the great wild

by

Barren ground Caribou

Hail brilliant mankind

Cast your eyes upon the wilds of the great land. The wilderness stretches out before you and you are saved. The new land, freshly washed of glacier ice and snow reveals the tundra and the life within. Brave hunters, your lives await you there. Up, way up, above the treeline into the Arctic.
Cast your eyes upon the land and view the newness of the Earth. Your lives await you here, almighty human, the brave explorer, the clever hunter. The wild beasts roam and in your view is the vast herd you’ve been searching for.
Caribou!
Here in the far north is a large migrating herd of caribou. The home of the barren ground caribou as they move across the northern plains of the North West Territories. A way of life for nomadic peoples as they follow the herds for food and clothing. A lifeline, a support, a tradition. Beware, almighty human, the world changes.

Click to access 2011-2015_Barren-ground_Caribou_Management_Strategy.pdf

The barren ground caribou is in decline. It’s once magnificent numbers in the hundreds of thousands of animals is now declining and the great herds are vanishing. A way of life vanishes with them. Gone is the migrating hunter, who’s dependency upon the caribou sustained them in food and clothing. Gone is the sport hunter and with the loss of the wild herds eco- tourism vanishes as well.
Hail bravehearts to the call of the wild.
The exploitation of the far north is a blight upon us. Overharvesting of a national treasure affects our cultural identity. As an environmentalist and a conservationist, the predation of the wild is a long standing concern. Hardship for the people, hardship for the wildlife and loss of culture, a food source, a tourist delight and a way of life.
The sustainability of the land appears consistent. The food source for the animals themselves seems stable. Overhunting is identified as a factor in the rapid decline and the dwindling numbers of caribou are a threat to the sustainability of the wild.
Eager hunters, your bellies are full and hunting of the magnificent wild is no more.
The lands set aside for wildlife habitat is immense in Canada, but still, the plunder increases. The far north, the tundra, uncultivated, unproductive land, whose resource value is low, but for the wildlife that resides there, it sustains them. Specially adapted animals, whose lives have supported the indigenous peoples of northern Canada for centuries. To loose the herds of the wild is to loose our national, cultural identity. The migration of the early peoples, the fur trade, the choice to inhabit the north. The integrity of the wild is essential to us.
Hail mankind. The world is yours, to protect or discard, choose wisely.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 20,2013

Come with me
by

Come with me

Into the great wild.
Into an adventure of peaceful delight, where the gentle breezes warm your body and the sun filled meadows delight your senses. The playful butterfly drinking the last of the seasons nectar and the grasshoppers leaping in the tall grasses. The wild life leave only footprints to indicate their presence, the occasional scat of wolves and bear indicate a balance of life and the songs of birds, hawks and ducks fill the air with their calls. The berries are abundant, there are several signs of bears.
The great wild.
As usual, the wildlife are elusive and although our presence is known to them, they hide from us. We, like them, will leave only footprints. We, like them, will pass through the meadows disturbing as little as possible.
Lucky are we, to have the great wild.

Lucky are we to be the only humans in this vast landscape. A retreat for us. A welcome change in the daily routine. A back country trip of awesome wonder, fabulous scenery, a remote distance, a genuine pleasure.
Here, the mountain steams provide necessary water. Clear, clean water. We fill our cups to drink. The great Earth provides unpolluted water from numerous streams as we pass by. The great Earth provides and we, oh great human, have the great good fortune to inherit such wonder.
The protection of vast tracts of land for preservation, conservation and environmental security is a necessary gift to us.
The wildlife need their uninterrupted peace where the daily drama of their own lives can be fulfilled. We too, need uninterrupted peace, where our own minds rest and relax. We need the great wild. The calling birds, the swaying, dance of flowers, the brilliant colour, the songs of animals.
On these glorious fall days, the land was gentle to us. The sun warmed us and the streams cooled us. We could drink from the unpolluted waters of the Earth. In two glorious days, a lifetime passed. Gone were the worries of the world, the distant workplace vanished from the conscious mind into a void. No more thoughts of daily disturbances, no more the sounds of traffic. The silence greets us with restful, deep sleep and the meditative calm of nature soothes the soul.
Here, mankind, sighs the great Earth. This is a gift to you. Protect as much as you can. The great wild is a precious and fragile gift, it restores your soul, it sings to your heart and it relaxes your mind. There is no war in the great wild. There is only the daily interaction of nature as it plays out its own life. The nurturing wild. It calls us to protect it. Save us mankind. Save yourselves. Here is the land of plenty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTN8frhWOlA tranquility water music

The smells of juniper are strong and pleasing. The grasses smell sweet as we pass through them. The end of season flowers nod and wave. The sweet serenity of the far off place. The wild. So rich for us, a near at hand wonder of the great creation of the Earth.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
September 11, 2013