Citizen engagement helps consolidate Breckenridge ecological corridor in Chelsea, Outaouais
Twenty-four-hectare habitat protected for western chorus frog, west of Gatineau
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is protecting essential habitats for the western chorus frog in Outaouais. Located within an ecological corridor that links the Ottawa River to Gatineau Park, this area is crucial to the survival of this endangered species and allows a variety of other wildlife to move more easily to meet their needs.
The two protected lots, totaling 24 hectares, are part of the Breckenridge ecological corridor and include forests and wetlands, such as ponds and swamps. These natural environments are ideal habitats for a multitude of plant and animal species, including western chorus frog, which is threatened in Quebec. The western chorus frog (website in French only) is found in only two regions of Quebec: the Outaouais and Montérégie.
The ecological corridor promotes greater connectivity across the landscape, linking several environments by forming a natural passageway. This is an important asset for wildlife, as it reduces the risks associated with movement, such as collisions with cars. Greater connectivity between natural habitats also helps combat the negative effects of human activities on nature. Urbanization is one of the main causes of the decline of Quebec’s smallest frog: western chorus frog.
Protecting this area is made possible by donations from Mr. Cloutier and Mrs. Perrier, as well as Mr. Poulin of the Devcore Group and Mr. Clavet. It is combined with public funding from the Government of Canada through the Canada Nature Fund, with a contribution to Nature-Action Québec, and the gouvernement du Québec, through the Partenariat pour les milieux naturels project and the Accélérer la conservation dans le sud du Québec (ACSQ) project, with which NCC was able to finance the acquisition of the targeted properties and undertake inventories. The project was also supported by the National Capital Commission, through the Partnership Program for the Protection of Ecological Corridors, and the Municipality of Chelsea, with whom NCC exchanged a land lot of equal value to strengthen the project’s connectivity. The protected area being part of the Breckenridge ecological corridor plays a crucial role in the conservation of regional biodiversity.
The generous contributions and donations of our partners in the acquisition of these properties demonstrate the importance of a collaborative approach to the protection of natural environments.
Quotes
"This project will consolidate the connectivity of the Breckenridge corridor’s natural environments, thereby protecting the species that live there and ensuring the sustainability of the ecological services that the region provides. We are delighted to be working with partners from different backgrounds to protect this exceptional environment for future generations." – Francisco Retamal Diaz, Project Manager, Nature Conservancy of Canada
"Collaboration is at the heart of conservation, and we must work together if we are to ensure the protection and recovery of species at risk like the western chorus frog. Our government is committed to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, and putting natural environments on the road to recovery by 2050. We acknowledge the commitment of these donors and will continue to work with organizations across the country to achieve our goal." – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
"Nature-Action Québec is delighted with this collaboration with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. As a promoter of the Canada Nature Fund, granted by Environment and Climate Change Canada, we are very proud to participate in the protection of the western chorus frog’s critical habitats and the consolidation of an ecological corridor in the Outaouais region." – Romy Bazo, Director of Conservation at Nature-Action Québec
"Protecting these natural environments is excellent news for the Outaouais region and for Quebec as a whole. It’s thanks to initiatives like this one that we’re able to protect a wide variety of animal and plant species, as well as their habitats. I’d like to thank all our partners and donors for their commitment to this project. It’s by working together that we can preserve more and more of our rich natural heritage." – Benoît Charette, Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks and Minister responsible for the Laurentides region
"Protecting ecological corridors is essential to the health of Gatineau Park’s ecosystems and its biodiversity. The NCC [National Capital Commission] is proud to support the efforts of the partners involved in conserving this vital link in the Breckenridge corridor." – Stéphane Wojciechowski, Senior Manager, Land and Natural Resources, National Capital Commission
Facts
- NCC already protects more than 300 hectares of ecologically valuable land in the area.
- The western chorus frog is designated threatened under Quebec’s Loi sur les espèces menacées ou vulnérables and Canada’s Species at Risk Act.
- Western chorus frogs are of great importance to the ecosystem and act as indicators of environmental health. As predators, they help regulate insect pest populations, while serving as prey for other animals. Hearing frogs sing every year is one of the best indicators of a healthy ecosystem.
- The protected lands lie within an important connectivity zone identified by the National Capital Commission in its 2012 report Identification and Characterization of Ecological Corridors Adjacent to Gatineau Park and by the Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais (CREDDO) in its 2024 report Identification des corridors écologiques reliant les aires protégées en Outaouais.
- The Chorus Frog website is an initiative from various partners, including NCC, and features information about the species, how the public can help and details on southern Quebec’s natural environments. The public can also sign up for the Chorus Frog Ambassadors program, launched as part of the Western Chorus Frog Recovery Plan led by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs. To learn more, visit chorusfrog.ca.
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 natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. In Quebec, NCC partners regularly with Conservation de la nature Québec, a non-profit organization that is distinct from NCC, to conserve Quebec’s richest natural areas. Together, the two organizations have conserved more than 55,000 hectares of natural areas in the province.
The Canada Nature Fund supports the protection of Canada’s biodiversity through the creation of protected and conserved areas and through initiatives that help to recover species at risk. The Fund is available to not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations, provinces and territories, and others.
The National Capital Commission (NCC) participates in the protection of ecological corridors by contributing to the financing of land purchases by conservation organizations, by providing scientific expertise or by acting as the dominant landholder in conservation easements. In particular, the NCC supports projects to protect corridors adjacent to Gatineau Park, where lakes — natural environments essential to the maintenance and enrichment of biodiversity — are located.
The Partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN) project is a four-year grant of more than $53 million from the gouvernement du Québec to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. It has supported voluntary conservation initiatives to ensure the protection of natural areas of interest by establishing financial partnerships with conservation organizations in the province. The PPMN has helped to develop and consolidate Québec's network of protected areas located on private land.
The Accélérer la conservation dans le sud du Québec (ACSQ) project is a co-funding agreement between the gouvernement du Québec and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), benefiting Quebec conservation organizations. The project aims to protect and conserve natural habitats of ecological interest, notably through the acquisition of private land, for protected and conserved areas and the establishment of ecological corridors. Through this, the ACSQ will promote the development and sound management of the network of protected areas on private land, as well as public access to nature. The gouvernement du Québec invested $144 million in the ACSQ over five years; this must be matched by NCC and its partners with other funds not provided by the gouvernement du Québec.
Nature-Action Québec (NAQ) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Beloeil. For 38 years, its mission has been to guide individuals and organizations in the application of best environmental practices. One of the organization’s main areas of intervention is the conservation of natural environments. Since 2007, NAQ has been involved in the legal protection of nearly 1,900 hectares of natural environments in southern Quebec, including 968 hectares in the Montérégie region. Also, voluntarily and thanks to NAQ, more than 1,200 landowners are protecting 12,000 hectares without any legal commitment. These results are possible thanks to partnerships with local players, including other conservation organizations, towns and municipalities, as well as private landowners.
The Quebec Ecological Corridors Initiative (QECI) was launched by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in 2017 to accelerate the conservation of natural areas connected by ecological corridors. The initiative is coordinated by NCC and led by a group of 10 organizations. The group offers a collective approach to land use planning and advises provincial and municipal governments, woodlot owners, farmers and other key stakeholders. The group also carries out mobilization, capacity building, recognition and support activities throughout southern Quebec.
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