The Waterton Biosphere Reserve and National Park is situated in the extreme southwest of Alberta and covers an area of 52,597 kilometers. It encompasses a section of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and extends from the Continental Divide to the eastern edge of the Canadian Great Plains. The Glacier Biosphere Reserve and National Park in Montana (USA) is located to the south of the area.

The steep environmental gradients present from the Continental Divide to the prairies have created an unusually rich mosaic of habitats, with associated flora and fauna. Waterton Biosphere Reserve encompasses prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, subalpine forests, alpine tundra and meadows, cliffs, lakes and freshwater wetlands as well as disturbed, heavily grazed land in the prairies.

Waterton itself hosts a permanent population of approximately 300 people, and has a seasonal population of about 2,250 during the peak summer season. Tourism provides the major source of income, which mainly takes place in the reserve’s buffer zone. Agriculture, especially livestock rearing and sustainable forest use within the Blood Indian Reserve, is also of importance, and practiced mainly in the transition zone.

For more information, visit: http://www.watertonbiosphere.com