Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park is a unique geophysical land feature in the boreal shield
ecosystem of the province of Saskatchewan
. It first came to attention that it should be a protected area in 1969, finally becoming the Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Wilderness Park on August 24, 1992. The park extends 100 kilometers along the southern edge of Lake Athabasca
. The sand dunes may run between 400 to 1,500 metres long and approximately 30 metres at the greatest height. The Fond du Lac
First Nation have a reserve which is adjacent to the park. It is the most northerly sand dune area in the world, and accessible by float plane or boat only.
(Cerastium arvense), felt-leaved willow (Salix silicicola), Mackenzie hairgrass
(Deschampsia mackenzieana), Tyrrell’s willow (Salix planifolia tyrrellii), and floccose tansy
(Tanacetum huronense var. floccosum).
Boreal shield
The Boreal Shield Ecozone is the largest ecozone in Canada.-Formation:Canadian Shield rock forms the nucleus of the North American continent. Other geological structures assumed positions around or on top of the Shield millions of years after it was formed. The Rocky Mountains are relative...
ecosystem of the province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. It first came to attention that it should be a protected area in 1969, finally becoming the Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Wilderness Park on August 24, 1992. The park extends 100 kilometers along the southern edge of Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:The name in the Dene language originally referred only to the large delta formed by the confluence the Athabasca River at the southwest corner of the lake...
. The sand dunes may run between 400 to 1,500 metres long and approximately 30 metres at the greatest height. The Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac
-United States:*Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin**Fond du Lac, Wisconsin ***Fond du Lac High School***University of Wisconsin–Fond du Lac***Fond du Lac Light, a lighthouse**Fond du Lac , Wisconsin**North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...
First Nation have a reserve which is adjacent to the park. It is the most northerly sand dune area in the world, and accessible by float plane or boat only.
Endemic flora
This area is home to rare species of plant life not found anywhere else. Some of the plants which may be found in this area are field chickweedCerastium arvense
Cerastium arvense is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common name field chickweed. It is a widespread species, occurring throughout Europe and North America, as well as parts of South America. It is a variable species. There are several subspecies, but the number and...
(Cerastium arvense), felt-leaved willow (Salix silicicola), Mackenzie hairgrass
Deschampsia
Deschampsia is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae, commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass. There are 30 to 40 species....
(Deschampsia mackenzieana), Tyrrell’s willow (Salix planifolia tyrrellii), and floccose tansy
Tanacetum
Tanacetum is a genus of about 160 species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to many regions of the Northern Hemisphere.Common names include Tansy , Costmary , and Feverfew ; several other species are also known as tansies.Tanacetum species...
(Tanacetum huronense var. floccosum).