Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Pituamkek National Park Reserve

I've been writing about Canada's National Parks for the past several weeks - today I'm happy to let you know about their newest National Park Reserve - Pituamkek National Park Reserve off the northwestern coast of Prince Edward Island. This newest National Park Reserve is a place where families are able to spend time in nature and build memories they will certainly treasure all their lives!

• Pituamkek National Park Reserve features a string of barrier islands and an ecologically significant 50-kilometer coastal sand dune complex known in English as Hog Island and the Sandhills.
• The name Pituamkek means “At the Long Sand Dune” in the Mi’kmaq language. The area has served as a sacred landscape for the Mi’kmaq of Epekwitk for thousands of years, with archaeological sites tracing back more than 4,000 years. 
• Pituamkek is pronounced as - (Bee-DOO-um-gek).
• The park features Prince Edward Island’s only igneous rock incursion. Known locally as "Iron Rock", this volcanic formation is over 240 million years old.
• The diverse habitats are home to several threatened and endangered species, including the little brown bat, northern long-eared bat, and the piping plover.
• The park reserve is collaboratively managed by the Government of Canada, the Government of Prince Edward Island, and the Mi'kmaq governments of Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nations.
• A national park reserve is an area which is managed like a national park but is subject to one or more Indigenous land claims being negotiated between the federal, provincial/territorial, and Indigenous governments. Indigenous peoples continue to use the land for traditional hunting, fishing, and trapping.
• A new national park reserve presents an opportunity to strengthen a nation-to-nation relationship with the Mi’kmaq of PEI, and will contribute to Canada and Prince Edward Island’s growing network of protected and conserved areas. These protected areas help safeguard Canada’s biodiversity and provide opportunities for Canadians to experience the outdoors, learn about our environment, and significantly contribute to the protection and preservation of Canada’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

As you can see, Pituamkek National Park Reserve is an amazing place - I'm so glad Canada worked with the Mi'kmaq people to preserve and protect this beautiful place! You will find more information about this new National Park Reserve at this link.