The Golden Wildlife Festival of Birds and Bears In a heart-of-the-mountains community, where backyard wildlife can include black bears, bighorn sheep and mountain bluebirds, an annual festival has been built around the beginning of spring migration and the end of winter hibernation. The Golden Wildlife Festival of Birds & Bears takes place each year during the second week of May, and features daily guided bird watching walks, "birdathons," river floats, nature exhibits, "bear aware" workshops, and community social events. The town of Golden, with a population of just over 4,000 people, is located on the Trans Canada Highway, at the confluence of the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers, with Glacier National Park to the west and Yoho National Park just 16 kilometres to the east. While in Golden, visit the Golden Museum, open from May to September, to learn more about the history of Rocky Mountain railroad construction, mountain pass exploration, river travel and the heritage of British Columbia's mountain communities.

Year of the Mountain: In 2002, Yoho National Park and the Kicking Horse communities of Field and Golden, British Columbia, took part in a program of lectures, heritage walks, hikes, conferences, interpretive programs, commemorative events and special ascents that marked the United Nations International Year of Mountains. The UN focus was intended to increase awareness and understanding of mountain ecosystems, and to promote conservation and sustainable development of mountain regions. By recognizing mountains in a special year-long celebration, the United Nations placed the management of fragile mountain ecosystems on an equal footing with climate change, tropical deforestation and desertification as issues that need to be addressed by the global community.

Throughout the mountainous regions of western and northern Canada, Parks Canada coordinated a series of activities that highlighted the cultural heritage of Canadian mountains, and addressed the challenges of balancing economic development and ecological sustainability:

• At Kicking Horse Campground in Yoho National Park, park interpreters led "walks into the past," following the footsteps of railway "navvies" who helped to build Canada's first transcontinental railway.

• In Golden, at the confluence of the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers, a "Wild Voices" Speakers Series explored the link between people and wildlife, and in Kootenay National Park, south of the Kicking Horse River, art exhibits, campfire circles, glacier hikes, canyon walks and a special edition of the "Wings Over the Rockies Bird Festival" offered a summer-long celebration of mountain life.

• At Roger's Pass, in Glacier Mountain National Park, hikes, theatrical presentations, heritage talks and social events commemorated the birthplace of Canadian mountaineering, and honoured the memory of the Canadian Pacific Railway "Swiss Guides," who built many Canadian Rocky mountain trails.

A Centre for Mountain Culture: Mountain culture is celebrated on an ongoing basis at the Mountain Culture at Banff Centre, located in the resort town of Banff, Alberta, east of the Kicking Horse River. The world-renowned Banff Centre is Canada's only learning centre dedicated to the arts, leadership development and mountain culture; its mountain focus is intended to promote understanding and appreciation of the world's mountain places through art, discussion, research and interaction with mountain leaders. The institution, which includes natural history, human heritage, the arts, philosophy, lifestyle, adventure, economics and environment in its definition of mountain culture, presents lectures, coordinates a speaker's bureau, sponsors a photography competition, and hosts the Banff Mountain Book and Film Festivals. While outdoor adventure, environmental issues and artistic expression figure prominently in the Centre's activities, recognition of the spirituality of mountain places and the inspirational impact of extreme landscapes is an important aspect of its cultural role.