Nature conservancy fills in puzzle piece on eastern P.E.I. protected area

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has purchased a small but significant forested site in Howe Bay, near Souris, filling in a missing piece for the Elizabeth Walsh Nature Reserve.

The reserve was established in 2019 on 12.5 hectares of the former Elizabeth Walsh farm. The new purchase adds 3.5 hectares of forest.

"When the landowner came forward and was interested in divesting of the land, it kind of felt really good for us to know we could fill in that missing puzzle piece," said NCC P.E.I. program director Lanna Campbell.

"Forests in general are fairly underrepresented in P.E.I.'s protected area network, so it's always great when we can protect more forest."

The NCC began making inquiries to neighbouring landowners at the time the reserve was established.

This is a particularly large single area of forest now protected by the reserve, which is important for animals, said Campbell, because it gives them room to roam without running into roads or houses or other human infrastructure.

The property is Acadian mixed forest tree species, with black spruce, trembling aspen, balsam fir, white birch and red maple. Some of the aspens are quite large, providing ideal habitat for cavity nesters and builders, such as woodpeckers and red and flying squirrels.

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