Robust conservation network helps protect Saugeen Peninsula’s iconic waters, benefiting nearby communities
Tobermory, ON (March 31, 2026) – A gap in a network of key conservation lands on the Saugeen Peninsula is now filled, delivering nearly 20 additional hectares of land and shoreline that trickles big benefits back to nearby communities. A newly conserved Baptist Harbour property protects the famous crystal-blue waters and fresh air for everyone who lives, works and plays in this region.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada worked in partnership with government, corporations, foundations and other supporters to secure the new property which is within Saukiing Anishinaabekiing – Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory. It includes three football fields’ worth of increasingly scarce undeveloped Lake Huron shoreline, globally rare alvar, thriving wetlands and dense forests. Guided by science and local knowledge, NCC is collaborating with partners to effectively steward this area for generations to come.
Nature makes a good neighbour
Protecting nature on the peninsula ensures access to clean water and fresh air for the people that call this area home (or a home away from home). The ecosystems in and around Baptist Harbour all play critical roles in its water quality:
- Its wetlands naturally absorb, store and filter water
- Its undeveloped shorelines prevent erosion and help maintain stable water quality
- Its forests protect groundwater and absorb carbon and pollutants
Conserving places like Baptist Harbour, parcel-by-parcel, ensures resilient ecosystems that continue to support the health and well-being of people nearby.
‘Hole in the donut’ of surrounding conservation properties
Very little of the Saugeen Peninsula’s shoreline remains undeveloped or unprotected. Located between/within a network of conservation lands, this project reinforces nature’s ability to provide these benefits and strengthens the area’s ecological connectivity, so that species can move freely across the greater area.
The new parcel of land exists not only in a tourism hotspot region, but also a biodiversity hotspot. The alvars found here – a rare ecosystem where flowers spring from barren-looking, unsuspecting limestone – are some of the only examples found on earth. NCC has protected over 2,500 hectares of alvar habitat across Ontario.
This project was made possible by the support of trusted partners including the Government of Ontario through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership Program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, the Government of Canada, Bruce Power’s Environment and Sustainability Fund, the international foundation Fundacja Drzewo i Jutro/Tree and Tomorrow, and many individual supporters. This work demonstrates NCC’s longstanding commitment to bringing people and partners together to protect the lands and waters that sustain us, so life can thrive.
Quotes
“Baptist Harbour is a small but mighty conservation win in one of Canada’s most treasured natural areas. By securing this central piece of land within an existing conservation corridor, increased benefits will be felt by nature and people alike.” — Jacob Kloeze, Program Director, Midwestern Ontario, Nature Conservancy of Canada
“Adding nearly 50 acres (20 hectares) of protected land and shoreline at Baptist Harbour is a significant conservation win for Ontario, I want to thank the Nature Conservancy of Canada and their partners for driving the protection of this key part of the Lake Huron shoreline. With support from the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, we are continuing to build the network of protected green space along the Bruce Peninsula so that residents and visitors can enjoy its famous crystal-blue waters for generations to come.” — Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
“The Saugeen Peninsula is home to an extraordinary network of protected lands and waters, from national and provincial parks to community-led conservation areas. By conserving Baptist Harbour, the NCC is helping create a linked corridor of natural spaces that allows wildlife to move and thrive across the peninsula. Protecting these connections strengthens biodiversity, supports healthy ecosystems, and helps ensure this remarkable landscape continues to sustain both nature and people.” — The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“Protecting places like Baptist Harbour strengthens Canada’s conservation network while delivering real benefits for nearby communities. By conserving critical shoreline, wetlands, and rare ecosystems on the Saugeen Peninsula, the NCC is helping safeguard biodiversity, support clean water, and ensure this special landscape can be enjoyed for generations to come.” — The Honourable Nathalie Provost, Secretary of State (Nature)
Facts
- Shoreline alvar supports globally rare species, like the dwarf lake iris, purple-stem cliffbrake and Hill’s thistle. The peninsula is notable for hosting the greatest diversity of orchids north of Florida – with over 40 native species of orchids documented.
- Area is a crucial stopover for migratory birds, and includes suitable breeding areas for species at risk such as common nighthawk and eastern whip-poor-will.
- Property builds on existing wildlife corridor that allows wide-ranging mammals such as the American black bear and fisher to move freely.
- Habitat for the eastern massasauga, a rattlesnake species at risk that also has cultural significance to the Saugeen Ojibway Nation
- NCC has protected more than 2,180 hectares on the Saugeen Peninsula.
Find photos of Baptist Harbour here.
How you can help
Across Canada, NCC is taking on projects like this one — protecting the lands and waters that sustain us all. Find out how you can help at natureconservancy.ca/donate.
About
Since 1962, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has brought people together to protect the lands and waters that sustain us all. As an environmental charity working hand in hand with communities, Indigenous Nations, governments and businesses, we deliver nature-based solutions at a scale no one else can. Our conservation work safeguards clean air and water, stores carbon and reduces the risks of floods and wildfires — protecting our health, strengthening local economies and building more resilient communities. Together, we unlock nature’s power, so life can thrive.
The Greenlands Conservation Partnership program is the single largest provincial fund to secure private land in Ontario. This unique program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, leverages non-governmental dollars to acquire, restore and manage privately owned natural areas such as wetlands, grasslands and forests. For every dollar of provincial funding provided, grant recipients match it with a minimum of $2 from other conservation partners, including individual donors, foundations and other levels of government. Since 2020, the Ontario government has invested $58 million into the program, which has helped to protect over 437,000 acres (over 177,000 hectares) of private land across the province – more than 2.75 times the size of Toronto.
The Landscape Resiliency Program is a collaboration between the Government of Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) that will conserve up to 30,000 hectares of forests, wetlands, shoreline areas and grasslands. A total of $26 million will be invested from now through May 2028 to strengthen landscape resiliency and create connected pathways for the movement and dispersal of wildlife. The conservation of these areas will help reverse biodiversity loss and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The Government of Canada and NCC share a common goal of protecting the ecological integrity of these lands and waters for today and for the future by working with local landowners, partners, Indigenous Nations and communities.
Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) focuses on providing community, knowledge sharing and support to land trusts across Ontario. It empowers and supports highly effective, well-governed land trusts that engage their communities to protect forests, wetlands, nature, and water sources and provide natural climate solutions. OLTA builds capacity through training and educational programs, connecting land trusts to each other, resources, and their communities, leading and supporting on-the-ground conservation work, sharing knowledge and best practices, reducing financial barriers to land conservation, promoting organizational excellence, providing access to current research and acting as a voice for land trusts among the public, governments, and other rightsholders. Our impact is Ontario-wide through 56 connected charities and communities. OLTA’s local land trust members currently collectively own and steward over 2,000 natural areas and green spaces across Ontario, with the leadership of thousands of supporters and volunteers annually. To support your local land trust, visit OLTA.ca.
The Tree and Tomorrow Foundation was founded in 2016 in Warsaw, Poland, by James Van Bergh and Agnieszka Van Bergh. The Foundation supports children and youth in crisis by providing funding to non-governmental organizations and institutions that deliver a wide range of care, education and development programs. Since 2019, the Foundation has expanded its mission to include environmental education in Poland, helping deliver ecological education programs in schools, parks, and community centres and fostering environmental awareness and responsibility among younger generations. In 2022, the Foundation broadened its activities internationally and began supporting projects led by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), focused on protecting natural areas in Ontario and engaging Indigenous communities in conservation efforts. To learn more about the Foundation’s work in Canada, visit: Projects in Canada – Fundacja Drzewo Jutro.
Contact
Brianne Curry, Communications Manager
Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario
C: (519) 520-1340
brianne.curry@natureconservancy.ca