Page 11 - Dinosaur Provincial Park flipbook.ai

Development of

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Local ranches were important as landmarks for field
parties and undoubtedly paleontologists paid social
visits to farmers on occasion.
Local citizens like Dr. W. G. Anderson of neigh-
bouring Wardlow were in favour of Steveville-Dead-
lodge Canyon becoming a national park, but concern
was expressed over the possibility of indiscriminate
removal of dinosaur fossil treasures.
Boards of trade from local towns and hundreds of The unveiling of the cairn heralded a new beginning for
Dinosaur Provincial Park
locals put forward a movement to save nature’s mar-
vels at the park. And in 1937 the most ardent advocate
of initiating a park, Dr. Anderson, organized a pilgrim-
age. Hundreds of southern Albertans visited the park A legacy for all...
area. Sand Hill Creek was the main attraction. Levi
Sternberg was excavating a complete skeleton there. UNESCO’s emblem, symbolizes the interdepen-
Heavy rain did not hinder the crowd’s enthusiasm. dence of cultural and natural properties. The
central square is a form created by man and the
Dignitaries from Edmonton and Calgary arrived, circle represents nature, the two are intimately
including Tom Baines, who was then curator of the linked. The emblem is round like the world but at
Calgary zoo and their Steveville exhibits. the same time is a symbol of protection.
Dr. Anderson headed a tour of the park area. He
related the history of Alberta’s dinosaur hunters and UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientif-
was openly critical of the government’s indifference ic and Cultural Organization) is a branch of the
UN, committed to the protection of earth’s richly
towards park development. diverse cultural and natural heritages sites.
Other protection via the Provincial Parks and UNESCO operates on the fundamentally new idea
Protected Areas Act in 1930, and various investigations that such protection is not the separate responsibili-
throughout the 1930s, the park was relatively open to ty of each indivicual country or state but the joint
anyone. responsibility of all humanity.
Museum budget cuts and the Great Depression Dinosaur Provincial Park was officially declared
restricted proper scientific exploration. The Second a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 19, 1980.
World War set national interest in dinosaurs to an To date there are more than 288 World Heritage
all-time low. Sites all over the globe.
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