Nature Conservancy of Canada announces new addition to Cains Mountain Nature Reserve
Regionally unique wetland ecosystems and rare species now protected
There is good news for nature in central Cape Breton. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has purchased a site that expands upon an important natural area in Cains Mountain, Nova Scotia.
This new addition of 64 hectares brings the total protected area of the Cains Mountain Nature Reserve to 487 hectares. The nature reserve is located near the community of Little Narrows and is only three kilometres from the Cains Mountain Wilderness Area, which is protected by the Province of Nova Scotia.
The nature reserve’s forest and wetlands sit on a rocky base that is rich in calcium and magnesium. This is a type of gypsum bedrock not found in many areas of the province, and it creates regionally unique ecosystems as the minerals from the rock seep into the soil.
Nearly a quarter of the newly conserved area feature wetlands. Rare and uncommon species to Nova Scotia, such as alder-leaved buckthorn, thrive in these alkaline conditions. The property’s wetlands and ponds also provide habitat for waterfowl, including olive-sided flycatcher and Canada warbler, both species of special concern, as well as Wilson’s snipe, hermit thrush, ovenbird and bald eagle.
The project was funded in part by the Government of Canada's Target 1 Challenge Fund the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
Projects such as this one are a testament to NCC’s leadership in accelerating the pace of conservation in Canada. In the past two years alone, the organization has influenced the protection of more than 1 million hectares (almost twice the size of Prince Edward Island), coast to coast to coast. Over the next few years, NCC will double its impact by mobilizing Canadians and delivering permanent, large-scale conservation.
In the face of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, nature is our ally. There is no solution to either without nature conservation. When nature thrives, we all thrive.
Quotes
“Nova Scotia is home to some regionally unique ecosystems that need protection in order to help local wildlife thrive again. This exciting announcement goes a long way to supporting the survival and recovery of several species at risk, like the Olive-Sided Flycatcher and the Canada Warbler. This announcement is just one more step in the largest conservation campaign in the country’s history that our government has launched to reach our goal of conserving 30 percent of land and water by 2030.” – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“On behalf of all Nova Scotians, I want to thank the Nature Conservancy of Canada for their ongoing work to conserve and protect our province’s land and water. The expansion of this protected area – which is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy – will protect an additional 16 hectares of Nova Scotia's critically important wetlands, bringing the total area of wetlands protected by the Nature Conservancy in the province to 1500 hectares. We continue to support the work they – and all of our conservation partners – do to protect nature and valuable ecosystems." – The Honourable Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
"This expansion of the Cains Mountain Nature Reserve underscores NCC’s commitment to protecting unique ecosystems and rare species in Nova Scotia, and contributes to the urgent cause of biodiversity conservation." – Jaimee Dupont Morozoff, NCC Program Director in Nova Scotia
Facts
- The Cains Mountain Nature Reserve is located within NCC’s Central Cape Breton Priority Area, which is one of the most ecologically diverse regions of Nova Scotia.
- NCC’s first conservation project in Atlantic Canada was in the Mabou Highlands at Sight Point (173 hectares) in 1971. Since that time, it has conserved 1,638 hectares on Cape Breton Island and 18,800 hectares across Nova Scotia.
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner, NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought people together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. In Atlantic Canada, NCC has protected 38,600 hectares. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.
In Nova Scotia, the Government of Canada’s Target 1 Challenge funding flows through the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change to conservation organizations and other partners to protect natural areas in the province. The partners include the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources, The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq, Sespite'tmnej Kmitkinu Conservancy, Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife Commission, Town of Amherst and the Municipality of the County of Cumberland. The Province can also use this federal funding for its land protection work.
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