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Are we doomed to become a nation of indoor cats, hunkered down indoors eating food from a box? I would argue that we are far better served by connecting with nature, spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, foraging, fishing, and hunting.
To get there, some worrying trends must be reversed. Our provincial government is curtailing access to the backcountry and the bounty we all share.
The pocket park at the end of the block is a nice amenity and a great place to play with your toddler. But reaping the real benefits of nature requires a more immersive experience.
Outdoor living is key to better physical and mental health. I’m not certain we need a lot of scientific studies to understand the value of spending time in wild places, but they’ve done a pile of them anyway. Research has shown that being in wild places quiets the mind, that sunsets and greenery relax our bodies, that the sound of leaves in the wind or the trickle of a stream releases your mind from worry, and that natural settings increase feelings of harmony.
Being in the backcountry is likely to prevent or reduce obesity, as you move through the landscape harvesting the natural foods. If you worry about the effects of eating the output of a global industrial food system, it might be time to reconnect with nature.
Curated parks are fine, and we encourage expanding urban greenspace. But parks are not a substitute for wilderness.
The provincial government is allowing our access to the backcountry to be slowly eroded. Hunting opportunities are being curtailed or ended outright.
To protect our access to the land and our ability to hunt and fish, the B.C. Wildlife Federation is pushing to bring transparency and inclusiveness to co-management negotiations taking place across B.C. All B.C.’s stakeholders need to be at the table if we are to share an abundant and sustainable future.
We urge the provincial government to legislate guaranteed public access to public spaces and public resources. We require an independent agency to manage wildlife sustainably, based on data and science, free from the whims of politicians.
We are standing at the edge of a very steep precipice. It is up to each of us to engage with our elected officials and candidates for office and ensure that they hear our concerns. We can recover from our current malaise, if we work together for a shared future.
