Kouchibouguac National Park
Encyclopedia
Kouchibouguac National Park is located on the east coast of New Brunswick
, north of the town of Richibucto
. The park includes barrier islands, sand dunes, lagoons, salt marsh
es and forests. It provides habitat for seabirds, 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 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. 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 one thing that seems to attract many visitors are the activities. Kouchibouguac [pronounced koo-chi-bu-gwac] has many activities ranging from a river adventure in a war canoe to going seal watching to a talk about Mi'kmaq people.
The park was founded in 1969 in order to set aside sensitive sand dunes and bog
s. While it was developed in the 1970s, Parks Canada
encountered great difficulty expropriating land from several land owners (approximately 215 families). The most notable of these was Jackie Vautour, who still lives on his property.
Kelly's Beach, a very long sand dune, is a popular attraction along with a number of bog
s, a boardwalk trail, eight hiking trails, a network of bicycle trails, two campgrounds, canoe and boat launch and the Cap-St-Louis fishing port. Kelly's Beach is popular with naturists
as the long sandy beach allows privacy and seclusion.
The park is named after the Kouchibouguac River
. The river's name means "river of the long tides" in Mi'kmaq
.
Other rivers that flow through the park include the:
The park was the subject of a short film in 2011's National Parks Project
, directed by Jamie Travis
and scored by Casey Mecija, Don Kerr
and Ohad Benchetrit
.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, north of the town of Richibucto
Richibucto, New Brunswick
Richibucto is a Canadian town in Kent County, New Brunswick.The town is situated on the Richibucto River where it discharges into the Northumberland Strait. The town takes its name from a Mi'kmaq term meaning "river of fire"....
. The park includes barrier islands, sand dunes, lagoons, salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es and forests. It provides habitat for seabirds, including the endangered Piping Plover
Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...
, and the second largest tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
colony in North America. Colonies of harbour seals and grey seals also inhabit the park's 25 kilometres 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. 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 one thing that seems to attract many visitors are the activities. Kouchibouguac [pronounced koo-chi-bu-gwac] has many activities ranging from a river adventure in a war canoe to going seal watching to a talk about Mi'kmaq people.
The park was founded in 1969 in order to set aside sensitive sand dunes and bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s. While it was developed in the 1970s, Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
encountered great difficulty expropriating land from several land owners (approximately 215 families). The most notable of these was Jackie Vautour, who still lives on his property.
Kelly's Beach, a very long sand dune, is a popular attraction along with a number of bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, a boardwalk trail, eight hiking trails, a network of bicycle trails, two campgrounds, canoe and boat launch and the Cap-St-Louis fishing port. Kelly's Beach is popular with naturists
Naturism
Naturism or nudism is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending social nudity in private and in public. It may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudism....
as the long sandy beach allows privacy and seclusion.
The park is named after the Kouchibouguac River
Kouchibouguac River
The Kouchibouguac River is a river in eastern New Brunswick which empties into the Northumberland Strait north of Richibucto, New Brunswick. It is 72 kilometres long.This river flows through Kouchibouguac National Park...
. The river's name means "river of the long tides" in Mi'kmaq
Mi'kmaq language
The Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
.
Other rivers that flow through the park include the:
- Black RiverBlack River (New Brunswick)The Black River is a river located in New Brunswick, Canada....
- Kouchibouguacis River
- Saint-Louis River
- Portage RiverPortage River-Canada:*Portage River , a tributary of the Churchill River*Portage River , an inlet of Cascumpec Bay*Portage River , a tributary of the Northwest Miramichi River...
The park was the subject of a short film in 2011's National Parks Project
National Parks Project
The National Parks Project is a Canadian music and film project. Released in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks of Canada system, the project sent three Canadian musicians and a filmmaker to each of 13 Canadian national parks, one in each province and...
, directed by Jamie Travis
Jamie Travis
Jamie Travis is a Toronto-based filmmaker who has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos and television commercials. He received international recognition for his two short film trilogies: The Patterns Trilogy and the Saddest Children in the World trilogy. His six short films...
and scored by Casey Mecija, Don Kerr
Don Kerr
Don Kerr is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and record producer.He was a member of Rheostatics from 1995 to May 2001. He plays in Ron Sexsmith's band, and sometimes with The Kelele Brothers. He and Sexsmith released an album together, Destination Unknown, in 2005...
and Ohad Benchetrit
Ohad Benchetrit
Ohad Benchetrit is a Canadian musician. He plays guitar, bass, saxophone and flute for the post-rock band Do Make Say Think, and has also contributed to albums by Broken Social Scene, Feist, The Hidden Cameras and Charles Spearin....
.
See also
- National Parks of Canada
- List of National Parks of Canada
- List of New Brunswick parks