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The Western Naturalist
Ward Cameron Enterprises' Online Newsletter
November 2002 - (Volume 1 - Issue 1)
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In this issue:
Welcome
In the News
Nature Forecast
Wildlife Safari
Questions & Answers
Marketing Magic
Special Promotion
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Welcome
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Welcome to The Western Naturalist, Ward Cameron Enterprises'
online newsletter. This newsletter is brought to you by MountainNature.com,
the Field Guide for the Next Millennium. It is intended to keep you up to
date This newsletter is in addition to the Rocky Mountain Nature Forecast
for which you are already subscribed. Each issue has a unique promotion that we encourage you to take
advantage of. We welcome all feedback and suggestions. While the Nature
Forecast will come to you monthly, this enlarged publication will be sent on a quarterly basis with occasional updates in
between.
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In the News
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MountainNature.com wins Back-to-Back Awards
On October 24, Interpretation Canada (www.interpcan.ca),
the national association of park, museum and private sector interpreters,
presented its 2001 Awards for Excellence in Interpretation. MountainNature.com won the Gold Award in the web site category.
The Silver Award was presented to Jasper National Park (www.worldweb.com/parkscanada-jasper) for its Online Virtual
Tour and the Canadian Museum of Civilization (www.civilizations.ca)
takes bronze for Resonance, an Interpretive Planner.
The following evening, MountainNature.com was again honoured,
this time at the Banff National Park Heritage Tourism Awards. This annual
event celebrates those local companies that best represent the goals of
the Heritage Tourism Strategy. The award was in the "Best Heritage Advertisement" category.
Beth Russell-Towe presented the award. Here
is what she said: "Ward Cameron combined a personal legacy as guide,
author and designer into an outstanding virtual web-site which combined
quality interpretation and international reach."
Learn more at
http://www.MountainNature.com/news
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Nature Forecast
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This month mixes romance with long naps. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, white-tail
deer, and several fish species wait until late autumn to reproduce. While all
of this is taking place around them, black and grizzly bears seem oblivious as
they head into their dens. The clear night skies make for great stargazing and
aurora watching.
Time to Bang Heads
In November, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep feel the pull of the
ages and the pressure to reproduce. The crashing sound as the horns of two
different rams collide carries on the airwaves for great distances. As two
rams prepare for battle, they size each other up, threaten, pretend to
attack, or raise their heads high to look eye to eye with their challenger.
The bluff and bluster leads to the main event, the crashing of horns. Prior
to contact, each ram rears up on his hind legs, drops his head, and attacks,
putting their entire weight behind their horns.
While it would seem that such impacts would cause lasting damage, sheep
have a skull design that includes large sinuses (cavities) within their
skull to help take some of the impact and cushion the force. These cavities
have flexible bone connections as well, allowing for sufficient movement to
absorb the shock.
Bed Time For Bruin
Now that November has arrived, the last black and grizzly bears are
heading into their winter dens. Some bears are still active though and are
attracted into townsites by easily available food sources like pet food and
bird feeders. Be sure to wait until at least mid-November to put out your
feeders and keep all pet food indoors.
The denning behaviour of bears seems to have evolved as a response to a
food shortages, rather than as protection against the weather. Once they
enter the den and fall into a deep sleep, their pulse rate drops to 8 to 10
per minute and their body temperature drops slightly (32-35ºC). While in the
den, they don't eat, urinate or defecate. Grizzly dens are usually excavated
in hillsides at higher elevations, while black bears often excavate their
den under the roots of trees.
Fish Spawning
During November, brown and brook trout spawn, and at the same time
mountain whitefish will spawn until early December. Both brook trout and
brown trout have been introduced to the Rockies. In many creeks, they have
been out competing native trout like the endangered bull trout. Numerous
conservation efforts are attempting to help bull trout populations rebound.
For anglers, there is a zero possession limit. Anglers can be heard to quote
the mantra "no black, put it back". Bull trout have no black lines or spots
on their bodies and dorsal fins. While bull trout spawn between late-August
and mid-October, brook and brown trout spawn somewhat later.
Mountain whitefish are bottom feeders that can be found in a variety of
Rocky Mountain lakes including Lake Louise, Bow Lake, Pyramid Lake and Lake
Minnewanka.
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Join Us On A Wildlife Safari
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Join an expert naturalist in an exploration of the secret world of
wildlife. In addition to searching for wildlife, our presentation shows you
trees that have been climbed by bears (leaving permanent scars), active
nests of eagles and ospreys, and fields frequented by elk and wolves. Our
portable museum combines field observation with fossils, artifacts, guide
books, and telescopes to provide a truly unique learning experience.
The magic of this workshop is its compelling mix of possibility mixed
with tangible experiences. Expert guides take you behind the scenes,
highlghting current trends in research. Through the work of researchers and
biologists, we are finding better ways to coexist with the local wildlife?
This is no ordinary tour! While we cannot guarantee you'll see wildlife,
you WILL see more than just fabulous views. This tour can be customized to
meet your needs. Why not combine a half-day wildlife safari with a guided
nature hike? Ward Cameron Enterprises is dedicated to bringing the wildlife
to you. Learn more at
http://www.WardCameron.com/guiding
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Questions and Answers
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Q: Can a web
site help preserve a resource?
A: As more and more
real estate developers cast longing glances at the Rockies, more pressure
falls upon scientists. Unfortunately, these same scientists are drowning
under shrinking budgets and an ever-present lack of resources (financial and
otherwise). At the same time, we have millions of people passing through the
mountains every year. If we can record even a few of these visitor’s
experiences, and then make this information available to scientists, than
perhaps we can help bridge the money gap. MountainNature.com allows you to
record your sightings into a searchable database. These records can later be
made available to researchers studying and working to protect our wild
places.
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Marketing Magic ― Building Bridges
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Tourism operators need to see the value of building bridges within
our industry. While so much of our life is focused on competition,
cooperation opens far more doors. Initiatives like the
2002 United Nations International Year of Mountains and the 2003
International Year of Fresh Water have brought more than 100 public and
private sector partners together to help celebrate these key initiatives.
While many of these companies are stiff competitors outside of these
initiatives, they have been brought together by the common goal of raising
awareness and aiding conservation. The members of these panels also have the
opportunity to network and build long-lasting relationships. Think of
initiatives like these as an ability to give a little back while also
providing networking opportunities.
Look for other opportunities to combine your efforts with those of your
competitors. The world is shrinking and your clients and visitors have far
more options available to them than just a few years ago. First, you must
convince potential visitors to select your geographic location. Then you can
sell them on your particular offering. Why not put together a marketing
cooperative with other local operators? Can you co-brand a new product that
you develop jointly?
If you still can't see yourself working with your competitors, why not
look to companies that offer complementary services? Are there ways that you
can combine your resources to create something new and exciting? Perhaps you
can collaborate with operators that do not compete within your local market.
In fact, you may be able to share clients and recommend each others
products. The possibilities are endless.
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SPECIAL PROMOTION
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Discover New Ways To Take Your Message To A Much Wider Audience
Ward Cameron is the author of three books on western Canada and the
cybernaturalist behind MountainNature.com. Let him show you new and
innovative ways to take your interpretive message and bring it to a wider
audience. By thinking big and getting creative, you can find new markets
and outlets for your interpretive messages. Ward will give you ingenious
ways to have your message explode through park boundaries (or museum
walls) to visit your message on the world. After all, it’s all about
sharing the stories. Book your presentation today at
http://www.WardCameron.com/speaking
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All material copyright Ward Cameron
2002
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