New Episode of Resources Radio: "Accessing Nature through Canada’s Parks, with Dawn Carr"

WASHINGTON, DC—Resources for the Future (RFF) today released a new installment of Resources Radio: “Accessing Nature through Canada’s Parks, with Dawn Carr.”

Editor’s Note: Next week, we’ll release the first episode of our month-long spin-off series, “Big Decisions: The Future of US Environmental and Energy Policy.” For this series, which will air in our same Resources Radio time slot every Tuesday in October, RFF President Richard G. Newell and RFF Board of Directors Chair Sue Tierney will share guest-hosting duties; they will talk with leading decisionmakers, analysts, researchers, and reporters about the big decisions that will impact US environmental and energy policy in the years to come. Stay tuned for more!

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Dawn Carr, the executive director of the Canadian Parks Council, a network of national, provincial, and territorial parks across Canada. Carr acknowledges that nature is important to human health, and she describes how the Canadian Parks Council aims to ensure that parks are readily available to all Canadians, including indigenous communities and the nation’s many urban residents. Planning for the future is another priority for Carr, who explores how climate change is already impacting the famously frigid nation and how policymakers are working to protect and restore critical ecosystems.

Listen here.

Notable quotes from the podcast:

• Nature provides both personal and economic benefits: “There are benefits for me as an individual to connect with nature. From a mental health perspective, I'm much calmer when I'm looking out my window at green space. When there are stressful experiences that are occurring in our lives—such as this year, 2020, which is not a normal year—getting out into nature has a tremendous impact on our health and well-being … that ends up having some pretty significant economic impacts, as well.” (8:32).
• Making parks accessible for historically excluded communities: “Historically speaking, national parks, provincial parks, and state parks in the United States [have provided] opportunities for more privileged families … They do often require significant resources to experience them. So, as we talk about the importance of connecting with nature, I think that it behooves us as government entities and others that are in this space … to ensure that [parks] become more equitable and inclusive.” (11:20).
• Protecting natural ecosystems and preparing for climate change: “Climate change is having a humongous and very significant impact, especially to our northern communities … From a parks perspective and a government perspective, we're very much trying to collaborate on ways to better adapt to climate change, by protecting and restoring ecosystems. They are very resilient, but how can we restore and protect these places so that our cultural and natural resources continue to thrive? That's a real challenge.” (21:51)