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Temporary closure until May 16, 2024 (thaw period) Details
Scientific Research
Major Research Orientations at Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay
Having extensive knowledge of the parks to better preserve them is the foundation that justifies the efforts invested in inventories, monitoring programs and scientific research. At Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay, research takes various directions, including the following examples. In the Baie-Ste-Marguerite sector, major archaeological work is carried out each year to uncover the traces of human occupation dating back several thousand years. In the fall, the Baie-de-Tadoussac sector turns into a crossroads for migratory birds. Observatoire d'oiseaux de Tadoussac has been studying the demographic evolution of boreal species since 1993. An average of about 15,000 birds of prey and 290,000 other bird species are recorded there every fall. Certain studies aim to document the situation of particular species. For example, the striped coralroot, a rare orchid, is monitored every year. Fur traps are also used to confirm the presence of cougar.
Find out more about scientific research in the Québec's National Parks network
Did you know?
Thousands of Years of History Buried in the Terraces of Baie Sainte-Marguerite
A few thousand years ago, the level of the fjord was 20 to 40 m higher than its current level. Because the first inhabitants settled beside the water, the oldest artefacts were found 25 m higher than the fjord’s present level. Most of the 320,000 five-thousand-year-old pieces collected consist of seal bone fragments found on combustion sites.
Surprisingly, it seems that the area was mainly used in the winter as a hunting camp. Its food productivity made this spot a strategic location despite the winter conditions.
Rivière Sainte-Marguerite is one of the rare rivers in Québec whose terraces can attest to almost the entire history of human occupation in Québec, making it an exceptional laboratory. Learn more about the subject in the conservation newsletter.
Almost every spring since 1996, a team from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi archaeological laboratory conducts digs along Rivière Sainte-Marguerite.