| Hikers, bikers, back-country campers and trail riders will be in for a surreal sight this summer as they discover hundreds of randomly placed tree tags bearing the message "Save Kananaskis – it’s worth it." The biodegradable tags, cut from fallen trees, are meant to raise awareness of imminent logging in the eastern districts of Kananaskis Country. Organizer Doug Sephton of Tag A Tree, a group of residents and businesses in Bragg Creek and Redwood Meadows, also hopes the tags will encourage support for a new wildland park in the area.
On April 12, Alberta Minister of Sustainable Resources Ted Morton declared a state of emergency in K-Country due to the area’s alleged pine beetle threat. Despite repeated calls by Albertans for an end to logging in the area, Morton plans to move ahead with clear-cutting.
Sephton decided to act when he grew tired of receiving no government response on the issue. "I’ve been doing these things for a long time and I understand the power of a good idea," he said from his Bragg Creek home. After a recent logging meeting, he and a wood sculptor friend came up with the novel idea of giving away free tags.
The tags will be available May 12 during a kick off event at Bragg Creek Centre from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After speeches by environmentalists and politicians, people will head out on the trails to tag a tree. The tags will also be available at several businesses in Bragg Creek and will be supplied in Calgary at Mountain Equipment Co-op and Bow Cycle. Mini versions of the tags are available as fashion accessories for your body, bike, or mirror. For more information, go to www.tagatree.ca. |
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