Solo 1,400-kilometre bike ride for awareness
Darkwoods, as seen from the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area at the south end of Kootenay Lake, BC. (Photo by M. A. Beaucher)
Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) supporter Alex Simakov has embarked on a 1,400-kilometre solo bike ride from Calgary to Vancouver to raise awareness for NCC's conservation initiatives in the Rocky Mountains and to encourage Canadians to take action against climate change now before it’s too late.
Alex’s two-week journey includes cycling through iconic Canadian landscapes and vulnerable habitats for NCC’s Canadian Rockies program. The two-week journey includes stops at the Jim Prentice Wildlife corridor and NCC's Elk Flathead conservation areas.
NCC’s Canadian Rockies program aims to enhance and protect wildlife corridors in BC and Alberta. Wildlife corridors are areas created to help wildlife migrate safely to their breeding habitats, helping their populations thrive. These passages also help maintain plant and animal diversity in forested areas by connecting fragmented areas.
Alex explains that as we continue enjoying the many services that nature provides us with, we need to take on some level of responsibility to ensure that we leave the ecosystems in a better state than when we first arrived to them.
As an energy consultant in Toronto, Alex has dedicated his career to transitioning Canada into a clean and sustainable future. He hopes to spread the message that "we need to confront climate change, not as a future threat but as a present challenge," he says. It is up to us as citizens to do our part to increase our resiliency against natural disasters and protect vulnerable habitats.
Due to the urgency of climate change, Alex urges that the public need to work with conservation organizations to combat the climate crisis. "Climate change will continue to intensify over our lifetime, but we have the ability to reduce and minimize the impact," he says.
As Canadians we can reduce our carbon footprint and improve resiliency against extreme weather events by conserving and restoring our natural areas. Even small acts of conservation can yield great benefits for wildlife and their habitats across Canada.
Environmental awareness is the first step to change. We would like to thank Alex for taking on this challenge to raise awareness for conservation and for supporting NCC. Together, we can protect Canada's natural areas and ensure a better tomorrow for future generations.
To support for Alex's fundraiser for NCC, click here. Event updates and coverage can be found on his Twitter @Alexei_Simakov.
