As below-mentioned, disease-free and genetically unique populations of wood bison have been discovered in recent years. This area was designated in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the biological diversity of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, and for the population of wild bison. Such wildfires are a natural part of the ecosystem, shaped and reshaped over thousands of years of evolution; developing into an inter-mix of old growth forest stands and regenerated stretches. Situated at the junction of three major rivers used as canoe routes for trade: the Athabasca, Peace and Slave rivers, the region that later was defined as the national park was well travelled by indigenous peoples for millennia. Wood-plains hybrids are generally called "Parkland bison". However, "bison" is a Greek word meaning an ox-like animal, while "buffalo" originated with the French fur trappers who called these massive beasts bufs, meaning ox or bullockso both names, "bison" and "buffalo", have a similar meaning. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Wood Buffalo is Canada's largest national park, and the very embodiment of the space and wilderness that symbolize Northern Canada. To connect with the We Explore Canada team, please visit our contact page. The wood bison co-exist with their main predator, the wolf, in a vast boreal wilderness where the natural predator-prey relationship between bison and wolves has remained unbroken over time. The park was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free . Wood Buffalo National Park: The Ultimate Outdoor Destination Theres a Northern store for groceries but restaurant choices, like accommodations, are limited. The herd currently has a total population around 2,500, largely as a result of conservation efforts by Canadian government agencies. Some things in the park, such as whooping crane numbers, are improving. The town is a mix of mostly Chipewyan, Mtis, and nonaboriginal people. River Country The Slave, Peace, and Athabasca Rivers flow through the park. Heres how he lost the colonies. The park contains one of the world's largest fresh-water deltas, the Peace-Athabasca Delta, formed by the Peace, Athabasca and Birch rivers. But dont. It preserves the natural ecosystems from the expanding industrial areas north of Fort McMurray. Additional bison were sent from Elk Island National Park in 2011, 2013, and 2020 to Russia, bringing the total to over 120. [4] The park was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free-roaming[5] wood bison. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together. Fall and winter offer long dark nights for northern light viewing. Great rivers grace the park as the mighty Peace flows through the heart of the park and the Slave and Athabasca form the eastern border. Its popular so reserve ahead. Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0. The best time to visit the park is between the Victoria Day weekend and Labour Day, when the Pine Lake Campground is open. Reproduction is limited by the amount of habitat available. Commercial flights are available to Fort Smith and Fort Chipewyan from Edmonton. Wood Buffalo National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Centre World Heritage - Wood Buffalo National Park, The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canadian Sites on the World Heritage List, LAnse aux Meadows National Historic Site. Berros Pizzeria boasts the best pizza in the north. Plan to rescue Wood Buffalo National Park as world heritage site not enough: UN, Almost every part of Canada's largest national park is deteriorating: federal study, The best stovetop kettles for a classic or retro kitchen, Style Q&A: Canadian jewelry designer Dean Davidson celebrates 15 years, Retinol creams, oil and salves for most skin concerns, 25 finds from Canadian fashion and beauty brands, tap here to see other videos from our team. We also produce the Heritage Minutes and other programs. Wood bison (not pure) in Wood Buffalo National Park. [18] Mating season typically runs from July to September, with most activity occurring during August as evidenced by the fact most calves are born in May following a 9-month gestation period. 4 (Dec., 1989), pp. Read more about cookies here. [6][7] It is one of two known nesting sites of whooping cranes. Your email address will not be published. A response from the federal government wasnt immediately available. To reach Fort Smith, home to the parks headquarters, take Mackenzie Hwy. [24] When food becomes more scarce in the winter, wood bison are also capable of slowing down their metabolic rate. [11] The plains bison hybridized with the local 1,5002,000 wood bison, and carried such diseases as bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, which they introduced into the wood bison herd. As you can see from the map below, the majority of the park is in the latter. The World Heritage Committee was asked to list Wood Buffalo National Park as a World Heritage Site "In Danger" in 2014. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Scan the sky for large white birds. Required fields are marked *. If youre interested in making your own trip to the park, my top travel tips are: Wood Buffalo National Park straddles the 60th parallel and the border between the Northwest Territories and Alberta. The UNESCO report, issued Friday, concludes that the vast Wood Buffalo National Park on the Alberta-Northwest Territories boundary shouldnt lose its place on the list of World Heritage Sites at this time. National park in Alberta and Northwest Territories, Canada. The Canada National Parks Act provides effective legal protection for the park. This page was last edited on 23 June 2023, at 10:17. Fort Smith has two hotels and a guest house at the time of writing, and you will need to contact them directly to book. [55] In 2020, 10 juveniles were translocated into a remote area to form the second herd. Ancient bone may be earliest evidence of hominin cannibalism. The office has a small but unique museum with impressive galleries showcasing the geology, biogeography and the rich biodiversity of this massive nature park that needs special mention. The Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest nature park or wilderness area of Canada. The park completely surrounds several Indian reserves such as Peace Point and ejre K'eln Ku (also called Hay Camp). By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Specifically, attention will focus on the actual and potential impacts of upstream development and climate change. The wood bison is potentially more primitive in phenotype than the plains bison (Bison bison bison), while the latter probably evolved from a mixing of Bison occidentalis and Bison antiquus. Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park - Backpacker document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We Explore Canada is your guide to the most amazing things to do in Canada. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Watch for black bears and bison that sometimes lumber across the highway. [30], Natural hybridization between wood and plains bison presumably occurred for a limited extent in the regions where the two ecotypes (or subspecies) overlapped. [13] The wood bison is larger and heavier than the plains bison. When it received World Heritage status in 1983 it wasnt just because it holds North Americas largest wild wood bison population, but also because its the last natural nesting area for whooping cranes, it holds the freshwater Peace-Athabasca Delta (one of the worlds largest), karst landforms, salt plains, and large swathes of undisturbed boreal forests. It is unrealistic to expect a reversal of trends in the desired outcomes in this short time frame.. Is a visit to Wood Buffalo National Park, Canadas largest national park, on your bucket list? The Peace-Athabasca Delta Ecological Monitoring Program, a multi-stakeholder group made up of Aboriginal representatives, government and non-government organizations, is a cornerstone in developing and implementing this plan. Canadians should have access to free, impartial, fact-checked, regularly updated information
Hard-to-Find Wildlife Wood Buffalo is home to such elusive species as black bears, wolves, moose, foxes, beavers, and sandhill cranes. Situated on the plains in the north-central region of Canada, the park (which covers 44,807 km2) is home to North America's largest population of wild bison. The fossilized shin bone shows clear signs of butchery, but the identity of the hominin species is still unclear. Their descendants occupy the park and carry on fishing, hunting and trapping activities, making this the park in Canada with the longest standing tradition of native subsistence use. This gigantic park is located to the northeast of the province of Alberta and to the south of the Northwest Territories. (Saikat Kumar Basu works as a freelance journalist and is passionate about issues related to ecology and environment that impact and influence the global conservation of forests, wildlife and biodiversity), (Views expressed are the author's own and don't necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth). Celebrity-loved jewelry pieces are "accessible, unique and high-quality," designer Dean Davidson says. Five of the reports 17 recommendations pertain specifically to threats posed by the oilsands, upstream of the park. Whether you have acne-prone, sensitive or melanated skin, there is a retinol solution for you. The continued evolution of a large inland delta, salt plains and gypsum karst add to the parks uniqueness. It thus has a longer history than the term "bison", which was first recorded in 1774. [31] Wood-plains hybrids are generally called "Parkland bison".[32]. Het gebied is de thuisbasis van de grootste populatie van (de bedreigde) wilde bizons van Noord-Amerika. ?, Arctic, Vol. Earth's shifting magnetic poles don't cause climate change, This ancient society tried to stop El Niowith child sacrifice. The last remaining flock of migratory whooping cranes nests in a remote corner of the boreal forest every summer. Egorov in 1963. It was identified through the International Biological Program. The Canadian boreal forest is an intricate network of small and big trees, thick bushes, grasslands, vast salt plains, lakes, rapids, waterfalls, sinkholes, rivulets and streams. Wood Buffalo National Park, located in the northeastern part of Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, was created in 1922 to protect bison herds but turned out to be important for so much more. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Fort Chipewyan near the parks south-east edge is a fly-in community with an ice road each winter. They are more true to the original types than the preserved herds at Elk Island National Park and Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary.[32]. Wood Buffalo National Park was designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCOs World Heritage Committee under the following criteria: Criterion (vii): The great concentrations of migratory wildlife are of world importance and the rare and superlative natural phenomena include a large inland delta, salt plains and gypsum karst that are equally internationally significant. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wood_Buffalo_National_Park&oldid=1160185833, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2015, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 14 June 2023, at 22:39. [26] Between 1925 and 1928, 6,673 plains bisons, compared to 1,500-2,000 wood bisons, were translocated from Buffalo National Park into the Wood Buffalo National Park by the Government of Canada, to avoid mass culling because of overpopulation,[27] despite protests from conservation biologists. Wood bison are herbivorous grazers that feed primarily on grasses, sedges, and forbs. This provincial park is closed to forestry and new energy projects. The park is famous as the last remaining natural nesting site for whooping cranes. Will you fly and rent a car or a RV? [19] Fall tends to have cool, windy and dry days, and the first snowfall usually occurs in October. It is important to mention that the wild buffalo populations in the past have been impacted by the spread of anthrax and tuberculosis. The Cree, by contrast, are an Algonquian people. Coordinates: 5923N 11259W Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest national park of Canada at 44,741 km 2 (17,275 sq mi). [citation needed]. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international communitys efforts to protect and preserve. The total area of the park is estimated to be over 44,800 square kilometres. Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Wood Buffalo National Park | The Canadian Encyclopedia Established in 1922, WBNP park is larger than the entire country of Switzerland! [19] On average, summers are characterized by warm and dry days; in some years, there may be a pattern of cool and wet days. Wood Buffalo National Park - Travel guide at Wikivoyage A remote corner of Wood Buffalo serves as the nesting ground for the endangered whooping crane. [9], The term "buffalo" is considered to be a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two "true buffalo", the Asian water buffalo and the African buffalo. To strengthen the restoration further, the Yakutia's Red List officially registered wood bison. If you park at the Salt Plains Viewpoint you can take a short (350 meters one way) and steep hike down to the salt plains but its worth the effort. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Wood Buffalo National Park holds the title of the largest national park in Canada, covering nearly 45,000 square kilometres. The park is open in winter. [25] Yakutia provides similar climatic conditions as in Canada, albeit with colder average temperatures. Wood Buffalo National Park straddles the boundary between the province of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, and encompasses 4.5 million hectares of forest, wetland and prairie, including the majority of the Peace-Athabasca Delta. [33] The diseases represent a serious management issue for governments, various local indigenous groups, and the cattle industry rapidly encroaching on the park's boundaries. Down To Earth is a product of our commitment to make changes in the way we manage our environment, protect health and secure livelihoods and economic security for all. Stay in your vehicle and give them space. In 2018, Ottawa developed a plan to revive the park and Fridays report was an assessment of how well its working. Between 1951 and 1967, 4000 bison were killed and 910 tonnes (2million pounds) of meat were sold from a special abattoir built at Hay Camp. Wood Buffalo is Canada's largest national park. Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest national park of Canada at 44,807 km (17,300 sq mi), It is in northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories. For summer visitors, many chose to drive Highway 5 into the northern section of the park. A car provides the best means to see the park. Shes been a pilot, an accountant, a university professor, and an avian tourism consultant, but says her best gig is writing stories for curious travelers. Wood Buffalo is Canada's largest national park, and the very embodiment of the space and wilderness that symbolize Northern Canada.