Sustainable Growth this Spring
Spring in the Bow Valley brings an abundance of life. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to the valley, raising important questions about the future and well-being of the broader community. As the tourism industry and population continues to grow and expand, so does the demand placed on our natural spaces and community resources, prompting concerns about the sustainability of this growth.
This month, we're exploring how our communities are working together to build a more sustainable future—one that responds to the local economy and supports the landscapes, wildlife, resources and people that make the Bow Valley such a special place.
Construction and the Circular Economy: how the ReUse Project is Rethinking CRD (Construction, Renovation and Demolition) Waste
ReUse Bow Valley is a pilot project developed by the Biosphere Institute focused on helping divert construction, renovation, demolition (CRD) waste from the landfill and back into the Bow Valley community for free.
The ReUse pilot program aims to address three big challenges in the Bow Valley: affordability, waste and a lack of space.
These three challenges are connected, and we believe that establishing a coordinated system to keep materials circulating locally can help to address them all simultaneously and productively.
What we’re faced with is a quickly growing community and an expanding tourism industry that are both creating a demand for new and renovated housing and accommodation across the Bow Valley. As a byproduct, large amounts of CRD materials are sent to the landfill as waste despite their usability. Every year, the Francis Cooke Landfill receives over 7,000 tonnes of waste, or roughly enough to fill 13 to 14 olympic sized swimming pools. With no nearby alternative available, no room to expand, and a growing community set to place more pressure on our ability to dispose of waste, this issue is especially pressing. Simultaneously, the cost of living in the Bow Valley has continued to rise over recent years.
So how does the ReUse project work to address these issues?
ReUse bow valley has established a free network over Facebook as well as a physical ReUse hub to help facilitate the preservation of usable materials and goods and keep them in the hands of the community.
Contributors refer to people who offer items to the ReUse Bow Valley network, and Reusers are those who take and use the items for free.
Anyone can participate as a contributor or re-user in this free network, and by doing so, support both the preservation and re-distribution of wonderful, affordable materials.
We are always looking for volunteers, and new contributors and re-users. You could even win $100 dollars by submitting your ReUse creation!
Click here to learn more!
Click here to visit the Facebook page!
Climate Change and a Growing Population: a Few Easy Actions Towards Resiliency
As the Bow Valley continues to grow, more homes, neighbourhoods, and businesses are being built in or adjacent to the wildland-urban interface (WUI)—the areas where communities meet forests and natural landscapes. At the same time, climate change is contributing to longer wildfire seasons, hotter temperatures, and more frequent periods of drought. Together, these factors are increasing the likelihood of wildfires impacting our communities.
While we can't eliminate wildfire risk, we can reduce the potential for homes and neighbourhoods to ignite. Wildfire resilience is about preparing our communities to withstand wildfire by reducing hazards before a fire occurs. It includes creating more defensible homes and neighbourhoods, maintaining healthy forests, planning for emergencies, and working together so that when wildfire does occur, it is less likely to threaten lives, homes, and critical infrastructure. Building wildfire resilience isn't just about protecting individual properties—it's about safeguarding our communities, emergency responders, local businesses, and the landscapes that make the Bow Valley such a special place to live and visit.
Five FireSmart Quick Wins
Many of the most effective wildfire mitigation measures are simple and affordable:
Keep the first 1.5 metres around your home non-combustible. Replace wood mulch with gravel or stone, and remove combustible materials from against your home.
Clean your roof and gutters. Pine needles and leaves can easily be ignited by wind-blown embers.
Move firewood, propane tanks, and other combustible materials away from buildings during wildfire season.
Reduce ladder fuels. Prune lower tree branches, remove dead shrubs, and space vegetation to help prevent fire from climbing into the tree canopy.
Maintain your yard. Regularly mow grass, remove dead vegetation, and keep decks and fences free of combustible debris.
Wildfire Resilience Takes a Community
Wildfire doesn't stop at property lines. Whether you own a home, rent, live in a condo, or manage a second property, there are ways to contribute.
If you live in a neighborhood with second home-owners who are absent for large periods of time, consider involving them in conversations about wildfire resiliency. It may be helpful to remind them that their actions (or inaction) has an impact on the entire community, and that their decision to own a home in the Bow Valley comes with the responsibility of responding to wildfire risk. At the end of the day, wildfire doesn’t take stock of the time someone spends in the valley, just how flammable their home and property is.
If you live in a condo or managed property, ask your condo board or property management company whether they have incorporated FireSmart principles into landscaping, vegetation management, and emergency planning. Small improvements made across an entire development can significantly reduce wildfire risk.
Working Together Through the Neighbourhood Recognition Program
The FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program (NRP) recognizes that wildfire resilience is most effective when neighbours work together. FireSmart Canada’s Neighbourhood Recognition Program (NRP) is a national program developed to officially recognize neighbourhoods that have taken critical steps to reduce their vulnerability to wildland fire. The program focuses on bringing neighbours together to address threats on their respective properties, and those in common areas within the community.
Community Updates
Get Involved This Summer
Keep an eye out for the Biosphere Institute's FireSmart Ambassadors throughout the summer. They'll be sharing practical wildfire preparedness tips, answering questions, and helping residents identify simple actions they can take to make their homes and communities more resilient.
Interested in making a difference? Sign up to become a FireSmart Ambassador with the Biosphere Institute. Volunteers play an important role in educating residents, supporting community outreach, and helping build a more wildfire-resilient Bow Valley.
As our communities continue to grow and development expands into the wildland-urban interface, building wildfire resilience is becoming increasingly important. By working together today, we can help ensure the Bow Valley remains a safe, healthy, and sustainable place for residents, visitors, and future generations.
Community Wins and Upcoming Programs Supporting a Sustainable Future.
With support from the Biosphere Institute, the students and staff of École Notre-dame des Monts achieved Gold status for their commitment to environmental learning and climate action from EcoSchools Canada.
This national-level of recognition is awarded to NDM for their commitment to outdoor learning, the Ways of the Bison program, the Pollinator Garden and other initiatives. NDM is recognized alongside 2,000 other schools throughout Canada who are leading the way to a thriving future.
Girls on the Fly: Connecting Young Women Through Fly Fishing and Conservation
Applications are now open for the Girls on the Fly program—a free opportunity for young women (ages 14–18) to learn fly fishing while connecting with nature, conservation, and a growing community of women in the sport.
Participants are invited to take part in fly casting clinics, presentations from female experts in fly fishing and conservation, hands-on habitat restoration projects, and opportunities to connect with local women who share a passion for the outdoors. Participants will also receive a beginner fly fishing rod setup (valued at approximately $300, based on participant needs).
By bringing women together to learn, volunteer, and spend time outdoors, the program helps strengthen community connections while inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards. Habitat restoration projects and conservation education also contribute to the long-term health and resilience of the Bow Valley's rivers and ecosystems.
The program is open to young women (ages 14–18) and women mentors who live in Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore, MD of Bighorn, or Mînî Thnî. No previous fly fishing experience is required.
The program kicks off on July 15, with additional events throughout August and September, including on-the-water coaching, trout habitat restoration, and a riparian restoration project in Banff.
Registration closes July 6. Space is limited and participation is free.
Harnessing the Power of Food Workshop #2: Cooking Out of the Box!
What's in the box? Join us to find out! Gather for an evening of creativity, community, and delicious surprises as we transform a mystery selection of fresh, seasonal produce from the Bow Valley Food Alliance's Good Food Box program! We'll explore how to cook intuitively, embrace what's in season, and discover just how much is possible with a handful of local ingredients from the Good Food Box program that week.
August 12, 2026
Doors open: 5:30 pm
Workshop: 6pm
Location: Co+Kitchen, Canmore, AB
Sliding Scale Tickets: $0-50
Buy the Environment a Coffee... Join the Biosphere's Summit Club!
Looking for a meaningful way to give back to the Bow Valley? Join the Biosphere Institute's Summit Club, our community of monthly donors helping protect the places we love. Whether it's conserving wildlife habitat, FireSmarting, inspiring climate action, or bringing neighbours together through community programs, your monthly gift creates lasting local impact.
Even a small monthly donation (about the cost of a coffee!) helps build a healthier, more resilient Bow Valley.
As a Summit Club member, you'll also receive invitations to exclusive experiences, including our upcoming summer hike with Executive Director Gareth, along with other behind-the-scenes opportunities throughout the year!
Together, we can invest in the future of the Bow Valley one month at a time.
Click here.