Saving rare habitat on Ontario’s Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula

China Cove, ON (Photo by Esme Batten/NCC Staff)

Esme Batten, NCC’s program director for midwestern Ontario, has lived on the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula for 12 years, but she had yet to explore the China Cove property, which protects an almost one-kilometre stretch of Lake Huron shoreline and diverse forests and wetlands at the tip of the peninsula.

That changed last spring when NCC submitted a successful bid to purchase the 29-hectare property.

Stepping inside the forest surrounding China Cove, Esme remembers feeling like she had been transported to a different place. “It was serene and tranquil. I could hear the trembling aspen blowing in the wind, and there were the beautiful sounds of trickling water from a couple of creeks.”

A path through the cedars led to an alvar, a naturally open habitat dominated by limestone, sparse vegetation and unique flora overlooking the Great Lakes shoreline. Alvars are globally-rare habitats known for harsh conditions and temperature extremes, supporting species that exist nowhere else on earth.

“The sun lit up the beautiful wildflowers like little jewels,” Esme recalls. “There were rolling hills of limestone with bald eagles flying overhead and ducks swimming in the crystal-clear aqua water of the cove. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Wow. We have to protect this.’”

With the support of our community, that’s exactly what NCC plans to do.

With the help of generous donors, NCC has raised $2 million of the $3.2 million required to purchase the China Cove property and care for it over the long-term. Raising the remaining funds is one of NCC’s top priorities in Ontario and a signature initiative in the Forest Campaign, now being promoted among NCC’s stakeholders, including Ambassadors’ Circle members, and set for public launch in 2025.

When it comes to China Cove, though, Esme says the time to act is now. The property is “under imminent threat” with seven building lots already approved and ready for development.

“If we can’t raise the funds and close the deal early next year, the sale could fall through, building could happen quickly and this last, precious stretch of undeveloped Lake Huron shoreline will be lost forever.”

China Cove provides critical habitat for at-risk species, including Hill’s thistle and midland painted turtle. The area’s forests are also home to many migratory birds, salamanders, rattlesnakes and a genetically distinct population of black bear. In addition to protecting sensitive habitats, NCC’s conservation efforts will include expanding wildlife corridors, controlling invasive species and providing opportunities for people to connect with nature.

NCC has already protected 7,100 hectares of ecologically significant habitat across the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula, with a goal to conserve another 1,600 hectares, including China Cove.

Now that she has experienced this property first-hand, Esme is hopeful that we can protect this stunning property for the benefit of people and wildlife.

“China Cove is absolutely enchanting. Together, if we can just raise those funds, we can protect it forever.”