Parks and Rec: A scorching summer

By Keziah Lesko-Gosselin on August 17, 2021.

Summer is typically a season to spend time outdoors, but this year’s hot and dry temperatures have limited peoples’ abilities to do so.

Many have struggled to beat the heat this summer, and even for those who love hot weather, poor air quality conditions have affected virtually everyone in the community. The heat wave that hit Medicine Hat early this summer broke temperature records across North America, and unfortunately led to higher than usual heat-related deaths.

High temperatures damaged infrastructure in many communities, and have caused many farmers to experience losses due to heat and drought. Notably, the heat wave sparked treacherous wildfires across the continent, devastating numerous communities and leaving many homeless.

As extreme summer weather becomes more frequent, people must act to help ease the season’s strain. Keeping safe and hydrated during hot and smoky conditions is important to stay healthy.

Try limiting time outdoors when air quality is poor and during the hottest hours of the day. When outdoors, stay out of direct sunlight when possible, and wear sunscreen. If you know someone who has to be outdoors in the heat, consider giving them a ride or a bottle of water to help.

To protect the environment, reducing possible fire sources is key. Medicine Hat is under a fire ban, and under no circumstances are open fires permitted, including the use of wood burning fire pits and charcoal barbecues. Backyard fires may be summer staples, but preventing loss of life, injury, property damage and threats to our prairie take priority.

While fires are undesirable near urban areas, natural wildfires are integral to the natural maintenance of many ecosystems around the world. Various plants and animals depend on periodic fires to maintain a balance within their ecosystems, and small, regular fires can help prevent larger and more-damaging fires from occurring. Smaller and natural forest fires stimulate new growth by opening the tree canopy to let light in, contributing to soil-nutrient cycling, and releasing seeds from pinecones.

Medicine Hat, while not typically impacted by wildfires, is naturally subject to low rates of precipitation and high rates of evaporation, contributing to the area’s unique ecosystem. The region’s dry summers increase susceptibility to fires, so it is important to respect local fire bans.

Dryness also creates an interesting challenge when managing for green and lush parks. When there is little rainfall, vegetation requires more water from irrigation to survive. To assure parks are maintained efficiently, City of Medicine Hat Parks and Recreation uses soil moisture monitoring technology and water metering to assess resource requirements and consumption.