Ecology & Wonder in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site

Ecology & Wonder makes several remarkable claims: The greatest cultural achievement in the Western Canadian mountain region may be what has been preserved, not what has been developed. Protecting the spine of the Rocky Mountains will preserve crucial ecological functions. Because the process of ecosystem diminishment and species loss has been slowed, an ecological thermostat has been kept alive. This may well be an important defence against future climate change impacts in the Canadian west. Ecology & Wonder is a must-read for those who appreciate Western Canada’s breathtaking landscape.

About the Author

Robert W. Sandford is the author or editor of over twenty books on the nature, history, and culture of the Canadian West. He is the Canadian Chair of the United Nations International Decade “Water for Life,” an initiative that aims to advance long-term water quality and availability issues in response to climate change in Canada and abroad. He is also an Honorary Member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. He lives in Canmore, Alberta.

Reviews

Every once in a while a book comes along that quickly proves its value by going beyond the simple act of sharing information and, through its quality and depth, not only helps us understand who we are, but how we fit into this place we call home. … With the publication of Bob Sandford’s Ecology & Wonder in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site this short, but extremely important, list of books has just grown by one.

Rocky Mountain Outlook

Table of Contents

1. Invocation: The Magnificent Seven
2. Part I. The West We Had: Foundations of Place
   1. 1. A Walk into the Past: Setting a Context of Place
   2. 2. The Creation: Monumentality and Place
   3. 3. The Creation: People and Place Before European Contact
   4. 4. Exchanging What We Had for What We Want: The Fur Trade Era in the Canadian West
   5. 5. The Coming of Death: Diminishment and Loss among the First Peoples of the West
3. Part II. The West We Have: Making the Mountains Our Home
   1. 6. Giving Meaning to Mountains and Making Them Ours: Mountaineering and the Aesthetics of Place
   2. 7. Brushes with Eternity: Landscape Art and Photography in the Canadian Rockies
   3. 8. Crystal and Cold Blue Chasms: The Literature of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site
   4. 9. Stemming the Tide of Loss: The Give and Take of Modern Management In and Around the Mountain Parks
   5. 10. Countering Dispossession: Saving Our Unique Mountain Culture
   6. The East Slope: Flowing Toward the Atlantic
   7. 11. The Birthplace of Canada’s National Park Ideal: Banff National Park
   8. The North Slope: Flowing Toward the Arctic
   9. 12. The Birthplace of Western and Northern Rivers: The Columbia Icefield and Jasper National Park
   10. The West Slope: Flowing Toward the Pacific
   11. 13. The Roof of the Canadian Rockies: Mount Robson Provincial Park
   12. 14. Small, Remote, but Utterly Wild: Hamber Provincial Park
   13. 15. The Geography of Wonder: Yoho National Park
   14. 16. The Road to Radium: Kootenay National Park
   15. 17. Matterhorn of the Rockies: Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
4. Part III. The West We Want: Creating a Culture Worthy of Place
   1. 18. Respecting and Honouring the Great Bear: The Grizzly as a Symbol of the West We Want
   2. 19. Seeing What Is Hidden in Plain Sight: Triumphing Over Diminishment and Loss
   3. 20. Expanding the World Heritage Site Designation: Managing for Future Integrity Instead of Loss
   4. 21. Creating a Culture Commensurate with Place
5. Notes / Index

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited.