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

Park Backgrounder: Kouchibouguac National Park of Canada

Sandy barrier islands made of rolling dunes and beaches stretch as far as the eye can see

Introduction

Kouchibouguac (KOOSH-e-boo-qwack) National Park of Canada is located in Kent County, southeastern New Brunswick, approximately 100 km north of Moncton and 50 km south of Miramichi. It protects 238 km2 of land and water along the shore of the Northumberland Strait. The park was established in 1969 and was officially created through an amendment to the National Parks Act in 1979. The park’s name is derived from a Mi’kmaq word meaning “river of long tides.”

© Parks Canada / Don Pentz

Kouch, as it is nicknamed, is characterized by barrier islands with long sandy beaches, salt marshes, shallow lagoons and estuaries. A mixture of red spruce, red maple, balsam fir, white pine, black spruce, hemlock and the associated forest under-storey characterizes Kouchibouguac National Park, within the Acadian forest region. Specialized freshwater communities such as the cedar swamps have evolved within the forest habitat as well as sweetwater ravines and extensive areas of raised peat bogs made of successive layers of sphagnum mosses. The park currently supports such activities as hiking, beach walking, bird watching, picnicking, cycling, swimming, canoeing, camping and cross-country skiing.

Kouch is the only national park in Canada to protect significant stands of Eastern white cedar. Cedar swamps are specialized forest wetlands with outstanding undergrowth of mosses, ferns and orchids.

Every year the park receives over 230,000 visitors, who enjoy the modified weather extremes of the marineinfluenced continental climate.

Park Objectives

• To provide greater heritage protection and maintain the ecological integrity of this representative coastal area.
• To increase public heritage understanding by enhancing heritage interpretation and diversifying appreciation opportunities.
• To sustain the park’s role as a good neighbour, an ecological model and a major natural and cultural destination.

Additionally, the park has the following goals addressing ecosystem integrity and management:

• To provide high levels of protection for habitat types representative of the Maritime Plain Natural Region.
• To maintain biological diversity through emphasis on the protection and preservation of representative park resource features not protected elsewhere.
• To maintain a sound ecosystem monitoring program.
• To work jointly with land managers to achieve sustainable resource use.

Park Issues

• Piping plover is an endangered species. The park has a threatened plover population and also the common tern is being affected because of habitat damage and human impact.
• Commercial and recreational over-harvesting of clams has become a significant issue for the park.

© Parks Canada / Don Pentz

References

Environment Canada, Parks Service. Kouchibouguac National Park Management Plan, 1993.

Parks Canada Web site: www.parkscanada.gc.ca