Saturday, July 17th marks Canada’s National Parks Day. It's also the kick-off to the Canadians Parks and Wilderness Society video contest called Celebrate Canada’s Parks. Here's the contest low-down in three steps:

 

Now you’re eligible to win a guided trip down the world-famous South Nahanni River through the recently expanded Nahanni National Park Reserve, courtesy of Nahanni River Adventures.

 

Valued at $15,000, the coveted Nahanni trip is the top prize. But you could also win a video camera, national park passes, and gift certificates to Mountain Equipment Co-op.  Prizes will be awarded for the top voted video for each of the 42 parks as well as a weekly random draw. For contest details, visit www.celebrateparks.ca.
 

 

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society have released their 3rd annual Parks report. In the spirit of the International Year of Biodiversity, they asked “How is Wildlife Faring in Canada’s Parks?” The report offers a glimpse into the animal species that have a bright future ahead of them as well as those on shaky ground.

 

The report also indicates how well Canadian wilderness areas are doing and whether they will need additional conservation efforts in the future to maintain a balanced ecosystem. Several of the areas mentioned connect to campaigns we feature here on The Big Wild.
 

Honest to goodness, it’s a really excellent read and you’ll feel better knowing the deal on the state of Canada’s Parks in the year to come. Click here to read the 2010 CPAWS Parks Report.