Sand dunes in Saskatchewan?

The sun shines brightly through the trees onto the forest floor as the plane dips low over the tops of Saskatchewan's boreal forest. Named after the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas, Canada's Boreal Forest is one of the largest ecosystems on the planet and covers approximately one-half of Canada's land mass. Nearly 55 percent of Saskatchewan is covered by boreal forest. A photo of the entire Canadian boreal forest (including Saskatchewan) taken from space looks like a green band circling the northern part of the planet. Chuckling to himself, the pilot tells his passengers that Saskatchewan has been referred to as a topographically dull, endless expanse of flatness with no trees or hills. However, he explains, Saskatchewan really is a wild expanse of rivers, lakes and coniferous forests full of surprises.

Flying just above the treetops, the passengers are keeping their eyes peeled in hopes of seeing a moose, timber wolf or black bear along the forest floor as they listen to the pilot explain how important Saskatchewan's boreal forest is; that these forests play a role in filtering the air we breathe. He continues to explain that as the trees in the forests continue to grow, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere around the world increases, causing the level of carbon dioxide to drop. The passengers are truly intrigued by this unique forest ecosystem when suddenly, in the midst of Saskatchewan's forested terrain, they see an unexpected, unlikely landscape that comes as a surprise to them all! They see massive sand dunes, rising as high as 100 feet and stretching for more than a quarter mile. Again, the pilot chuckles, as he listens to the passengers' awe and sees their shocked expressions.

This unexpected, rare ecosystem looms up on the south side of Lake Athabasca, which is Saskatchewan's largest lake. The pilot explains that the Athabasca Sand Dunes are almost unbelievable to those who approach from any direction by air because the flight to get there crosses huge expanses of Saskatchewan's boreal forests, showcasing familiar jack pine and birch, rocks, rivers, wetlands and other small lakes. As excitement and anticipation rises, everyone on the plane chats amongst themselves, wondering where in the world these extraordinary dunes came from.