Bear safety skills, including a bear spray demonstration, are part of this Saturday's 3rd Annual Recreational Stewardship Fair being held at the Fish East Staging Area in Kananaskis Country.

The Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society, better known as Cows and Fish, is hosting this free drop-in event on Aug.12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's geared towards recreational users of all kinds, non-motorized and motorized, featuring booths from a number of local stewardship, watershed, and recreation groups.

"The fair is a family-friendly event with a lot of interactive content and tours to nearby streams and trails to show what lives in these streams, how we can improve trails and tread lightly as well as bear safety skills," explains Amy McLeod, Eastern Slopes coordinator with Cows and Fish.

stewardship fair

"We're really happy that we have a variety of groups and organizations join us at the event from motorized recreational user groups to watershed stewardship groups to Alberta Forestry and Parks recreation engagement staff.”

For the last two years, the fair in this region was held in Ghost Country.

"We're trying to move it around a little bit," explains Marina Krainer, executive director of the Ghost Watershed Alliance Society (GWAS), "and so this is a new location in Fish East in McLean Creek. We're trying to be in a location where we're right at the trailhead and hoping to engage with a lot of recreational users."

fairLast year's fair in this part of the Eastern Slopes was hosted in the Ghost Country. (Photo/Cows and Fish.)

Several organizations come together to offer a large variety of resources for users at these stewardship fairs. That includes the Calgary ATV Riders Association (CARA) which is known to work closely with many organizations, such as the Ghost Watershed Alliance, Trout Unlimited, Environment and Parks, and others.

“We work together to find ways to keep trails open and sustainable for all users," says CARA's Dan Kruse. "This includes repairing the existing trails to keep them safe and usable for riders. We also move trails out of water courses or areas that are home to fish and other animals.”

Krainer praises the environmental stewardship demonstrated by groups like the Calgary ATV Riders and Trails 4 Tomorrow. She says they've worked together for upwards of 10 years on a variety of different initiatives, including bridge projects, cleanups, and bioengineering.

"They're really good to work with and we've established a strong working relationship with them."

Krainer has received training in the use of bear spray and believes it's valuable for anyone who spends time in the outdoors.

"It's hard to say whether there are more bears or just more people, but it happens more often that we bump into them, and so having the skill of how to use their spray is really important. We have somebody there from Alberta Forestry and Parks and they are going to bring some of their spray so that you can try it out yourself."

GWAS is among those with booths and will provide tours to highlight the benefits of bio-engineering and how it can be used to improve trail systems.

The first fair in Nordegg in July was a huge success. Barry Tunzelmann, with Trails 4 Tomorrow, said that more than 60 people visited their booth.

"We share how we work together with many of the groups taking part in the recreational stewardship fair to take care of the wilderness areas and trails and use the 'Tread Lightly' programs. We are looking forward to the fair at the Fish East site on Aug. 12 to connect with many more people."

Krainer says that we all have a role to play when it comes to keeping the Eastern Slopes in good shape.

“We are all drawn to this area for its natural beauty and recreational opportunities," says Krainer. "It is also a really important area for water supply for everyone downstream, for the flora and fauna that makes the region so special. We want to keep the Eastern Slopes in good shape not just for us here right now, but for many generations to come. Stewardship starts with every one of us.”

You can learn more about the event on Eventbrite by clicking here.

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