Rockwalls and Waterfalls Volume # 45 Summer 2010 Saluting our past; celebrating our future 125 years of national parks in Canada ne-hundred and twenty five years is a mere blink of the eye in geologic terms – it can take many millions of Oyears to form mountains as majestic and well-chiselled as our very own Canadian Rockies. Thankfully, in Canada, we’ve been able to create a system of national parks and protected areas in far less time than it takes to build a mountain range. With the 125th anniversary of Banff National Park celebrations scheduled for this November, Parks Canada will recognize more than a century of protecting natural wonders and cultural treasures across this country. We have come a long way from our humble beginnings in 1885 (Banff National Park was originally only 26 square kilometres in size). Today we can look back with pride at the many achievements and highlights realized over the years as we work to maintain our existing protected areas and create new ones. Here are five key achievements accomplished over the past 125 years worthy of remembering in this celebratory period: The National Parks Act (1930) hat makes a protected area a protected area, and to what lengths should we go to ensure that these special places retain their W special character and identity both now and for future generations? These are exactly the kinds of questions that are answered and upheld by law in Canada’s National Parks Act, which was the brainchild of J.B. Harkin, known by some as the father of Canada’s national parks. This act essentially gave the Government of Canada a legislated mandate to designate and maintain national parks and national park reserves to the "benefit, education and enjoyment" of the people of Canada. Now 80 years and 43 national parks later, it seems to be working. L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (1977) t last count there were nearly 1,000 designated national historic sites in the country, 166 of which are administered by Parks ACanada. Perhaps the most famous of these is L’Anse aux Meadows found at the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland. L’Anse aux Meadows has a rich human history, with many different people claiming the area as their own over the past 6000 years. Among these people was a small group of Norse (Viking) sailors. The remains of their camp, discovered in 1960 by Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad, is the oldest known European settlement of the New World. In 1977, this important cultural site was designated a Canadian National Historic Site; the following year it received UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. Grasslands National Park (1981) hereas the Canadian Rockies compel visitors to look up at mountain vistas and rolling hills, the charms of southern W Saskatchewan’s Grasslands National Park are a bit more subtle. Hidden amongst the fields of grass are the most wonderful of Cont’d. on page 2 w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a secrets: colourful rare plants, sun-bathing snakes, industrious jack rabbits, gregarious prairie dog colonies and, if you’re lucky enough to see one, recently reintroduced bison who are once again making a living off the same landscape that helped their ancestors survive and flourish for so many years. And once you’re finished gazing across and down, you can always redirect your gaze to the brilliant prairie sky looming above which sometimes fills with clouds, rain, or hail and, afterwards, marvel as rainbows abound. Grasslands National Park was created in 1981 and protects one of Canada’s last remaining undisturbed prairie grasslands. By spending a few days in the area you get a real sense of what the prairies may have been like before industrial agricultural practices began in the late 1800s. And with an annual visitation much less than one per cent of Yoho’s, Grasslands National Park is a secret that is definitely worth sharing. Fathom Five National Marine Conservation Area (1987) hat is the final frontier in the world of biological conservation? More and more, it seems like water forms a major part of W that answer. In 1987, Parks Canada made a giant leap forward in this country and helped kick-start a burgeoning global trend of extending conservation initiatives from the land to freshwater and marine ecosystems. In light of this forward thinking, today Parks Canada is a recognized world leader in aquatic conservation and the steward of three additional marine conservation areas, including the recently created Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve in British Columbia. Located immediately adjacent to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site on Haida Gwaii, the creation of this underwater reserve will aide in the preservation of the region’s rich biodiversity while helping to maintain the marine-terrestrial interactions that have long been a vital part of Haida culture. Expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve (2009) here else on earth can you find 3,000 foot tall canyons, a waterfall twice as large as Niagara Falls, stunning wildlife W (including grizzly bears, Dall’s sheep and woodland caribou), relaxing hot springs, eye-popping karst landscapes, and a riveting Dene and First Nations history? Take a bow if you answered Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories. Created in 1976 and inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list two years later, the park was chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of Canada in a 2007 CBC national contest. What could be greater than that you might ask? How about Nahanni times six! In 2009, when the House of Commons unanimously passed a bill to expand the Nahanni National Park Reserve six-fold to over 30,000 square kilometers, the country arguably made its greatest single act of conservation in a generation. Experience the Celebrations From May to November 2010, Parks Canada, local organizations and Canadians will come together in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Banff National Park, the birthplace of Canada’s family of treasured cultural and natural heritage places. Anniversary-themed events will explore youth, nature, cultural diversity, visitor experience, and healthy living. For a full line-up of events visit: www.banff125.com. Omar McDadi Public Relations & Communications Officer—LLYK Field Unit w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a Bio Blitz 2010 010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations. A year to 2celebrate life on Earth and all biodiversity means to us. Biodiversity includes all living things on Earth. Humans are a part of this and it seems we have the power to either protect or destroy it. At the present, the diversity of life on Earth is rapidly disappearing. In most cases these losses are unchangeable, but we do have the capability to prevent this damage. Biodiversity provides us with all life’s necessities — health, wealth, food and fuel. Destroying these networks of life, known as ecosystems is not to our benefit! 2010 is a year to sit up and take notice of what is happening on our planet. It is time to take action and protect the variety of life still here on Earth. In celebration of the Year of Biodiversity, Parks Canada partnered with the Robert Bateman “Get to Know” organization on Bio Blitz events across Canada. The LLYK Field Unit developed a one day event on May 22nd inviting families to participate in a celebration of 125 years of biodiversity in National Parks through fun activities. Here in Yoho National Park it was a rather chilly day, but the aquatics display set up by Shelley Humphries and her team attracted a lot of attention outside the Field Visitor Centre. The team collected samples of fish and amphibians for the public to view — West slope cutthroat trout, a juvenile spotted frog from a local marsh and they had a guessing game of how many slimy sculpins can you find in the aquarium (they have the ability to disguise themselves well). The Friends of Yoho took part by having the travelling public record their interesting sightings of wildlife throughout the day and held a draw for Rocky Mountain Wildlife Pocket Naturalist Guides. People entering the draw had to answer a skill testing question ‘Name a plant or fish found in Yoho National Park?’ The 6 winners were: Riley Wallach - Revelstoke, BC; Diana Meadows - Calgary, AB; Almira Nunes - OK Falls, BC; Marilyn Cooke - Pennsylvania, USA; Patrick Fallow, Sooke, BC and Joyce Dunn - Calgary, AB Shelley Humphries and young participant releasing Slimy Sculpins into the Kicking Horse River at the end of the day. Aquatics specialists explaining some of the diverse aquatic life found in Yoho National Park. Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. ~ Chief Seattle, 1885. w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a Friends Receive Funding for Various Projects in 2010 Keep Bears Wild Product he Friends of Yoho have received approval of funding in the amount of $16,512.00 from the Parks Canada TContribution Program. This grant will fund the reintroduction and expansion of the Keep Bears Wild product line, and will include the addition of French and bilingual products. Each product will have an attached hang tag with core bear stewardship messages and values. One of the objectives of this program will be to reach a broader audience through our website and convey important Keep Bears Wild messages with the use of podcasts that will also be developed.