Kevin Van Tighem spoke to approximately 100 people at Cochrane’s St. Andrew’s United Church March 16 about water, bears and the Alberta landscape.
During the event, aptly-titled ‘Water… Bears… Landscape’, Van Tighem spoke to issues regarding forestry in the Ghost Valley area and was organized by members of the Ghost Valley community.
Several attendees were members of Stop Ghost Clearcuts, a group that is concerned about land uses in the Ghost Valley and their impact on watershed health. Particularly, the group is also concerned about downstream flooding and the potential for drought.
At present, the group is very worried about forestry and clear-cuts in the area, according to Sharon MacDonald, one of the event organizers.
Van Tighem has been superintendent of several National Parks, including Banff National Park, and although he retired in 2011, he is actively involved in the Alberta environment and is the author of several books about conservation and wildlife.
He has also served on the executive committees of the Federation of Alberta Naturalists, Alberta Wilderness Association and Foothills Model Forest.
