was late and the wild flowers are not yet as showy as they will be.  But also, we have left the great bear behind us, to forage in the valleys until the alpine will give them a meal.  They will be here soon.

Today, the pass is for us, with only the calls of the birds and the rushing water, the insects and the wind.

The far off glacier is the head waters of our rivers and the source of our daily water supply.   Protected high up in a mountain top, the glacier lies in its own protected domain.  Remote enough, that it is rarely visited and high enough that is remains intact.  The grand great wild, providing fresh drinking water for us and the planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF05-slHnNk  Fukushima

These rare, protected places, great mountain ranges like the Rocky Mountain National Parks are home to the awesome wild, the glaciers and the beautiful flowers. The power of the earth lies in these special protected places, where only the fortunate few can roam.  Our drinking water, our air supply, our dark sky,  our much needed connection to the natural world.

Here is where we live and play and praise the foresight of brilliant people who saved this land for us to enjoy.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

 

It’s Only a Tree
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It’s Only a Tree

Good Day Bravehearts

The forests of our country are a milestone of preservation. Intact lands, intact lives, intact preservation. The delicate balance of satisfying the needs of competing interests while we grow and prosper, but still fulfill the needs of the great land. The earth cannot survive without the large expanse of lands and environmental protection has called us all to be watchful of the contamination and ruin of the earth. Another mountain of preservation destroyed, another hard fought victory to win. It only takes a few minutes to destroy, what has taken a milenium of earth years to build. A forest, brought down by over harvesting. The balance of the environment overturned. The delicate marshes and the songs of the birds, happily existing in the structure of an ecosystem, so uniquely contrived and so exquisitely orchestrated. The balance of life in the land of the great wild.
The fabulous wild, where the predators roam and quietly, stealthily stalk their prey. A harvest of the weak to strengthen the strong, and to cull the over abundance of grazing and browsing prey. The forest needs the predator, to save it’s new growth, and to take a stand for the preservation of large landscapes.
The balance is superb! The forest thrives and the lives of the living, fill their world with the earth songs of their making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BickMFHAZR0 The Most Amazing Thing About Trees.

The joy of the wild as it sings the song of the earth to us, the great human. Save us! Only in saving the great wild, will the human be able to save themselves. The preservation of the forest, for our own clean air, for oxygen, for shade, and the protection of the soil. The trees are a necessity. Food, shade, warmth, air, environmental protection and decoration. The varieties are immense and all so different. Large and small with canopies for shade, or strength for wind protection. A tree, such a common plant, so needed and so fragile.
Our houses, from their wood. Furnishings, flooring, cabinetry, whole fields of study from the common tree. Carpentry, logging, forestry, massive business enterprise and international trade. Wealth from wood, paper from by product, our logging industry employs thousands.
Hail to the almighty human, for ingenuity and invention. Your awesome minds and clever imaginations save you there, but lack of foresight is the curse of the human.
Oh brilliant ones, you cannot stop your thinking. The wide expanse of knowledge becomes you and the perpetual motion of time turning to wealth propels you. No poverty there. A world without end. It has to be.
So, brave hearts, as the world turns and another day is upon us, the call from the wild is more urgent and compelling.
Come! calls the great land. Visit and explore. Come to the luxury, to the beauty, to the serenity of the wild! Come to the adventure, to explore and discover. The earth sings, oh great human, don’t be the last.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
July 1, 2014

The Fishing Hole

Food. Fill your stomachs and ease the pangs of poverty. Cast your nets and fill your boats with the precious catch of the day.
For thousands of years the oceans have filled our plates with free food, a commodity of substance and wealth from the planet. The nets cast into the seas, to draw the needed food source from its home in the high water. The oceans provide and the human soars with the advantage of free food for the hungry. No starvation, no poverty. The seas give up their glorious catch and the evils of hunger subside.
An expectation of success fills our minds. The ocean has always provided for us, this is our right and our lifestyle. Our livelihood and our culture. Many nations survive from the oceans and the plunder of the deep waters reduces the catch to a fragment of what it once was. The crisis for the oceans rises and the plight of the wildlife within it, screams for the efforts of conservationist around the world. Oil spills, contamination, pollutants, over fishing. The perils of the oceans calls to us as the human mind reels in the wake of yet another catastrophe that leaves our planet dead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxacxShp3LY overfishing – the consequences.

The rights to fish the oceans have been undenied since mankind cast his nets and lines into the sea and returned triumphant with yet another tasty meal. So easy, so little effort, a hook, a line and bait and then to the fishing hole. Young and old remember their days, drifting in easy summer weather, with baited hook and happy smiles, as the waters reveal a dinner or two, to the patient fisherman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDAC33InIHs ending overfishing

Fishing the deep has been an easy joy for us. The lakes and oceans produce an amazing number of fish and other water inhabitants. Crustaceans and eels, fish and whale, shellfish and turtles. The water is fun and filled with life. For a day at the beach and a day on the water nurture us with sun and summer care. The carefree days of endless sunshine, the powerful waves as they crest and splash and entice us into the water for summer play. The life and the living that the oceans bring us, not only back from the brink of starvation, but to a new purpose in sport, leisure, games and holidaying. The oceans and lakes give us undeniable joy.
Bountiful great waters, our cups overflow with gladness, for the discovery of the mysteries of the deep. Ocean songs and ocean conquest, ships and adventure, the great seas call to all of us as sailors and fishermen and the marvel of our days on the decks of sailboats, casting our lines and unfurling the sails, gives us freedom and the thrill of adventure.
Four hundred years ago, at the dawn of European time in Canada, came an expedition to the coast of Canada, to fish the great waters of the grand banks of Newfoundland.  The fishing was superb!  Cast your nets and take home a catch of fishes to save the starving peasants back home.  Cast your nets and be saved.  The catch is your income, your food source, your work and your daily bread. The fishing was superb and from this came the endless voyages of fishermen bound for a harvest of ocean gold.  Food!  Made from the planet, where no one shall starve. 
7 billion. 
To traverse the great Atlantic ocean in search of a food source out fished in Europe, was the means to an end of hunger and poverty.  400  years ago the population of Europe was substantially smaller, but the need to traverse the ocean for food was already a pressing concern.  Feed the hungry.  The ocean is called upon to provide.  Fishes for the ever climbing hungry of the world.  Food.
Still the demand is upon the ocean, to fill the needs of the hungry as our population climbs and soars. Still, the ocean, with it’s free and bountiful harvest of fish. Still the human calls to the planet, feed us!
Written by Dr. Louise Hayes
June 21, 2014

Breathe
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Breathe

Good morning, you awesome human

Breathe! Do you feel it? The breath you take, filling your lungs with life giving oxygen. No small miracle to dismiss or ignore, the life giving oxygen passes through your airways into your lungs and saves you once more. Breathe! The powerful breath of life giving force that sustains you.
They say that there is less oxygen in the world today. That the force of the natural world has declined and that the air that we breathe is no longer as fresh and nutritious as it once was. Air, with nutrient rich oxygen that fills our bodies and blood stream with it’s vital life force. Air, that rejuvenates our brains and fills the mind with nutrient rich oxygen. Air, so commonplace, so taken for granted, so needed and precious. Air, a simple natural substance that we die for.
In the world, the deforestration of the forest has hacked its way to less wildlife habitat, less jungle and forest, less vegetation and less air. Air pollution contaminates the air we breathe and causes disease.
The great planet, with its intricate web of life, looses it’s diversity as species cry in mortal danger from habitat loss and planetary destruction.
The polluted waterways suffocate the aquatic species that call it their home. The raging torrents of rain, fill the lakes and contaminate the soil with polluted droplets of water. The rich bio-diversity of the planet declines and the numbers of species fall to dismally low levels. The awesome, creative planet is plundered, and it’s richness of life forms perish, in the assault of human over population. 7 billion. 7 billion, and rising.

http://www.wizetime.com/trees-it-takes-22-trees-to-produce-enough-oxygen-for-you-to-breath/

The great forests that swept the massive landscape are harvested and vanish in the wake of plunder. Plunder for wood, for clearing the land, for penetrating the tangle of un passable vegetation. The forest lies at the brink of its own starvation. Fewer trees, less vegetation, the wild flowers nod their brilliant heads and their abundance declines with over picking and habitat loss. Fewer flowers, less fragrance, less colour and life in the forest. Another trampled flower, too delicate to withstand the weight of an intruder. Trampled, crushed, gone.
The brilliant earth, cast it’s creativity as far as the eye can see. Streams and mountains, forest and plains, the painstaking effort to fill the planet with life and wonder.

http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm what is a tree worth?

Awesome planet, of wonder and life, your forests thrive with the wealth of the living. Trees for oxygen, animals to protect the wild places, flowers for the beauty of the earth. So powerful! The creative energy of the earth is the life force that saves us. Awesome planet, so wonderful to behold.
Still, the needs of the human are high. More hunger, more habitation, more pollution, more space for us. The forest can’t sustain the needs of the human. Too many bodies, too many stomachs to fill, too many lungs for air.
What is a tree worth, in dollars and sense? For the amount of air that we breath in a lifetime? So commonplace, not a penny to charge and worth more than all of the money that your bank accounts can provide.
Air. Clean, unpolluted air is provided to you, by the great planet, free of charge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1M894GH4q4 movie The Right to Breathe.

Air, oh awesome human. Fresh, clean air. It’s to die for.

written by Dr Louise Hayes
June 13, 2014

The Call of the Land
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The Call of the Land

Good morning, you awesome human.

The great wild opened its wide arms and enticed the adventurer into it’s heart. Bravehearts, whispers the land, come into my home and I will fill your mind and heart with the dreams that only the brave can dare to dream. Awesome human, adventure here and I will share the bounty of the earth with you.
The mountains, so stunning and grand,so powerful and majestic, so filled with danger and joy. Each step into the great wild, leads to a path of earthly splendor. The joy of new life as the brave entered the land, the joy of the power of the thrill of discovery, the joy of being brave! Still in our hearts, the joy of being brave, entices us to new life, new love, new land, new beginning. A lifetime travelling in the footsteps of courageous frontiersmen, who sought the wild with energy and passion. Come! calls the great land and the energy and passion of another great day, drives us onward to new delight.

http://trailerchicgirls.com/2014/03/13/liam-and-jake/

The land is so immense, so protected, so divine and so wild. The dreams of a new country, with a history of courageous conquest, another mile to paddle, another mountain peak to climb. Onward and onward the journey to nationhood lied in the strength and mind of the indomitable man. The brilliant human, with foresight and determination. A nation of our own. For us, bravehearts.
The land called the adventurer from across the seas. Listen, almighty ones, I have treasures to share. Come they did, with the power and determination of the brave. The land, filled with caring humans, wild beasts, continuous waterways, forested landscapes and song. The song of the wild as it sings to your hearts. It sings with joy and passion and fills your mind with the peace of it’s creation. Joy calls the great land. I am here to bring you the great joy that a life, lived well will bring you. The powerful landscape, the awesome wild creatures, the adventure, forever in your minds will live in your hearts forever.
Protect me, calls the great land, and I will save you.
The small beginning of a small national park, set in motion a dream of protected places and protected lives. A national dream in a nation founded on the passion, the energy, the determination of people so robust that the adventure of the land, called them deeper and deeper into the wild and breathtaking, brilliant beauty of the land. Come, called the land, and out of the misted shroud of clouded ocean, came the first of thousands of Europeans, called by the land.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows/index.aspx

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
June 11, 2014

Turquoise and Jewels

Good morning brave hearts.

The adventure of opening the great wild to tourism was a profound feat of national significance.  What lay at the heart of the lofty mountains was a prize of dollars and sense.  The magnificent wild opened an opportunity for the Canadians to explore the great land, with it’s unending beauty and prizes of health and fitness benefitting the soul, the body and the mind.  Unrivalled magnificence of stellar views, of grand landscapes with carpets of flowers, magnificent wild beasts, forest and birds and mile upon mile upon mile of exploration, adventure and discovery.  Another superb mountain pass, a glimpse into the unending mountain chain, life and travel, peace and rejuvenation.  The heart melts at the great beauty of the awesome great Earth, and the soul sings in praises of the almighty planet.
Joy!  Joy in the discovery of yet another crystal clear lake, the colour of emeralds and turquoise.  Jewels of the earth splashed onto the landscape with colour so rare and brilliant.  Waterfalls and great glaciers, rugged, uncompromising land.  The brave came forward for the thrill and excitement of discovery, to challenge their skills in the fabulous pursuit of mountain adventure.  To climb the highest peak, to paddle the turbulent waters, to conquer the rapids and to proclaim their triumphant success. The challenge was so exciting and the adventure was so grand, that a call was heard at the  highest office of the land.  “More!”  cries the spirit, as it soars with the eagles at the top of the mountain.  A unnamed peak, so cleverly climbed and an expedition that can see for miles.  “There’s more!  We want more!”
The persistent horseman had travelled into the frontier, exploring and cutting trails for business and curiosity.  Setting up camps  and marking routes,  their travels becoming documented feats of early exploration,  where  no man had gone before.  They were the first to travel into the heart of the mountains and with their discovery came reports of more and more and more.  Land for preservation, land for protection, land for tourism and business and wealth.  Properly protected, the land becomes a haven of international acclaim.  Mountain climbers and thrill seekers, artists and adventurers all swarm to the mountains to lay claim to their rights. To be the first to capture that title, to paint that view, to write that log and to name that peak.  The race was on!  To be the first, and with that title, to capture their place in the history of the nation.  To be the praises of that song, to be the heroes of the day, to be the champion of that title.  To carry gold in their pockets and bragging rights, forever!
The pastime of a pursuit of a new national dream, captured their imaginations, their hearts, their minds and their destiny. In 1886, awesome Yoho with it’s fossil find, and fabulous Glacier National Parks, in British Columbia were formed. In 1887 the boundaries of Banff National Park were expanded.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/yoho/index.aspx Yoho National Park, British Columbia

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/glacier/index.aspx Glacier National Park, British Columbia

With the formation of these two new national parks, Canada was now pursuing a legacy of national wealth in the preservation of the great outdoors.  A conscience developing in the Canadian people, to marvel at the magnificence of the great land of Canada, to be the proud owners of special, protected places.  A step into the lives of the early explorers is to witness a life of thriving good health and fitness.  The dauntless being who returned victorious from that triumphant mountain expedition, reaches to us from the thriving brilliance of yesteryear.  The earth saves us, oh human, and our history still claims us.  The system of national parks is for environmental protection and for the health and vitality of the people.  The great land calls us and from our beginnings we search and protect those significant areas that demand preservation.
For us, in Canada, the great wild has always been the fortune of our existence. Fortunate us, to have the great land and it’s outstanding wild places and wild creatures, to call us to health, fortitude, adventure and freedom.  Yes, said the awesome great powers of the day.  We will give you these grand landscapes of freedom, forever, for you to enjoy, oh Canadians.  In health, in wellness, in joy.  The new national dream was secured.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
May 27, 2014