Kouchibouguac National Park
Kouchibouguac National Park is a national park located on the east coast of New Brunswick in Kouchibouguac and was established in 1969 to preserve a section of the Canadian Maritime Plain region. The park includes barrier islands, sand dunes, lagoons, salt marshes, and forests. It provides habitats for approximately 50 species protected under the Canadian Species at Risk Act, including the endangered piping plover, and the second largest tern colony in North America. Colonies of harbour seals and grey seals also inhabit the park's 25 kilometres (16 mi) of sand dunes. It is also home to the extremely rare and fragile Gulf of St. Lawrence aster, though in 2006, storms eradicated most of the asters' colonies. The park's size is 238 km2 (92 sq mi). Recreational activities in the park include swimming, cycling and hiking. In recent news, the park has reported sightings of the fisher marten in the area, making it one of the few places in New Brunswick that have fisher populations. The park's various public activities attract thousands of visitors each year. Kouchibouguac offers a range of activities, from various interpretation programs, to going seal watching, to a talk about Mi'kmaq band governments. The park is also home to the popular Kelly's Beach.
Boardwalk over a salt marsh
National parks of Canada are vast natural spaces throughout the country that are protected by Parks Canada, a government agency. Parks Canada manages the National Parks and Reserves in order to educator visitors, keep them safe, and ensure public enjoyment in ways that do not compromise the area for future generations. Protections include the management of Canadian wildlife and habitat within the ecosystems of the park. Within Parks Canada's governance is a wide range of protected areas, encompassing National Historic Sites, National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCA), and national park reserves. Canada established its first national park in Banff in 1885, and has since expanded its national park system to include 37 national parks and 10 national park reserves.
A visitor views an area of Sable Island National Park Reserve from a helicopter
A view of the Rockies from Banff National Park
Arbutus trees at sunset on Sidney Island in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Lake Louise, Banff National Park