Park Management
Table of Contents | Introduction | Current Twinning | Highway Fencing & Wildlife Crossings
An International Collaboration
Initiated in 2009, Highway Wilding is a collaborative endeavour between Parks Canada, the Miistakis Institute for the Rockies, the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, the Woodcock Foundation, and the Wilburforce Foundation to evaluate basic transportation management questions regarding the performance of wildlife crossing structures and fencing.
Western Transportation Institute – Founded in 1994 by the Montana and California Departments of Transportation in cooperation with Montana State University-Bozeman, the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) has grown from a small, university research office into a nationally recognized center of excellence in rural transportation research and education.
Miistakis Institute – The Miistakis Institute for the Rockies was founded in 1995 to build bridges between people, their perceptions and their information about the “Crown of the Continent” landscape that stretches from Montana, British Columbia and Alberta. Miistakis is a non-profit corporation affiliated with the University of Calgary that undertakes and supports pure and applied research respecting the ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains and surrounding regions.
Wilburforce Foundation – The Wilburforce Foundation protects wildlife habitat in Western North America by actively supporting organizations and leaders advancing conservation solutions. The Wilburforce Foundation has been involved in wildlife monitoring and mitigation research along the Trans-Canada Highway since 2005. Wilburforce supports efforts to shed light on the movement patterns and habitat needs of focal species in the west and efforts to investigate means for mitigating the negative consequences that can arise when wildlife and human habitats overlap.
Woodcock Foundation – The Woodcock Foundation is a progressive family foundation established to link family creativity and resources with community development needs. The Woodcock Foundation has been involved in wildlife monitoring and mitigation research along the Trans-Canada Highway since 2005 and is a key partner in raising the international awareness around wildlife movement and protection while promoting feasible, buildable context-sensitive and compelling design solutions for safe, efficient, cost-effective, and ecologically responsive wildlife crossings.
Parks Canada – Parks Canada manages the protection, preservation and administration of 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites and four marine conservation areas across Canada. Parks Canada’s mandate is to manage this legacy by maintaining or improving ecological integrity in national parks while providing experiences and learning opportunities that connect Canadians to their treasured places. Parks Canada is an experienced world-leader in managing and restoring ecosystems to natural states using the best science available in conjunction with universities, other agencies and a variety of institutions.
Parks Canada has funded research and monitoring of wildlife crossing structures along the Trans-Canada Highway since 1996, the only long-term research project on road mitigation in the world.
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