Saturday, September 20, 2008

Canada - Dinosaur Provincial Park

I received this postcard in UNESCO RR. To be honest, I don't collect UNESCO cards (I think it makes no sense, because there are over 800 UNESCO sites and I won't be surprised if there'll be 1000 of them soon). But as UNESCO sites are obviously interesting and unique places, I want to have cards showing at least some of them in my collection.

Dinosaur Provincial Park is a World Heritage Site located about a two hours drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada or 48 kilometers (30 mi) northeast of Brooks.

The park is situated in the valley of the Red Deer River, which is noted for its striking badland topography. The park is well known for being one of the greatest dinosaur fossil beds in the world. Thirty-nine dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums across the globe. Its significance justified it becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979.
The park boasts a very complex ecosystem including three communities: prairie grasslands, badlands, and riverside cottonwoods. Its ecosystem is surrounded by prairies but is unique unto itself.

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