Nature Conservancy of Canada acquires Acadian seaside forest for new reserve in N.B.
A picture-postcard forest on the coast of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick is being turned into a nature reserve.
Nature Conservancy of Canada said Wednesday it has acquired 2.3 square kilometres of land from the family of Ruby Brown of St. Martins, N.B., about 40 kilometres east of Saint John.
The new Fundy Bay View Nature Reserve, located by the St. Martins Sea Caves and near an existing provincial conservation area, is an important location for migratory shorebirds to stop, feed and rest during their travels north and south, said the non-profit conservation group.
More than half the forest is mature, coastal red spruce, with a mixture of balsam fir, red maple and white spruce, and it's home to a diversity of wildlife, including bear, bobcat and moose, as well as bird species at risk.
A stream runs through forest, part of the Fundy Bay View Nature Reserve, near St. Martins, N.B., in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-NCC, Andrew Herygers
Paula Noel, Nature Conservancy of Canada's program director in New Brunswick, said the land is covered in red spruce trees that are at least 100 years old and peak over the fog that comes off the bay. The new reserve is the group's first conservation project in the St. Martins area, she said, adding that it took about two years for the group to acquire the property.
The Brown family has a strong connection to the forest, she said. Austin Brown, the family patriarch who died in 2007, loved the land and took good care of it for more than 50 years, Noel added. "They wanted to do something to honour him and to make sure that the property would be kept intact and wouldn't be clear cut."
She said the reserve is part of the estimated five per cent of New Brunswick's Acadian forests that remain in what's known as "pre-colonial" conditions -- before Europeans arrived to settle the land.
Mature forests such as this piece of land are important for carbon sequestration, she said, "which protects communities and supports the efforts to fight climate change as well."
Noel, who has visited the property, said she was impressed by the creek, which "kind of flows out into this open wetland near the bay."
"But when you look up the creek or when you're hiking along the top, it's in a deep, deep gorge with just really tall, straight, big red spruce trees growing up all along the sides of the gorge. It's just a really impressive kind of view looking up."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2024.
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7034258.1726084302!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'An unfortunate waste of resources': Ontario woman facing criminal charge following water gun incident
A Simcoe, Ont. woman is facing an assault with a weapon charge after she said that she accidentally sprayed her neighbour with a water gun over the Labour Day weekend, a situation that at least one legal expert says amounts to an ‘unfortunate waste of resources.’
Famous Winston Churchill portrait, stolen in Ottawa, is found
Ottawa's Chateau Laurier hotel says authorities have recovered an iconic photograph of Winston Churchill after it was stolen and replaced with a fake nearly three years ago.
Billionaire steps out of SpaceX capsule for first private spacewalk hundreds of miles above Earth
A billionaire kicked off the first private spacewalk Thursday, teaming up with SpaceX on the daring endeavour hundreds of miles above Earth.
Consul general to New York to answer questions over $9M luxury condo purchase
After weeks of pressure, Canada's consul general Tom Clark will testify on Thursday before a House of Commons committee about the purchase of his new official residence in New York that generated a lot of political attention over the summer.
What passengers need to know about their rights ahead of a potential Air Canada pilots strike
While Air Canada has shared advice for travellers ahead of a possible pilots strike, an airline passenger rights advocate has more tips for Canadians who may be affected.
Buckingham Palace guard's distinctive bearskin caps under fire by animal rights group
An animal rights group trying to get real fur out of the bearskin caps worn by King's Guards at Buckingham Palace took aim Thursday at the cost of the ceremonial garb.
Ontario woman misses flight to funeral due to airline ticket typo
An Ontario woman admits she was flustered and stressed trying to book an airline ticket when she found out a close relative had died last month.
Dollarama keeping an eye on competitors as Loblaw launches new ultra-discount chain
Dollarama Inc.'s food aisles may have expanded far beyond sweet treats or piles of gum by the checkout counter in recent years, but its chief executive maintains his company is 'not in the grocery business,' even if it's keeping an eye on the sector.
OPP constable charged after alleged assault at Santa's Village
A woman has been charged with assault following an incident at an amusement park in Bracebridge.