Prince Edward Island National Park (French: Parc national de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard) is a National Park of Canada located in the province of Prince Edward Island. The park is situated along the island's north shore, facing the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) long and varies in width from several hundred meters to several kilometers. Established in 1937, the park's purpose includes protecting many wide sand beaches, sand dunes, and both freshwater wetlands and saltmarshes. The park's protected beaches provide nesting areas for the endangered piping plover. The park has been designated a Canadian Important Bird Area.
In 1998, an extension was added to the park when a large sand dune system in Greenwich was transferred from the provincial government to Parks Canada. The Prince Edward Island National Park also includes Green Gables, a 19th-century farm that inspired the Anne of Green Gables novels by author Lucy Maud Montgomery, as well as Dalvay-by-the-Sea, a Victorian-era mansion that is now operated as an inn.
In 1999, the Canadian Nature Federation identified Prince Edward Island National Park as the most endangered park in the national park system due to human impact. The park also faces severe coastal erosion caused by winter storms and its vulnerable shoreline.
The park was featured in a short film as part of the 2011 National Parks Project, directed by John Walker and scored by Chad Ross, Sophie Trudeau, and Dale Morningstar. A part of the Jezero crater on Mars was informally named after the park.
Wildlife
Many animals live in this national park, such as coyotes, red foxes, raccoons, beavers, minks, and weasels. Many different types of birds can be found here, such as herons, ducks, owls, cranes, plovers, grouse, jays, falcons, geese, hawks, sandpipers, and eagles.
Gallery
- Red sandy beach in Prince Edward Island National Park
- Lake of Shining Waters
- The coast of Prince Edward Island
- Restricted area for nesting piping plovers
- Prince Edward Island National Park located on Cavendish Beach
- Pedestrian walk
- Grassland
- The coast of Prince Edward Island National Park
- Orientation table
- Dunes at Cavendish Beach
- Green Gables