Wapusk National Park () is Canada's 37th national park, established in 1996. The name comes from the Cree word for polar bear (wâpask).
Located on the shores of Hudson Bay in the Hudson Plains ecozone south of Churchill, its accessibility is limited due to its remote location and an effort to preserve the park. The park is home to Cape Churchill, which is renowned as the best location in the world to view and photograph wild polar bears. Cape Churchill is only accessible by helicopter or Tundra Buggy.
The park was the subject of a short film in 2011's National Parks Project, directed by Hubert Davis and scored by Kathleen Edwards, Matt Mays and Sam Roberts.
Overview
Established in 1996, Wapusk National Park is 11,475 square kilometres (4,430 sq mi) of protected diverse and remote wilderness, located in Northeast Manitoba along the coast of Hudson Bay. Wapusk derives from the Cree word for "white bear", and as the meaning indicates, is a significant maternity denning area for the polar bear, Ursus maritimus. The park is also characterized by being part of a large transitional zone between the three biomes of arctic tundra, marine, and boreal forest. The geology of the area has many underlying limestone formations, and a past in fur trade. Glacial processes shape many of the habitats seen today.
Numerous birds are found in Wapusk National Park and it is a likely breeding area of the short-billed dowitcher.
In 2010, biologists affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History and City College of the City University of New York published a report in Canadian Field-Naturalist offering the first documented evidence that the temperamental grizzly bears are migrating into polar bear territory. Researchers found that seven grizzlies have been spotted in Wapusk National Park south of Churchill, between 2003 and 2008.
Size of the protected area and boundaries
thumb|Muskeg with White Caribou Lichen in Wapusk National Park
Wapusk National Park shares its southwestern border with the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) which was established in 1978. Wapusk National Park was created with future generations in mind, so they can enjoy the park and all its diversity. This glaciation resulted in environments like far extending beaches and plains dipping towards Hudson Bay. The climate here is subarctic and wet, having many rivers and bogs called "Muskeg" by the indigenous Cree people native to that area. in 1684 and 1731. Trade relied on the fur found in those parts of Manitoba and lasted for 250 years. In later years,1940's and 1980's, the land was exploited by the military for rocket launch testing by the Churchill Research Range.
Local Indigenous communities
Indigenous history
Indigenous communities have a strong history and a lasting relationship with the land that is now Wapusk National Park. Wapusk National Park is the traditional territory of the Cree of York Factory First Nation, Fox Lake First Nation, Sayisi-Dene First Nation, and Inuit. No parts of the animals were wasted as they used techniques like smoking, drying, or using the fat for cooking oil. First Nations shared their ecological knowledge with settlers, and the fur trade began. The Inuit critiqued various proposed management strategies and changes to the national park, for it impacted their traditional practices. The hot weather also attracts tourists with the bay that lies near the shoreline as visitors are able to explore the beaches. It is in the winter when an estimated thousand polar bears make their way through Cape Churchill to familiarize themselves with the cooler weather conditions. At Wapusk National Park, there can also be found over 250 rare bird species. Hundreds of thousands of both shorebirds and waterfowl birds nest here regularly. Other species of birds that can be spotted are great grey owls, stilt sandpipers, snow geese, arctic loons, Caspian terns, peregrine falcons, and much more.
thumb|Geese in Wapusk National Park
This park also draws people in due to the several species of plants that reside there. Over one thousand hundred of these species are maintained which is extremely difficult due to the icy conditions of the location. As previously mentioned, bog peat is a popular aspect of the park as about 27% of the grounds are covered in it. The warm weather during the summer allows for certain foods to grow that are also digestible for humans as well as other wildlife. This includes cranberries, crowberries, bearberries, blueberries, cloudberries, and raspberries.
Caribou are one of the most noticeable species at Wapusk National Park that have been steadily declining in population. This is proven from the data collected in 1994 that noted 500, 000 caribou compared to 2017 where only 288, 000 where reported. This data is based on the Qamanirjuaq herd which covers areas in Manitoba, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. There are a number of active threats against the population of caribou, the first being climate change. The rising hot temperatures are only threatening the cooler environment that they are built to live in. The act of wildfires have also played a role in the caribou decline. Habitat loss has been an important contributor as the human activities of mining, logging, and oil development have impacted caribou habitats. As for conservation efforts, Wapusk National Park is a protected area with limited human disruptions. They take matters in migration routes, calving grounds, and the winter habitats.
Climate change and habitat loss
Wapusk National Park is already being heavily affected by climate change and warming temperatures. The changing dates of sea-ice breakup, up to three weeks earlier than usual, caused by warming temperatures is leading to a decline in the conditions of polar bears who are having to come ashore earlier with less fat resources built up. The increase in wildfires impact lichen biomass and cover, which take up to 75 years to recover from fires.