Rewilding at the Brooms Brook floodplain in the Codroy Valley, Newfoundland and Labrador September 15, 2025

Not a product, but a process

Clear water weaves its way down Brooms Brook, from the majestic Cape Anguille Mountains across the lush landscape and into the Grand Codroy River. The once-sprawling flood zone has been rearranged as a result of roadway development, resulting in an unfortunate disruption to vital ecosystem services, like flood management in the area.

This land became particularly interesting to Ash Hall when he signed on as a dedicated volunteer land steward with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Because of his genuine local interest and his background as an environmental planner, he was soon inspired to write a detailed restoration plan for the site. This plan led to Ash’s employment as a passionate conservation biologist with NCC, allowing the Newfoundland & Labrador Stewardship team to implement and oversee the important work being done on the land.

“It was amazing for me to see it from the outside or from the semi-inside as a volunteer, and then to study it in depth independently and then be brought on to help put [the restoration plan] in place,” recalls Ash.

The approach to this land stemmed from Ash’s assertion that to best way to conserve the altered land is to “put it back to the way it was” by “putting a few important keystone items or characteristics in place and then let natural forces come back and do most of the work.” These large-scale efforts help guide the land back to its natural state, rather than forcing restoration for overnight improvement.

This is how the rewilding process began. It was clear to Ash that this wasn’t just abandoned farmland; it was the home of a rich, biodiverse entanglement of feeding areas, nesting spots, salmon runs and more. The soil is fertile and rich and is prone to frequent flooding due to the rerouted waterways trying to return to their natural flow, including meltwater run-off in the spring.

So, the project started there — with the essential water. Following extensive input, stories and conversations on site history with local residents, Indigenous leaders and parcel neighbours, the team started with restoring water features. Careful runouts and ponds were dug following existing drainage shapes, with deliberate care taken to mimic natural waterways and streambanks.

The hard, compacted soil was strategically excavated to create variations in soil depth and encourage new growth. Flood flows, sedimentation and vegetation naturally create variations in soil and topography. The Stewardship team is looking forward to continuing to monitor the soil health as the project progresses and natural processes return to the soil and site.

Next came the vibrant plants. Ash and the Stewardship team were meticulous in selecting local native trees and shrubs that could take a serious beating from the harsh weather. Local tree cuttings known for their resilience were chosen, as they naturally grow and succeed in this environment. The unpredictable weather conditions became increasingly important to consider as the plan developed. The site regularly experiences strong windstorms, scorching heat in the summer and thick ice pan deposits in the winter.

Undeterred, Ash saw these natural variables as part of the process. “The weather is part of the rewilding, so are all of the forces that come together on that site […] they provoke change,” he says.

In fact, natural elements thought of as destructive in nature can be seen as valuable opportunities in the rewilding process. Trees naturally topple over, especially in areas with intense weather like the rugged Codroy Valley. While this can be seen as the loss of a living tree, it also signals the beginning of a new habitat. Insects can scavenge the dug-out roots for unearthed food, animals can use the fallen log as shelter, and the leaves that were once out of reach for small species are now accessible as food or shelter supplies.

This ongoing collaboration between humans and nature is the heart of rewilding. Beavers and curious voles may come along and mess with the newly planted trees, but, as in nature, this creates a natural feedback loop; the beaver gets to build its sturdy dam and likely spreads scattered seeds and rich organic matter across the habitat.

When asked about pests on the property, Ash was quick to defend the area’s natural inhabitants. “If the beaver takes the trees, is that a failure of our project? I would argue that it’s not. I would argue that is the cycle of the site,” he says. All the local flora and fauna contribute to the cycle of rewilding: as the soil becomes richer, more plants will grow and more animals will visit to use the resources provided by the habitat.

The rewilding team is still considering long-term risks to the planned process by not implementing any actions that could be a big risk to the property. Every action is carefully planned, and every integral organism is considered. This includes the local community. A reduction in flooding would help habitat health while also enhancing road infrastructure resilience.

While the rewilding process is in its early stages at the Brooms Brook property, the process continues. The site is monitored regularly, and Ash is excited to continue sharing updates as the wild returns to the once compacted soil.

Thank you to the Wildlife Division, Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, and the Stewardship Association of Municipalities, for your help on planting day.

Planning of this project continues to be informed by input from conversations with community members.

The Broom’s Brook restoration project was funded by the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund and the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.