EcoWest News, April 14, 2026

Welcome to EcoWest News, a weekly round-up of news and resources that you can put to use in addressing environmental issues and protecting the wild in your community.

Parks & Recreation

Plans for an all-season resort near Calgary would bring in thousands of tourists, consuming huge amounts of water in a region already dealing with drought. [The Narwhal]

A private company is seeking exclusive rights to parts of East Sooke Regional Park on Vancouver Island. The company’s activities would interfere with two popular trails and require construction of a permanent dock. [The Tyee]

The Rockies’ alpine meadows are disappearing due to a warmer climate and natural and human-caused disturbances. We can help protect them by staying on the trails and respecting signs saying “closed to protect sensitive wildlife habitat.” [Nature Alberta]

Forestry

Does it make sense to log in Canadian forests recently burned by wildfires to create densified wood pellets to feed thermal energy plants in countries such as Japan and the UK? [The Tyee]

Wildfires burning at different intensities help promote biodiversity by creating different habitats for a variety of species post-burn. We need to “focus on managing or protecting areas that don’t burn or haven’t burned in a long time because there’s going to be unique species or distinct habitats only found in those areas.” [USask]

Oil & Gas

The number of orphan wells in Alberta that need to be cleaned up and sealed is now over 7,000, and the clean-up work is inadequately funded. “Every year that we underfund this cleanup is another year contaminants remain in the ground, water and air — putting landowners’ health, property values and livelihoods at risk. Meanwhile, taxpayers are left picking up the tab.” [The Narwhal]

Economics

Governments need to identify climate adaptation as systemic risk management and an essential economic and security strategy — embedding it in budgeting, infrastructure planning, and natural asset stewardship. [Policy Options]

Get Involved

Schools and community organizations are invited to participate in BugQuest, a national project aimed at exploring biodiversity in Canada, capturing insects through passive traps and identifying them through DNA barcoding. [Cambridge Today]

Staying environmentally active at any age: There’s no reason we shouldn’t remain active as we mature. Just focus on leveraging experience and skills and ignore ageist misconceptions. [The Revelator]

A room-by-room guide to reducing the amount of plastic in your home. [Sierra Club]

International Dark Sky Week, April 13-20

Can you see the stars? Eight ways to reduce light pollution [EcoFriendly West]

Marine light pollution: Posing problems for sea creatures large and small [EcoFriendly West]

From fireflies to fungi: Creatures that light up the dark [EcoFriendly West]

DarkSky reads: Go dark with a good book [DarkSky International]

An Idea Worth Copying?

The Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds in the UK is inviting people to join the Unloved Birds Club and support the overlooked underdogs of the bird world. Birds with big personalities and even bigger conservation needs. Every month members meet a different bird and receive silly memes and photos as well as fun facts. An idea worth copying in Canada? [Unloved Birds Club]

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/53659360186

EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.