People benefit a lot by getting out into provincial and national parks to enjoy nature. Lucky for us, those parks are criss-crossed by roads and trails that help us access our favourite spots. But these roads and trails can also affect the plant and animal species that live in wilderness areas. In this talk, Jenny will tell us about a study she and her students did to test how roads and trails affect plants in the Castle Provincial Parks here in southern Alberta. They learned that the impact of trails on plants depends a lot on the type of trail use, and the vegetation type the trail crosses. They also showed that exotic plants tend to turn up at higher elevations near off-highway vehicle trails. Trails are important for accessing and appreciating nature, but it is worthwhile to consider their impacts on the wild species we are hoping to protect.

The presentation will be held at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre community room, located in the Lethbridge river valley at the north end of Indian Battle Road South.