Wild Voices in Calgary

More than 130 guests attended the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) annual Wild Voices Soiree on the evening of Mar. 11 at SAIT in Calgary.  The guest speaker was Brian Keating, a Calgary-based conservationist and adventurer.

The guests who congregated that evening in Heritage Hall were supporting the CPAWS (Southern Alberta Chapter) fundraiser. They enjoyed an elegant dinner that was followed by the special guest speaker. To highlight his points, Keating showed a few videos and dozens of wildlife photos he's taken over the years. His message: Get outside more often.  

“We have a big problem these days, we're not getting enough nature,” says Keating, who worked for 30 years at the Calgary Zoo. That’s where he started a travel program there that's taken him around the world. He considers Africa as his second home, and visited the region on more than trips. Closer to home, Keating estimates he spends about 150 days a year in nature and wild areas. 

Brian Keating holds books he's written for children about the  importance of enjoying the wilds.

“I live multiple lifetimes during those trips,” says Keating, who notes he has canoed almost every river in southern Alberta. “I started climbing mountains in high school, and climbed a peak every weekend.” A vocal supporter of CPAWS, he strongly believes in their approach to provide science-based guidance and education to protect Alberta’s parks, wildlife and wilderness.  

“The ultimate objective for CPAWS country-wide is to see that 50 per cent of Canada is somehow managed for wildlife. It's called Nature Needs Half, and it's a fantastic concept because nature needs half, and so do we.” Keating says that in order for people to survive, we need clean air, clean water and productive soil. “In order to do that, we need to keep eco systems intact.”

Brian Keating speaks at the CPAWS Wild Voices soiree at SAIT in Calgary.

Shortly after Keating’s presentation, live entertainment was performed by The Wardens (pictured below), a three-man band comprised of retired national park wardens. They perform original songs based on their experiences working as park wardens in the backcountry of Alberta.

The Wardens Band at the CPAWS Wild Voices soiree at SAIT in Calgary

“We write about wildlife conflict, riding horses in mountain passes, doing rescues, and some interesting characters we've met along the way,” says musician Scott Ward. “It's pretty exciting stuff.” The band starts with a story that leads into a song as a giant slide show displays pictures of what they’re singing about. It’s their way to help transport the audience into the wilds.

“We love to perform for a wide variety of audiences, but this tonight is right up our alley,” says Ward about the CPAWS event. “What they do is what we do, so we're like kindred spirits.”

Anne-Marie Syslak is the Executive Director for CPAWS (Southern Alberta Chapter), and she says the soiree was about celebrating conservation and the wilderness. “It's really important to make sure that we have the next generation of people care about wilderness and understand why it's valuable,” says Syslak. “Not only for clean air and clean water, but because it's incredibly important for our health and our spiritual, mental and physical well being.”

Grant Cree is an Edmonton-based photojournalist focusing on photo and video event coverage to help clients connect with their audiences. www.grantcree.ca  780-940-3228