Alberta’s National Parks

Banff National Park In 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs in Alberta's Rocky Mountains It then became Canada's first national park and the world's third 6,641 square km of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers Huge tourist attraction

Wood Buffalo National Park Largest National Park in Canada and one of the largest in the world Created in 1922 to protect the free- roaming bison herds of the area Today, the park supports and protects many unique natural and cultural resources, from diverse ecosystems and rare species to the traditional activities of Aboriginal residents As a remote wilderness park and World Heritage Site, Wood Buffalo National Park attracts Canadian and international visitors who wish to experience and learn about the unique cultures, landscapes and wildlife of the boreal north

Less than an hour away from Edmonton Located in Beaver Hills - named because of the large amount of beavers and became a big place for hunting and trading furs along with bison Hunting in the late 1800’s killed almost all the beavers and bison Lots of timber but a fire destroyed most of it and then the government decided to protect it Although the forest was protected, the elk and mule deer were not so people hunted them again to almost extinction The elk in the Beaver Hills were considered one of the last herds in Canada In 1906, five Albertans persuaded the Canadian government to create a wildlife sanctuary for the elk of the Beaver Hills and they established 'Elk Park' in July of 1906 With elk, mule deer, and moose enclosed within its fenced boundaries, Elk Park became the first federally controlled area in Canada to be enclosed as a big game sanctuary This marked a new era in conservation in Canada

Jasper National Park Largest Rocky Mountain Park UNESCO World Heritage Site Jasper spans 11,228 square kilometres of broad valleys, rugged mountains, glaciers, forests, alpine meadows and wild rivers More than 1200km of hiking trails Jasper joins up with Banff National Park Lots of caribou, elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer and other large animals make Jasper National Park one of the great protected ecosystems remaining in the Rocky Mountains This vast wilderness is one of the few remaining places in southern Canada that is home to a full range of carnivores, including grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves and wolverines The highest mountain in Alberta (Mt. Columbia, 3747 metres tall Jasper National Park protects over 10,800 square km of the Rocky Mountain ecosystem Protected on September 14, 1907

Waterton Lakes National Park Became a protected site in 1895 Canada's 4th national park and the smallest in the Canadian Rockies Given the names because of a chain of lakes The landscape has been shaped by wind, fire, and flooding Lots of different plants from many different regions - prairie plants of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain plants from northern areas, and coastal plants from the Pacific Northwest all growing here. Many are rare or threatened More than half of Alberta's plant species can be found in Waterton

Lots of wildlife because of all the vegetation like wolves, coyotes, cougars, grizzly bears, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deers, ducks, swans, and geese UNESCO World Heritage Site Mountain scenery, high altitude, glacial landforms, and abundant diversity of wildlife and wildflowers made it worth protecting

Why do we protect or create National Parks?

National parks were established, during this time (early 1900’s) to provide sanctuary for wildlife – sanctuary from uncontrolled hunting, trapping and loss of habitat National Parks were to both preserve and be used by the people of Canada Tourism followed

National Park Journal Questions 1. What are some of the similarities between the National Parks of Alberta? 2. Why are National Parks important? 3. Why do we protect National Parks?