By Anne-Marie Syslak
Executive Director
CPAWS Southern Alberta

It never fails, you are with family and friends on December 31st and someone at the party ultimately asks the dreaded question, “what’s your New Year’s resolution?” Stereotypically, you hear responses relating to increasing fitness, losing weight, or some personal development to start the new year off right. While I don’t subscribe to the decrescendo nature of most resolutions, I do support purposeful and sustainable intentions that look beyond the me and work toward a greater purpose. So as January comes to a close, I am inviting you to make a resolution for conservation.

How does one get more involved? What small behaviours could you change in 2018 that would make a difference for conservation in southern Alberta? How will you contribute to making a difference and be part of a legacy of caring for the Alberta wilderness you love? Here are some suggestions to consider:

Get informed and help spread the word.
We are committed to sharing local issues that matter to you. Read our Green Bites e-news, visit our website, and follow our social media. A significant thing you can do is participate in the conversation. SHARE these posts and interesting articles with your friends and networks. This will help to grow the number of people who know and care.

Get outside and be good stewards.
We support quiet recreation and stewardship. The benefits of getting outside are well documented, as well as the importance of connecting with the with the natural world. Enjoying our amazing Alberta wilderness also means doing your part to keep it in good repair for the future. Practice quiet recreation, leave no trace, and teach others!

Take action.
We have timely campaigns where we need your voice to take action. Writing a letter or picking up the phone makes a world of difference by letting your elected officials know what you want. Respond to our action alerts, and do your part to speak out for conservation. Ask your friends and family to do the same.

Volunteer.
Do you have a skill that would lend well to a small not-for-profit like CPAWS Southern Alberta? Do you love meeting and talking to outdoorsy people about conservation? Are you skilled designer, photographer, writer? Maybe you have a talent for event planning or love fundraising? Think about a gift of time and skill to help build our capacity.

Become a member:
The work involved in creating and managing parks and wilderness areas never ends. Development pressures are relentless, policy and legislation is often ignored. There is a reason that CPAWS needs to be vigilant and we are proud of what we have accomplished in the past 50 years.

We invite you to join us and be part of this legacy. Give up a latte a week and put aside a monthly or annual donation to contribute to this cause and support a group working to take care of the places you cherish. To be a member, we ask for an annual contribution. Please specify for work in southern Alberta so we can ensure that your donation is supporting conservation right here in Alberta.

So Happy New Year! I look forward to a positive 2018 building and supporting conservation in Alberta!