Canada has a large portion of the world’s glaciers and here’s how you can help protect them

Want to make your next visit to a national park count? A new initiative by Parks Canada, BC Parks, and the University of Waterloo has made it possible for park-goers in B.C. and Alberta to contribute to critical environmental research to help preserve Canada’s glaciers.

Canada is home to a large portion of the world’s glaciers, which are rapidly depleting due to climate change. BC Parks explains that glaciers are vital to our ecosystems and fresh water supply, which is why they’re launching the aptly named Icy Initiative.

The new community science program builds upon the success of the 2021 Coastie program, which helped monitor coastal changes in Atlantic Canada through visitor-submitted photos.

This initiative builds on the success of the Coastie program, launched in 2021, where visitor-submitted photos help monitor coastal changes in Atlantic Canada.

How to participate

To participate, park visitors at Bugaboo, Garibaldi, Mount Robson, Glacier, and Jasper National Parks can snap a photo of a glacier using one of three recently installed “Icy Stands” located throughout each park.

To start, visitors place their phones in one of the cell phone holders, capturing a photo of the glacier. Photos are then submitted via the QR code on-site or through the GeoReach website.

These photos will go to researchers at the University of Waterloo, who will analyze them and track glacial changes such as glacier retreat, thinning, and disappearance.

“In this UN International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, our government and Parks Canada are proud to invite Canadians to connect with the beauty and power of the iconic glaciers we are so fortunate to have in Canada,” says Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Steven Guilbeault. “Through the Icy Initiative, visitors become part of the story — helping us understand and protect these precious natural wonders in the face of climate change.”

So, by simply snapping a photo during your next national park visit, you can help scientists mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change. Be a part of glacial conservation, and make some core memories while you do it!

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