Home Categories Nature Reserves Nature Reserves in Canada Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve
  • Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve
  • Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve

    Located near Vancouver, the Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve spans 218,723 hectares, with 16% of its area composed of marine environments. This coastal mountain region, influenced by the Pacific Ocean, exhibits exceptional biodiversity.
    It hosts around 721 native terrestrial animal species, such as grizzly bears, wolverines, and bald eagles. The marine ecosystem includes thousands of species and features rare living glass sponge reefs, once thought to be extinct for 40 million years.
    Átl'ka7tsem, meaning 'paddling up the Sound' in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) language, reflects the deep-rooted heritage of Indigenous communities in the area.
    Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve is included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
    Designation date: 2021
    Biosphere Reserve

    Canada

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    Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve