local history of'the area. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The establishment of the park sets aside the first representative portion in 
     
     North America ofwthe original short-grass prairie and ensures that a remnant of the 
     
     prairies, the majority of which have been cultivated, has been preserved as a 
     
     national park so that present and future generations can experience its grandeur, 
     
     beauty and solitude as they were when the first settlers viewed it with awe; 
     
    

    
     The mixed prairie vegetation in the Val Marie-Killdeer area supports a riEh 
     
     variety of fauna. Species ranging from the pronghorn and Richardson's ground' I 
     
     squirrel or "gopher" to the rare and endangered prairie falcon{ ferruginous hawk 
     
     and sage grouse can be found here. The black-tailed prairie dog also resides' 
     
     within the boundaries of the park. Their colonies can be observed along the inter— 
     
     national Frenchman River Valley, the only place in Canada where this prairie rodent 
     
     can be seen in_its natural habitat. ' ‘ 
     
    

    
     The rolling landscape of the park is broken by the weathered landforms of the 
     
     Killdeer Badlands. It was here, in 1874, that Sir George Mercier Dawson made the 
     
     first recorded discovery of dinosaur remains. There is also~a "sinking hill", a 
     
     fault-like formation 200 feet wide (60.96 m) and 35 feet (10.66 m) deep which is 
     
     believed to be sinking one foot (30 cm) a year. aw -' * " 
     
    

    
     The area's human history is similarly interesting and colorful. Remnant teepee 
     
     rings, projectile points and other artifacts indicate that the Plains Indians ‘ 
     
     roamed here in search of bison. Sitting Bull and his Sioux-followers took refuge 
     
     in this area from the U.S. Army after the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. 
     
    

    
     Also associated with the general area of the Grasslands National Park are 
     
     the Wood Mountain North West Mounted police, the Jean Louis Legare Trading Post, 
     
     and Fort Walsh-Wood Mountain Trail, north of the.Killdeer component of the park. 
     
    

    
     A few homesteaders moved into this region during early prairie settlement. 
     
    

    
     They found it difficult and frequently impossible to survive in farming and moved 
     
     on, making way for flourishing ranching operations. RanChing has'added to the} 
     
    

    
     The land in the park has not been broken by the plough, 
     
     but it wiilfibe surrounded by ranching operations. ‘ ' h-A" ;‘ ' ‘ 
     
    

    
     This cultural history will form an interpretive theme of the park. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     NEWS AND NOTES (CON‘TY 
     
    
   
   
    
     EARTH SHAKING NEWS. Shortly before 9 AM on Saturday, January 9, 1982 Maritimers 
     
     were jolted by an earthquake! registering 5.5 on the Richter scale. During the 
     
     follOWing week several more tremors were felt, some approaching or equalling the 
     
     initial quake_in strength. All shocks had their epicenters located in the remote 
     
     Jack's Lake area of northern New Brunswick about 100 km north of Fredericton andf 
     
     80 km west of NewcaStle. The Catamaran Fault, of undetermined age and origin, 
     
     runs through the area. Current speculation attributes the cause of the quakes to 
     
     slippage of the earth's crust. Meanwhile scientists continue to prowl the area 
     
     in an effort to learn more about the nature and cause of the quakes. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     SOCIETY OF CANADIAN ORNITHOLOGISTS. A Society of Canadian Ornithologists is at 
     
     present being organized. At a preliminary meeting in Edmonton in August 1981 a 
     
     Constitution Committee and an Editorial Committee were appointed. The first news- 
     
     letter is now in circulation and the fledgling society is seeking new members. 
     
     Anyone interested in joining should write to Henri Ouellet at the National 
     
    

    
     Museums of Canada in Ottawa. A major impetus in the formation of the new society 
     
     and what is}ekpected to be its first major undertaking is the hosting of the 
     
     International?Ornithological Congress in 1986. 
     
    
   
   
    
     9