Regional Successes

(NCC’s) first project in the Pemberton Valley means more security for grizzly bears in the Squamish-Lillooet region. NCC and its partners have conserved an 87-hectare (214-acre) ecologically important property along the Ryan River, in Pemberton Meadows.

The Ryan River Conservation Area is extensively used by grizzly and black bears, black-tailed deer, beavers and many species of migratory birds. The grizzly bears found here are from a provincially threatened population. Protecting this forested, valley-bottom property offers safe habitat for the bears as they move across the valley and connect with the neighbouring population.

(NCC’s) ongoing partnership with ranchers in the Waterton Park Front, on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, continues. Wishing to maintain the landscape of their multi-generational ranch in a natural, unfragmented state while continuing their cattle ranch operations, the Hansen family placed an easement on the property with NCC.

Three generations of the Hansen family have been living on and working the 365-hectare (903-acre) Hansen Ranch, east of Waterton Lakes National Park. Their vision of protecting the ranch ensures not only the continuation of their legacy, but also its ecological value. The wetlands and streams on Hansen Ranch contribute to the conservation of water quality, flood mitigation and the maintenance of an important watershed along Alberta’s southern foothills. And several important habitats on the property extend beyond the boundaries of Waterton Lakes National Park, providing connectivity for wide-ranging animals, such as grizzly bear, gray wolf, wolverine and Canada lynx.

that provide a buffer to ensure the safety of the drinking water source for approximately one-quarter of Saskatchewan’s population is now protected. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) successfully completed its most significant conservation project (by cost ) to date in the province, just 40 kilometres from Moose Jaw. The 866-hectare (2,140-acre) Buffalo Pound natural area consists of native grasslands — one of the most endangered habitats in the world — and seven kilometres of shoreline along the north shore of Buffalo Pound Lake.

Buffalo Pound is also home to at-risk species, such as Sprague’s pipit, bobolink, northern leopard frog and American badger.

by David Lacey in memory of his late wife, Susan, was the site of two exciting discoveries last summer. Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff discovered the presence of the nationally endangered Dakota skipper butterfly and provincially endangered Great Plains ladies’-tresses orchid. Both of these species are also of global conservation concern.

The 63-hectare (156-acre) property is located 11 kilometres southwest of the town of Oak Lake and nine kilometres south of Routledge. The property features mixed-grass prairie, wetlands and riparian habitat along the shoreline of Oak Lake. The orchid’s discovery expands its known range in Manitoba.

The identification of these species prompted NCC to quickly adapt management plans for the summer. Staff adjusted the timing and location of the planned haying to accommodate not only the discovery of these two species, but also other wildlife — including nesting waterfowl, endangered monarch butterflies, the threatened bobolink — before developing a multi-species at-risk focused management plan.

(NCC) celebrated the protection of an area with a rich and long human history — 33 hectares (82 acres) of meadow, wetland and shoreline on Staley Point on Wolfe Island. For thousands of years, the island was used as a permanent and semi-permanent settlement by Indigenous communities, including Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Mississauga and Algonquin-speaking Peoples. Later, Staley Point was part of the seigneury (estate of a French noble) of explorer and trader René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle, which was awarded to him in 1675 by King Louis XIV of France. In 1685, the property was part of the very first private land sale in Upper Canada when La Salle transferred the island to Jacques Cauchois.

Wolfe Island, at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, is both the most easterly of the Great Lakes islands and also the largest in the Thousand Islands archipelago. Located at the extreme northwestern corner of the island lies Staley Point, which is critical to local nature conservation. Large coastal wetlands on the property’s south side help to filter the waters of Lake Ontario, while providing habitat for an impressive suite of waterfowl. Its expansive meadows are home at-risk birds, such as bobolink and eastern meadowlark, and provide stopover habitat for the endangered monarch along its epic migration route.

on Route 117 in Ivry-sur-le-Lac will help to improve the safety of motorists and wildlife in the Laurentians. The plan is to use the newly secured property to develop a wildlife crossing under the road here to reduce collisions between vehicles and wildlife and allow unrestricted movement for animals, such as fisher and moose.

The 27-hectare (66-acre) acquisition by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a part of a larger wildlife corridor project with many groups and government agencies to protect and expand ecological corridors across Quebec. This property, known as Wildlife Crossing Ivry, includes a wetland and a forest dominated by sugar maple, yellow birch and balsam fir.

Acadian forest near Riverside-Albert has now ensured the continued survival of a rare stand of trees more than 80 years old. Had it not been conserved by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), it is likely that the forest would have been lost to logging due to its high timber value. Older forests are now very rare in Atlantic Canada, making them a natural treasure and a priority for conservation.

Located near Riverside-Albert, the forest provides habitat for a rich diversity of wildlife, including eastern wood-pewee, a species of special concern.

In addition to protecting the mature forest, NCC acquired the land to help protect drinking water reservoirs for the community’s residents.

significant salt marshes has received even more protection. Salt marshes are critically important for nature and people. In addition to their biological diversity, they play a crucial role in buffering coastal communities from rising sea levels and more frequent storm events. Protecting them is an important way to adapt to a changing climate and minimize coastal erosion, a growing concern for Islanders. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) added 10 hectares (24 acres) at its nature reserve in Abram-Village. The property is mainly forested and borders the Abram-Village salt marsh.

The Abram-Village salt marsh also provides vital habitat for many species of birds, including great blue heron, red-breasted merganser, American black duck, Nelson’s sparrow, willet, belted kingfisher and common goldeneye.

for conservation in Cape Breton has now been conserved by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). The 231-hectare (570-acre) Little Narrows property, located west of Cain’s Mountain, on Cape Breton Island, features large tracts of mature forest with old-growth stands dominated by sugar maple, yellow birch and beech.

The property also contains 24 hectares (approximately 60 acres) of wetland habitat, including brackish (slightly salty) marsh and bogs, fens and beaver ponds, which provide habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. There are also at least 10 ponds scattered throughout the property.

NCC has been working in Cape Breton since 1971 and has identified the Little Narrows region as a top priority for conservation.

more than half of the bird species in Newfoundland and Labrador has now received additional protection. Sheltered by the Long Range Mountains, the scenic, rolling landscape of the Codroy Valley is a haven, not only for birds, but also for nature lovers and travelers. The Nature Conservancy of Canada has been working here for many years.

NCC conserved an additional 19 hectares (47 acres) of boreal forest along the Grand Codroy River, upstream of this valuable wetland. This addition expands NCC’s Codroy Valley Nature Reserve to 262 hectares (647 acres).