Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) wants to know “What’s Your 60?”
In 2025, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of AWA, we are inviting Albertans of every age and background to answer this question in their own way, by creating a nature-based challenge around the number 60.
“Connecting people to Alberta’s natural places is so important because we won’t protect or stand up for the things we don’t love,” says Lindsey Wallis, Adventures for Wilderness coordinator at AWA. “This challenge offers an opportunity for folks to mindfully set a goal for 2025 that will connect them to Wild Alberta, whether it is in their city park or deep in the backcountry.”
AWA was founded around a kitchen table in 1965 by a group of backcountry enthusiasts. They were concerned about the detrimental effects on Alberta’s wild places from multiple landscapes uses, including oil and gas, mining, forestry, recreation, and agriculture. For the past 60 years AWA has been a voice for the wilderness, these places we know to be key to our physical, mental and spiritual health.
In celebration of the joy Wild Alberta brings us, AWA is spreading the love of these special wild places by asking Albertans to challenge themselves and find out “What’s Your 60?”
“The only limit is people’s imagination,” says Wallis. “We want people to find something that makes them excited about the natural world around them and challenge themselves to deepen that connection.” It can be almost anything nature-based! The challengse so far cover and exciting range of activities, from making 60 sketches of nature over the year, to meditating in nature 60 times, to going for a walk, bike, or paddle in nature 60 days in 2025, to writing 60 letters to government, all the way up to something extreme like spending 60 days hiking the Great Divide Trail.
AWA is working with our supporter Bowness Soapworks+Seto Pottery to create handmade medals for all those who reach their 60 goal. For folks who may not be able to commit to a challenge, they can support other participants with a donation. All funds will be directed to AWA and its work defending Wild Alberta.
