THUNDER BAY/SUDBURY—Four important wetland sites, including three on Manitoulin Island as well as on Lake Superior’s Black Bay Peninsula (near Thunder Bay), will be protected forever by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). An announcement was made February 2, marking a significant win for nature on World Wetlands Day.
“We are very excited to be able to protect these properties in these very significant areas,” Wendy Cridland, director of conservation for Ontario Region with the NCC, stated when contacted by The Expositor. “We’ve been building our conservation efforts on the Island. These properties have wetlands, an amazing array of birds, wildlife, habitats and even species at risk that will now be protected.”
Ms. Cridland said the NCC is celebrating the protection of the over 940 hectares of lands and waters on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron as well as Lake Superior’s Black Bay Peninsula.
The three newly protected properties on southern Manitoulin Island span more than 750 hectares (1,852 acres). The areas boast spectacular wetlands, forest and alvar communities and support a wide range of species at risk, including least bittern (a threatened bird) and Blanding’s turtles (threatened). These wetlands also provide valuable ecosystem systems for people, such as flood control, water filtration and carbon storage.
The protection of these lands and waters supports NCC’s ongoing conservation efforts across Manitoulin Island. When combined with nearby and adjacent conservation lands that NCC and their partners have already conserved, these three projects bring the existing conservation complex on the Manitoulin Island Archipelago close to 15,030 hectares, or larger than the city of Barrie, the largest continuous protected area south of the Canadian Shield.
Ms. Cridland told The Expositor the three properties are at the West End of the Island, specifically in Robinson township, and are in close proximity to the Queen Mum Park. “The property is very special.”
Esme Batten, program director-midwestern Ontario NCC said, “On Manitoulin Island we have an incredible opportunity to protect large and intact tracts of land, such as the 753-hectare Manitoulin South Shore properties. Wetlands across these properties feed rivers that meander through diverse forests and alvars. These areas provide habitat for rare and at-risk species, such as Blanding’s turtles, breeding and migratory birds and a stunning array of plants. Many wide-ranging mammals, such as black bears, wolves and fishers visit these wetlands for food and water, and they are truly a hub for life.”
“On World Wetlands Day, let’s take a moment to appreciate these beautiful and valuable ecosystems on Manitoulin Island, and across the country, which helps clean our water, provide important habitat for wildlife, and store carbon,” said Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change. “Canada’s wetlands are globally significant in terms of mitigating the impacts of climate change and protecting diversity, and by working with partners like the (NCC), we are helping to protect, restore and enhance these important ecosystems. The Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund is supporting our progress in our response to climate change and biodiversity loss. Our investments to protect key wetlands and their role in storing carbon also support Canada’s efforts to conserve 30 percent of land, inland water and oceans by 2030.”
“Conserving the ecology of important natural areas, like these four wetland properties in Northern Ontario, is a special way to mark World Wetlands Day,” said Andrea Khanjin, minister of the environment, conservation and parks. “Through Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership, our investment in these projects will result in the protection of 2,320 acres (over 940 hectares) of land and water. When combined, this is an area about the size of Presqu’ile Provincial Park. This important work with the (NCC) will ensure these natural areas can continue to thrive for generations to come.”
NCC’s 191-hectare Black Bay Peninsula property, located approximately 100 kilometres east of Thunder Bay, features abundant forested wetlands. This project builds on a network of protected properties within the Black Bay Provincially Significant Wetland Area and helps to sustain species at risk, such as olive-sided flycatcher.
These projects were made possible in part by the Government of Canada, through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund and the Government of Ontario, through the Greenlands Conservation partnership program. NCC is also grateful for the generosity of many individual donors and foundations who supported this work.
Ms. Cridland told The Expositor NCC staff will continue its inventory work toward a management plan, which will include determinations on access and safety put in place for the properties on Manitoulin.
