Mountains of Change landscape. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Welcome to Canada's mountain national parks
A landscape in transition because of climate change
The earth’s climate is getting warmer, and Canada’s rate of warming is double the global average.
In this science-based exhibit, you will discover how climate change affects our mountain national parks, how Parks Canada is responding, and how parks offer “natural solutions” to climate change.
Mountains of Change thermometer. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Climate change is transforming the Canadian landscape in profound ways. The effects of human-created global warming are now felt across the nation―including national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas protected by Parks Canada.
In the west, big changes have been observed in mountain regions including Banff National Park as well as Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho, Waterton Lakes, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke national parks.
Scientists predict that rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns and other changing conditions will increasingly impact our protected areas in the coming decades.
The Mountains of Change exhibit looks at how climate change is affecting Canada’s mountain parks, and how Parks Canada is responding.
Mountains of Change, intro. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
These mountains are changing
Average air temperature in the mountain parks has increased by about 2°C since the 1950s―roughly twice the global rate of warming. Significant changes in precipitation and extreme weather have also occurred over the past century.
Winters are shorter, warmer and wetter; summers are longer, hotter and drier. Precipitation has increased in some mountain areas―but now more of it falls as rain in the winter, so snowfall and snowpack are declining.
Wildfires are now more frequent and more severe. Storms and heavy rainfall, floods and droughts, high winds have all become more common. Heat waves are more common; winter cold snaps are less common.
Glaciers have receded significantly. Ice cover on lakes and rivers is reduced―winter freeze-up comes later, spring break-up comes earlier.
Wildlife and plants are under increasing stress. Grizzlies, caribou, mountain goats and bighorn sheep are affected; so are many small animals, birds, fish and trees.
A warmer, drier future
Climate models for the mountain parks predict even more warming and weather change over the coming decades. Average temperatures will rise another 2 to 8°C by 2100. This will have major consequences across the mountain environment.
Mountain summers will be even longer, warmer and drier. The summer recreation season will expand. Winters will be shorter, milder and wetter, but there will be less snow. Snowpack will decrease. Glaciers will continue to shrink. Many will disappear.
Rivers and streams east of the Rockies (e.g., Bow River) will flow less due to less meltwater from glaciers and snow. Prairie cities, agriculture and industry will have less water as a result.
Extreme weather events like drought, heat waves and flooding will be more common. Rainstorms, hailstorms, ice storms and blizzards may be more intense. Wildfires will be even more frequent and intense due to warmer, drier conditions. Length of the wildfire season will increase.
Many species of wildlife and vegetation (especially those reliant on cold) will experience stress and habitat loss. Some will survive and adapt. Others will need to relocate or face extinction.
Many species of wildlife and vegetation (especially those reliant on cold) will experience stress and habitat loss. Some will survive and adapt. Others will need to relocate or face extinction.
Some wildlife species will disappear from the mountain parks. New types of animals, trees and plants will move in from other regions. Mountain ecosystems will significantly change.
Species at risk
Canaries in the coal mine
Species at Risk graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Species at risk—canaries in the coal mine
The world inhabited by mountain wildlife is changing―fast. As temperatures rise, habitats will be transformed, and it will be tough for some species to survive in this shifting landscape. Things will be especially hard for creatures that rely on cold and snow.
Some native species will adapt to new conditions; others will move elsewhere or face extirpation―even extinction. At particular risk will be species that can’t adjust their behaviours, cope with new environmental stresses or migrate to new locations.
Pika―nowhere to go but up!
American pika (cute!) live only on high mountainsides, where they depend on snow and frozen alpine tundra to survive. Currently, they are doing well in the mountain parks. But these tiny “rock rabbits” are sensitive to environmental changes.
Pika can’t tolerate high summer temperatures without overheating. Their frozen habitat is also expected to thaw, shrink and move up-slope as the climate warms. If this happens, pika may eventually have nowhere higher to go!
American pika. (2018-08-18) by Amar AthwalParks Canada
Park managers are now monitoring this species as an important indicator of alpine ecosystem health.
Species at Risk graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Alpine tundra animals―I melt with you
Pika aren’t the only creatures that rely on cold, snow and frozen ground. Marmot and ptarmigan also depend on alpine tundra, and big mammals like grizzly bear, mountain goat, bighorn sheep and endangered woodland caribou visit this habitat often.
Grizzly bear cubs. (2003-12-31) by Wayne LynchParks Canada
But alpine tundra is expected to shrink in the mountain parks due to rising temperatures, thawing permafrost and rising treelines.
Mountain goats, Jasper National Park. (2012-09-03) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
Park managers are currently monitoring mountain goat numbers in the Lake Louise area, because this sensitive species can be a useful indicator of alpine ecosystem health.
Species at Risk graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Banff Springs Snail―bridge over troubled water
The Banff Springs Snail is another species threatened by climate change. This heat-loving gastropod lives only in a few small hot springs in Banff National Park. But, recently, changing rainfall and droughts in the mountains have caused some of their pools to go temporarily dry!
Detail of Banff Springs snails. (2019-02-23) by Kahli April PhotographyParks Canada
The good news is that park managers have successfully re-introduced the snails in springs where they’ve disappeared.
Species at Risk graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Whitebark pine―restoring a keystone species
Whitebark pine is a subalpine conifer facing a serious fungal disease (white pine blister rust) as well as several climate-related challenges, including mountain pine beetle, severe wild fires and encroachment by other tree species.
Planting a whitebark pine seedling. (2017-09-17) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
Park managers are now using prescribed fires and seedling planting programs to restore this keystone species in Banff and other mountain parks.
Clark's Nutcrackers. (2022-01-24) by Amar AthwalParks Canada
This preserves biodiversity and helps animals that eat whitebark pine seeds, like the Clark’s nutcracker, red squirrel, black bear and grizzly.
Graphic of elk and pika. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Tracking change
From alpine tundra to trout streams and mineral hot springs, park managers are monitoring changes in wildlife and natural systems to understand their vulnerability to climate change.
This data helps Parks Canada make decisions that give species-at-risk, and entire ecosystems, the best chance to adapt and survive.
Pests and diseases
Seeing red needles
Pests and diseases graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Pests and diseases—seeing red needles
Outbreaks of insects, pests, diseases, parasites and invasive species will become more frequent in the mountain parks because of climate change. This will affect plants, animals and even people!
Lookin' for a home
Infestations of mountain pine beetle have dramatically increased in the mountain parks. These native bark beetles kill pine trees (the needles turn red, then fall off).
Trees affected by mountain pine beetle. (2019-05-28) by Rogier GruysParks Canada
Bark beetles are part of the natural cycle of life in mountain forests. But climate change and warmer temperatures are increasing their impact. The result is an epidemic that’s been transforming forests in parts of western Canada for many years.
Pests and diseases graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Bug city
Human beings may encounter more diseases in the mountain parks thanks to climate change. For example, insect-transmitted diseases are expected to become more common.
This includes Lyme disease spread by ticks, and mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus― which may also infect many species of mountain wildlife!
Cariboooooooooou!
Diseases and parasites that affect mountain wildlife are expected to increase due to warmer temperatures and new animal species migrating up from the south.
Caribou in Jasper National Park. (2014-09-21) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
For example, the already-endangered woodland caribou may be impacted by diseases transported by deer, and by more biting insects and parasites.
Pests and diseases graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Parks Canada―managing pests and diseases
Parks Canada works hard to limit the spread of pests, diseases and non-native species within the mountain parks. For example, park managers use prescribed fires to improve the forest’s resilience to insect outbreaks.
Caging whitebark pine cones, Kootenay National Park. (2018-07-05) by Roslyn JohnsonParks Canada
They also manage and restore species threatened by diseases and insects, like the endangered whitebark pine. Most of all, they work to keep ecosystems healthy, because healthy ecosystems are more resilient to climate change and other disturbances.
Whitebark pines, Jasper National Park. (2017-06-14) by Iain ReidParks Canada
For example, an ecosystem with many diverse plant species can more easily recover from bark beetle infestations.
Wildfire
The heat is on!
Wildfire graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Wildfire—the heat is on!
Wild fires are becoming more frequent and intense in the mountain parks as our climate warms. Hotter, drier summers lead to drier forests. When forests get dry, human activity (the main cause of fires) and lightning are more likely to spark wild fires.
Fires can also burn more intensely and severely, and for longer periods of time. Longer summers also create a longer fire season, leading to more fires overall. These changes will impact both people and nature.
It's getting hot in here!
Severe heat or drought can create conditions where wild fires become more difficult to manage.
Mount Nestor prescribed fire, Banff National Park, 2009. (2009-09-23) by Parks CanadaParks Canada
Parks Canada works hard to suppress wild fires that pose risks to people and infrastructure, but the cost of putting them out is increasing as their frequency, intensity and duration rises.
Wildfire graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Smoke gets in your eyes
Smoke from summer wildfires can trigger air quality warnings and affect human health. More frequent wildfires also means increased risk to park buildings and towns. For example, in 2017, the Kenow Fire threatened the village of Waterton in Waterton Lakes National Park.
Fortunately, most of the town (including the historic Prince of Wales Hotel) was spared because of proactive planning, fuel breaks and other preventative measures implemented by Parks Canada and supporting local agencies.
Wildfire graphic. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Fire management and climate change
Climate change isn’t the only reason wildfires are now more common in the mountain parks. Before the parks were created, forests burned naturally. But decades of fire suppression led to thick, overgrown forests that are now more susceptible to wildfire.
Fire crew, Jasper. (2013-09-14) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
Drier climate conditions add to this vulnerability. Fortunately, park managers have adapted their practices. Today, they allow natural wildfires to burn (if it’s safe) and use prescribed fires to increase species diversity.
Prescribed fire, Banff National Park, 2022. (2022-05-08) by Alexandria JonesParks Canada
This improves ecosystem health and makes forests more resilient to climate change impacts. Prescribed fires are also used to create breaks that protect towns and infrastructure.
Mountain Legacy Project, Athabasca Glacier from below Wilcox peak, 2011. (2011-08-28) by Mountain Legacy ProjectParks Canada
Shrinking glaciers—going, going...gone!
Glaciers have been retreating throughout the mountain parks for the past 50 years because of warming temperatures and drier conditions. Scientists expect this shrinking trend to continue.
By 2100, the total volume of glacier ice in western Canada is predicted to decline by around 70%. Many glaciers will simply disappear, making the mountains and nearby prairies a very different place!
[Athabasca Glacier from below Wilcox peak] (1917) by Library and Archives Canada (A.O. Wheeler/Interprovincial Boundary Survey R214/Library and Archives Canada/e010675608, 1917)Parks Canada
Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields has lost more than half its volume in the last 125 years. In the mid-1800s it was two kilometres longer than it is today.
Mountain Legacy Project, Athabasca Glacier from below Wilcox peak, 2011. (2011-08-28) by Mountain Legacy ProjectParks Canada
It now shrinks by about five metres per year and may be gone by 2100.
Ecosystems and communities will feel the impact of disappearing mountain glaciers in many different ways.
Mountains, glaciers, flowers and stream, Jasper National Park. (2002) by L. SimmonsParks Canada
How dry I am
Melting glaciers contribute much of the water flowing through mountain rivers, especially during late summer (up to 35% in some rivers). But flow in the mountains and nearby prairies will lessen as glaciers disappear.
Summer hiking in Glacier National Park (Unknown) by Jacolyn DaniluckParks Canada
This will increase the likelihood of summer drought in semi-arid southern Alberta―a big problem for prairie cities, agriculture and industries.
Trees affected by mountain pine beetle. (2019-05-28) by Rogier GruysParks Canada
It’s not easy being green
Less summer meltwater and drier conditions will stress mountain forests and increase the risk of wildfire, forest pests and habitat loss for wildlife.
This may also reduce tree cover in valleys and floodplains, and cause some tree species to be replaced by others, altering the fabric and appearance of mountain landscapes.
Westslope cutthroat trout. Banff National Park. (Unknown) by Bill HuntParks Canada
Hot water
Disappearing glaciers will also impact mountain fish. Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout are native species that love cold water. But their streams and lakes are warming up due to reduced meltwater from glaciers and snowpack.
This may endanger native trout in the future, and affect the otters, eagles and osprey that eat them.
Researchers on the Illecillewaet Glacier. (2013-07-26) by Parks CanadaParks Canada
Fire and ice
Soot and ash from big summer wildfires often darken the surface of mountain glaciers, causing them to absorb more of the sun's heat and melt even faster. This effect is accelerating with more wildfires caused by climate change.
Mountain Legacy Project, Athabasca Glacier from below Wilcox peak, 2011. (2011-08-28) by Mountain Legacy ProjectParks Canada
Park scientists―glacier research and monitoring
Parks Canada supports research on glacial retreat that will help managers plan for future consequences.
Fieldwork in Jasper National Park. (2014-03-11) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
Scientists measure yearly changes in glacier size, mass, volume, length, depth, surface area, and rate of disappearance, as well as changes in snowfall, glacial meltwater, local weather patterns, and many other factors.
Ice patch archaeology
Hidden treasures
Alpine landscape. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Ice patch archaeology—hidden treasures
In the highest reaches of Jasper National Park and other alpine areas around the world, warming temperatures have led to some remarkable discoveries!
Melting ice patches have exposed very old human artifacts as well as animal and plant remains previously hidden and preserved by the ice, sometimes for thousands of years!
Many of these artifacts are made of materials like wood, bone, antler, animal hide or feathers that would have rotted away long ago if not frozen in the ice.
These rare finds are telling us new things about how people used alpine landscapes in the past, and how our mountain environments have changed over time.
What are “ice patches”?
If summer conditions are right in the high alpine, some snow doesn’t melt. It just builds up in the same place year after year and gradually turns into ice, becoming an "ice patch".
Ice patch in the Maligne Lake area of Jasper National Park. (2016-08-23) by Aaron OsickiParks Canada
Unlike glaciers, ice patches don’t move or flow―and some can be thousands of years old. (For example, one patch in Jasper National Park contains ice deposited up to 5800 years ago!)
Human artifacts in ice patches
Ancient people often hunted game near alpine ice patches, and any item they dropped on an ice patch (like an arrow, tool or piece of leather) could become encased in the ice and preserved like a time capsule.
Remains from ancient animals (like caribou antlers, bison bones, feathers, fur, hide and teeth) were also often preserved in this natural “deep freeze”.
Ice patch graphic detail. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
At some ice patch sites in the Yukon and Northwest Territories (including Kluane National Park), archaeologists have found remarkable artifacts including throwing darts, wood and stone tools, leather moccasins―even the 3,300-year-old remains of a human being!
So far, most of the remains found near ice patches in Jasper National Park have not been human-made artifacts. However, in 2014, scientists did recover some modified wooden shafts suggesting human activity near a Jasper ice patch (one was 2500 years old!).
Leather strip. (2019-06-26) by Bob DaweParks Canada
Then, in 2015, just over the British Columbia border in Mount Robson Provincial Park, archaeologists found a 345-year-old strip of leather―possibly from a hunter’s snare, moccasin or traveler’s bag. This item was dropped here just prior to European arrival in the region.
Archaeologists are optimistic about finding more human artifacts as ice patches continue to melt in the mountain parks and elsewhere in the Rocky Mountains.
Melting ice patch. (2010-07-18) by Mike DonnellyParks Canada
Why is ice patch archaeology a race against time?
All over the world, ice patches are melting fast and disappearing because of climate change. Once the delicate artifacts preserved inside them are exposed to the atmosphere, they usually disintegrate within just a few years.
So, scientists are now racing to find these relics before they vanish along with the ice patches that protected them!
What is Parks Canada doing about climate change?
Forillon National Park. (2011-10-19) by Parks CanadaParks Canada
What is Parks Canada doing about climate change?
Parks Canada protects vast reaches of land, freshwater and ocean across the country. These areas are essential for meeting Canada’s goals in conservation and biodiversity. They are also strategically important for tackling climate change.
Parks Canada manages protected areas to conserve species and keep ecosystems healthy. This helps reduce climate impacts, and helps people and nature adapt to change.
Ecological integrity monitoring. (2015-08-13) by Carmen WongParks Canada
Natural solutions and ecosystem superpowers
The most important way that Parks Canada takes action on climate change is by protecting, restoring and managing ecosystems across Canada, using the best available knowledge. This action is critical because healthy ecosystems are part of a “natural solution” to climate change.
What does that mean? Well, think of healthy ecosystems as natural “superheroes” with some pretty amazing superpowers for coping with climate change.
Rain forest. (1995-12-31) by Wayne LynchParks Canada
For example, healthy ecosystems...
…capture and store CO2, the main cause of anthropogenic (human-created) climate change.
Kayaking Rouge River. (2014-09-15) by Scott MunnParks Canada
...provide clean air, fresh water and other “ecosystem services” that act as a life-support system for people and wildlife dealing with climate change.
Motorcycles in Kootenay National Park. (2019-06-28) by Zoya LynchParks Canada
...conserve healthy watersheds (including forests and wetlands) that regulate water flow and protect downstream communities from droughts, floods, erosion and other impacts of climate change.
Caribou in Jasper National Park. (2014-09-21) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
...protect species and biodiversity, giving wildlife space to move around and adapt as their landscapes and habitats change with the climate.
Whitebark pines on mountain. (2017-09-12) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
...recover faster from the impacts of climate change, because healthy, diverse ecosystems are more resilient and recover more easily from disturbances like wild fires and forest pests.
Fieldwork in Jasper National Park. (2014-03-11) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
...are “living laboratories” where scientists can monitor the effects of climate change on natural systems; this helps us predict future impacts and plan responses that safeguard people and give species the best chance to adapt and survive.
American Beaver. (1988) by Wayne LynchParks Canada
Parks Canada manages protected areas to keep them healthy and preserve their ecosystem “superpowers”, ensuring that they continue to provide benefits and “natural solutions” as the climate changes.
South Okanagan Similkameen. (2017-10-26) by Éric LaflammeParks Canada
Expanding and restoring Canada’s protected areas
Healthy, connected ecosystems provide benefits that help people and nature adapt to climate change and limit the worst effects. So, it’s important to protect a diversity of ecosystems across the landscape, and the more the better!
Arctic shoreline, Qausuittuq National Park. (2017-08-05) by Jovan SimicParks Canada
Expanding protected areas
Together with regional partners and Indigenous communities, Parks Canada is moving fast to create or support new protected areas across Canada. The goal is to conserve at least 30% of Canada’s lands and 30% of its oceans by 2030.
(Targets current as of November 2022).
Three polar bears. (2006-07-28) by H. WittenbornParks Canada
Parks Canada also works to connect protected areas into larger networks, so wildlife can migrate and adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Bison return, Banff National Park. (2017-02-02) by Dan RaflaParks Canada
Restoring ecological integrity
Parks Canada is also restoring damaged ecosystems and helping species at risk recover. For example, in the mountain parks, conservation projects are restoring whitebark pine forests and re-introducing bison to parts of Banff National Park.
White Bark Pine seedling. (2017-09-12) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
Restoration makes ecosystems more resilient to climate change, ensuring they will provide diverse benefits for people and nature as temperatures rise.
Hiking in Vuntut. (1997-12-31) by Wayne LynchParks Canada
Adaptation and mitigation
Besides protecting a diversity of ecosystems and species, Parks Canada takes direct action on climate change in two important ways: “mitigation” and “adaptation”.
Clouds. (2008-09-11) by Dale WilsonParks Canada
Mitigation―reducing atmospheric CO2
"Mitigation" means reducing the total amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere in order to limit the overall magnitude of global warming. Mitigation either reduces greenhouse emissions or removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Parks Canada is reducing greenhouse emissions by changing how we operate. Along with other federal departments, the target is to cut greenhouse emissions by 40% by 2030 (below 2005 levels), and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
(Targets current as of November 2022).
Windy Lodge with solar panel. (2017-02-11) by Dillon WattParks Canada
So far, Parks Canada is adopting low-emissions vehicles and new energy technologies (like solar panels on back-country warden cabins!), supporting alternative transportation, reducing waste- related emissions and educating visitors about CO2 reduction.
By working together, we can make an important difference!
Waterton townsite, after the Kenow Wildfire, 2017. (2017-09-16) by Dan RaflaParks Canada
Adaptation―managing the unavoidable
“Adaptation” means adjusting to climate change impacts that can’t be avoided. It means anticipating problems before they happen and planning effective responses; reducing vulnerabilities and limiting the worst effects.
Black bear feeds on a cow elk, after the Kenow Wildfire. (2017-09-15) by Dan RaflaParks Canada
Above all, it means helping people and nature “weather the storm” and adapt to new conditions. In some national parks, it will mean managing ecosystems and keeping them resilient as they transform into something different and new.
Weather station maintenance, Quttinirpaaq National Park. (2016-07-13) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
Fortunately, Parks Canada and its partners have the tools, knowledge and ingenuity to adapt. In the mountain parks and across the country, Parks Canada is...
Prescribed burn, Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario. (2012-05-14) by Lyn ElliottParks Canada
...managing ecosystems to keep them healthy and resilient to climate change.
Water sampling in Kluane National Park and Reserve. (2015-06-17) by Carmen WongParks Canada
...monitoring changes in natural systems to assess their vulnerability, predict challenges and plan adaptations.
Whitebark pine tree planting. (2017-09-12) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
...restoring species and habitats damaged by climate change (e.g., whitebark pine).
Protecting the Prince of Wales Hotel. (2017-09-11) by Dan RaflaParks Canada
...working to reduce impacts like flooding, drought, wild fire, habitat loss, loss of buildings and infrastructure, and damage to historic and cultural treasures.
Talking whitebark pine in Banff National Park. (2016-09-17) by Scott MunnParks Canada
...promoting awareness about how climate change will affect us all!
Cityscape, seen from Rouge National Urban Park. (2014-09-16) by Scott MunnParks Canada
Climate change affects more than just Canada’s mountain parks. It’s a global phenomenon that affects us all. What changes have you noticed in your part of the world?
Kayaking in Jasper National Park. (2015-06-14) by Ryan BrayParks Canada
Learn more about climate change and nature-based solutions at Parks Canada:
parks.canada.ca/climate
Mountains of Change title. (2019-08-12) by Daughter CreativeParks Canada
Sources used to create this exhibit:
Bush, E. and Lemmen, D.S., editors (2019). Canada’s
Changing Climate Report. Government of Canada, Ottawa,
ON. https://changingclimate.ca/CCCR2019/
Canadian Parks Council Climate Change Working Group (2013). Canadian Parks and Protected Areas: Helping Canada Weather Climate Change. Parks Canada Agency on behalf of the Canadian Parks Council. www.parks-parcs.ca/english/ CPC%20Climate%20Change%20Report%20FINAL%20engLR.Pdf
Hunt, W.A., editor (2018). Banff National Park State of the Park
Report: Resource Conservation Technical Summaries 2008 to
2017. Parks Canada, unpublished technical report.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2014). Climate
Change 2014: Synthesis Report. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland,
151 pp. https://www.ipcc.ch/reports/
Parker, Scott (2017). Let’s Talk about Climate Change:
Mountain Region (Version 1.2). Report prepared for Parks
Canada: Office of the Chief Ecosystem Scientist.
Parker, Scott (2018). Supplemental Climate Information: Lake
Louise (Banff), Yoho and Kootenay National Parks. Report
prepared for Parks Canada: Office of the Chief Ecosystem
Scientist.
Parks Canada Agency. Eight Things You Should Know About
Natural Solutions to Climate Change. Web article: https://
www.pc.gc.ca/en/nature/science/climat-climate/huit-eight
Parks Canada Agency. Studying Glacial Recession. Web
article: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/glacier/nature/
recherche-research/glacier
Parks Canada Agency. Whitebark Pine. Web article: https://
www.pc.gc.ca/en/nature/science/conservation/feu-fire/
feuveg-fireveg/veg-veg/pin-pine
Sharma, T., Kurz, W.A., Fellows, M., MacDonald, A.L., Richards, J., Chisholm, C., Seutin, G., Richardson, K., Keenleyside, K. (n.k.). Parks Canada Carbon Atlas Series: Carbon Dynamics in the Forests of National Parks in Canada. Scientific Report. Parks Canada Agency, Gatineau, QC
Zukiwsky, J. et. al. (2016). Town of Canmore Climate
Change Adaptation Background Report and Resilience Plan.
Town of Canmore. https://canmore.ca/residents/stewardship-
of-the-environment/climate-change-adaptation-plan
"Mountains of Change" is a story produced by Parks Canada Agency.
This Google Arts and Culture exhibit is based on “Mountains of Change: Climate change in Canada’s mountain national parks”, a physical exhibit installation created for Banff Park Museum National Historic Site in 2019 by Parks Canada (Heritage Programs, Banff Field Unit).
Concept, Writing and Story Design: Angus Leech
Design and Interactive Layout: Cam Fisher
Graphic Design assets: Daughter Creative
Special Content Advisors:
Parks Canada, Ecosystem Sciences team (special thanks Scott Parker and Tara Sharma)
Banff National Park, Resource Conservation team (special thanks Bill Hunt and Jane Park)
Parks Canada, New Media team
Parks Canada, External Relations and Visitor Experiences team
Learn more about Banff Park Museum National Historic Site:
parks.canada.ca/banffparkmuseum
