Special Places: Eco-lessons from the National Parks in Atlantic Canada

Park Backgrounder: Kejimkujik National Park of Canada

Majestic hemlocks, shading cool mosses, exotic fungi and orchids… lush woodlands bursting with wildlife – birds, wildflowers, turtles and more

Introduction

Kejimkujik (Kej-im-koo-jik) National Park of Canada is located in southwestern Nova Scotia and was established in 1974. The park has numerous inland lakes and waterways, and a coastline with varied shorelines, saltwater lagoons, dense coniferous forests and open bogs.

© Parks Canada / Don Pentz

It experiences hot summer temperatures with mean daily temperatures of 18°C. The winter is a short season of snow cover and little snow buildup.

There are more than 50,000 visitors per year at this park, who can enjoy a variety of recreational activities such as canoeing, hiking, camping, swimming, cross-country skiing and wilderness exploration.

Common wildlife species include seals, seabirds, piping plover, southern flying squirrel and white-footed mouse. The park protects 40 mammal species, 12 fish, 205 birds, eight reptiles, five snakes, 13 amphibians, and 544 vascular plants.

Park Objectives

• To manage park heritage resources to ensure their ecological integrity and the protection of features and species characteristic of the Southwest Nova Scotia Uplands.
• To minimize human impact on the park while recognizing visitor safety and educational requirements.
• To conduct and encourage selected research and monitoring of natural and cultural resources associated with the park, the ecological changes taking place, and the effects of human activities.
• To cooperate with other landowners and interest groups to maintain optimal ecosystem integrity and share landuse and research information.

Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct © Parks Canada / Don Pentz

Park Issues

• There is a noticeable loss of plant and animal species, such as piping plover, common tern, Blanding’s turtle, American marten, brook trout and water-pennywort, as a result of tourism pressure, habitat loss, trapping and over-fishing.
• Clam harvesting by visitors.
• Placement on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) endangered wilderness list because of the effects of acid rain.

References

• Canadian Heritage, Parks Canada. Kejimkujik National Park Management Plan, 1995.
• Parks Canada Web site: www.parkscanada.gc.ca