Grasslands National Park of Canada

Location Grasslands National Park is located in Val Marie, Saskatchewan. South west part of Saskatchewan.

Weather Hot summers, cold winters. Winds and low precipitation. Less then cm of rain each year. Semi-arid climate – Found in interior of continents or near deserts. Rapid changes in weather very common. Must leave park immediately if rain or snow is imminent.

Landforms The Western Block of the park is made of The Frenchman River Valley. – Glaciers melt water created this deeply dissected plateau. – Considered one of the highest points in the West Block of the Grasslands. The Grasslands is considered one of the last frontiers of Canadian prairie.

Waterways The Frenchmen River Valley

Vegetation Blue gramma grass, needle and thread grass. Prickly pear cactus, gumbo evening primrose.

Animals Sage grouse, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, prairie rattlesnake, eastern short- horned lizard and the prairie chicken. The Grassland National Park and areas surrounding are the only places in Canada that the black-tailed prairie dog still exist.

Environmental Issues Do to the changes in the prairie settlement the extirpation of the bison, prairie wolf, plains grizzly, elk, wolverine, swift fox, black-footed ferret, greater prairie chicken came about. Also the pronghorn antelope is close to extinction.

History and Culture The park is divided into two parts. – East Block – West Block The main feature of the West Block is The Frenchmen River Valley. East Block is famous for the Killdeer "Badlands" of the Rock Creek area and is representative of the Wood Mountain Uplands.

Preservation Efforts The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, worked with Grasslands National Park of Canada for the park’s designation as a Dark Sky Preserve. Preserving this will protect ecosystems, reduce energy consumption and maintain dark skies.