canadian wildlife service building two wildlife interpretation centres in quebec

1
72 Fort Liard, which will pass near Nahanni Butte, a few miles from the proposed southeastern extremity of the Park. Fort Simpson is served by regular air services from Edmonton. DOROTHYGRAHAM, Information Services, Conservation Group, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Ottawa 4, Ontario, Canada. CANADIANWILDLIFE SERVICEBUILDINGTWO WILDLIFEINTERPRETATION CENTRESIN QUEBEC Two wildlife interpretation centres are being built by the Canadian Wildlife Service in the Province of Quebec. The Cap Tourmente Wildlife Centre and the Perc6 Wildlife Centre are due to open in 1973. Each will contain a lounge, exhibit hall, small theatre, and workshop. Cap Tourmente Wildlife Centre is located in the 5,000 acre (2,025 ha) Cap Tourmente National Wild- life Area, some 30 miles (48 km) east of Quebec City, on the north shore of the St Lawrence River. It will interpret to the public what the area is and how it should be used. The most prominent physical feature of the national wildlife area is the cape itself. A large knob of Pre- cambrian rock jutting 1,800 feet (549 m) above the River, it marks the end of the coastal plain stretching downstream from Quebec City. A main attraction is the flocking of the world's total population of Greater Snow-geese. The birds congregate on the mud-flats at Cap Tourmente--their primary feeding area in spring and fall--en route north in the spring, to breeding grounds on Baffin Island, Greenland, and Bylot Island, or south in the autumn to wintering grounds on the coastal marshes of North Carolina. Visitors will be able to see as many as I00,000 Greater Snow-geese at a time from the Centre's viewing decks, if they are there at the right time of year. The Greater Snow-goose population has increased dramatically from 2,000 in 1900 to 140,000 in 1971. Until the Canadian Wildlife Service established the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, private clubs held hunting rights at Cap Tourmente, but the clubs set strict bag and season limits which allowed the marked resurgence in this species' numbers. Perc6 Wildlife Centre is being built on the Gasp6 Peninsula, on 13 acres (5.3 ha) outside the village of Perc6, which lies on the west coast of the Gulf of Biological Conservation St Lawrence. From this Centre, visitors will be able to see Bonaventure Island, site of one of the world's largest Gannet colonies, as well as colonies of Razor- bills, Common Murres, and Kittiwakes. The Centre will operate only during the tourist season. It will interpret the Atlantic coast, and the bird-cliffs of Bonaventure Island, with the cooperation of the Quebec Department of Tourism, Fish and Game. In addition to the wildlife interpretation centres, CWS is responsible for 16 migratory bird sanctuaries and two wildlife centres in Quebec. The sanc- tuaries are not necessarily CWS property but, under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations, fall within CWS jurisdiction. An area may be declared a sanctuary on petition of any person or agency. On all such areas hunting is forbidden. Wildlife centres are not to be confused with wildlife areas, which contain outstanding migratory bird habitats and are owned by CWS. Hunting may be permitted in such areas. FRANCES LEE, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa 1, Ontario, Canada. TOWARDS A MEDITERRANEAN PARK IN SPAIN Although there are six National Parks at present established in Spain, none of them can claim to be a true representative of the Mediterranean evergreen forest or 'durilignosa', which is the potential vegetation type of at least 75 per cent of the nation's area. Three of the National Parks are situated in the northern mountains and contain a deciduous 'aestilignosa' vegetation of central European type. Two more are in the Canary Islands, and the sixth is the famous Coto de Dofiana, situated largely beside the littoral sands of the southwestern Huelva Province (Fig. 1). This lack of balance in preservation has been denounced on many occasions by Spanish biologists and conservationists. 'Durilignosa' occupies a relatively small area in the world and has the enormous merit of enduring with an arboreal dignity the prolonged heat and drought of several summer months. In the Iberian Peninsula, many centuries of agricultural civilisation have almost completely destroyed it. Because of the severely limiting climatic factors prevailing in this region, regeneration of such forest is very slow and difficult. The situation now seems ripe for the necessary steps

Upload: frances-lee

Post on 08-Oct-2016

212 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

72

Fort Liard, which will pass near Nahanni Butte, a few miles from the proposed southeastern extremity of the Park. Fort Simpson is served by regular air services from Edmonton.

DOROTHY GRAHAM, Information Services, Conservation Group, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Ottawa 4, Ontario, Canada.

CANADIAN WILDLIFE SERVICE BUILDING TWO WILDLIFE INTERPRETATION CENTRES IN QUEBEC

Two wildlife interpretation centres are being built by the Canadian Wildlife Service in the Province of Quebec. The Cap Tourmente Wildlife Centre and the Perc6 Wildlife Centre are due to open in 1973. Each will contain a lounge, exhibit hall, small theatre, and workshop.

Cap Tourmente Wildlife Centre is located in the 5,000 acre (2,025 ha) Cap Tourmente National Wild- life Area, some 30 miles (48 km) east of Quebec City, on the north shore of the St Lawrence River. It will interpret to the public what the area is and how it should be used.

The most prominent physical feature of the national wildlife area is the cape itself. A large knob of Pre- cambrian rock jutting 1,800 feet (549 m) above the River, it marks the end of the coastal plain stretching downstream from Quebec City. A main attraction is the flocking of the world's total population of Greater Snow-geese. The birds congregate on the mud-flats at Cap Tourmente--their primary feeding area in spring and fall--en route north in the spring, to breeding grounds on Baffin Island, Greenland, and Bylot Island, or south in the autumn to wintering grounds on the coastal marshes of North Carolina. Visitors will be able to see as many as I00,000 Greater Snow-geese at a time from the Centre's viewing decks, if they are there at the right time of year.

The Greater Snow-goose population has increased dramatically from 2,000 in 1900 to 140,000 in 1971. Until the Canadian Wildlife Service established the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, private clubs held hunting rights at Cap Tourmente, but the clubs set strict bag and season limits which allowed the marked resurgence in this species' numbers.

Perc6 Wildlife Centre is being built on the Gasp6 Peninsula, on 13 acres (5.3 ha) outside the village of Perc6, which lies on the west coast of the Gulf of

Biological Conservation

St Lawrence. From this Centre, visitors will be able to see Bonaventure Island, site of one of the world's largest Gannet colonies, as well as colonies of Razor- bills, Common Murres, and Kittiwakes.

The Centre will operate only during the tourist season. It will interpret the Atlantic coast, and the bird-cliffs of Bonaventure Island, with the cooperation of the Quebec Department of Tourism, Fish and Game.

In addition to the wildlife interpretation centres, CWS is responsible for 16 migratory bird sanctuaries and two wildlife centres in Quebec. The sanc- tuaries are not necessarily CWS property but, under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations, fall within CWS jurisdiction. An area may be declared a sanctuary on petition of any person or agency. On all such areas hunting is forbidden. Wildlife centres are not to be confused with wildlife areas, which contain outstanding migratory bird habitats and are owned by CWS. Hunting may be permitted in such areas.

FRANCES LEE, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa 1, Ontario, Canada.

TOWARDS A MEDITERRANEAN PARK IN SPAIN

Although there are six National Parks at present established in Spain, none of them can claim to be a true representative of the Mediterranean evergreen forest or 'durilignosa', which is the potential vegetation type of at least 75 per cent of the nation's area. Three of the National Parks are situated in the northern mountains and contain a deciduous 'aestilignosa' vegetation of central European type. Two more are in the Canary Islands, and the sixth is the famous Coto de Dofiana, situated largely beside the littoral sands of the southwestern Huelva Province (Fig. 1).

This lack of balance in preservation has been denounced on many occasions by Spanish biologists and conservationists. 'Durilignosa' occupies a relatively small area in the world and has the enormous merit of enduring with an arboreal dignity the prolonged heat and drought of several summer months. In the Iberian Peninsula, many centuries of agricultural civilisation have almost completely destroyed it. Because of the severely limiting climatic factors prevailing in this region, regeneration of such forest is very slow and difficult.

The situation now seems ripe for the necessary steps