NCC Magazine Spring 2024

Through 

and through 

TKTKTKTKTKTKT 

Ensuring every natural system 

and native species can thrive 

natureconservancy.ca 

WINTER 2021 1

SPRING 2024 

CONTENTS 

Nature Conservancy of Canada 

4 What’s in a name? 

Migrating birds will soon be returning 

to Canadian skies. Let’s pause and think 

about what their names mean. 

6 St. Peters Harbour and 

Lake Run 

The crashing of ocean waves and 

refreshing breezes brings a calm and 

peaceful feeling. 

7 A spring swell 

The sounds of familiar chirps and buzzes 

are a sign of spring and a reminder to join 

the Small Acts of Conservation challenge. 

7 Empowered by nature 

Jessica Burylo flourishes as her full, autistic 

self when spending time outdoors. 

8 Present and accounted for 

Conserving areas of biodiversity that are 

representative of landscapes and species 

not yet protected is essential to creating 

resilient ecosystems. 

12 The beaver 

Canada’s quintessential aquatic engineer 

and wetland builder. 

14 Project updates 

Protecting coastal habitat in BC; 

conserving a key migratory bird rest 

stop in Saskatchewan; a conservation 

partnership in Nova Scotia. 

16 Common ground 

Margaret Rosling brings Indigenous 

interests and conservation together. 

18 Prairie ABCs 

An art project weaving together 

Maritime tradition with the 

Prairie landscape. 

Digital extras 

Check out our online magazine with 

additional content to supplement this issue, 

at nccmagazine.ca. 

Nature Conservancy of Canada 

365 Bloor Street East, Suite 1501 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4W 3L4 

magazine@natureconservancy.ca | Phone: 416.932.3202 | Toll-free: 877.231.3552 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. We seek 

solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, 

permanent land conservation. NCC is a registered charity. With nature, we build a thriving world. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine is distributed to donors and supporters of NCC. 

TM 

Trademarks owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. 

FSC® is not responsible for any calculations 

on saving resources by choosing this paper. 

Printed in Canada with vegetable-based inks by Warrens Waterless Printing. 

This publication saved 29 trees and 28,827 litres of water*. 

CREATED BY: CALCULATEUR.ROLLANDINC.COM. PHOTO: JENNA RACHELLE. COVER: DANITA DELIMONT/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (RAM’S-HEAD LADY’S-SLIPPER). 

* 

2 SPRING 2024 natureconservancy.ca

St. Peters Harbour 

and Lake Run, PEI. 

Featured 

Contributors 

MARIE-MICHELE ROUSSEAU-CLAIR: ETIENNE BOISVERT; CHELSEA PETERS: SOUNDS LIKE YELLOW PHOTOGRAPHY; ZACK METCALFE: ZACK METCALFE. 

Dear friends, 

Where I live and work in Quebec, it gives me great joy to 

see northern cardinals outside my office window. This 

native songbird reminds me of the role that familiar 

animals and plants play in our ecosystems. We often think of common 

species as well represented or not in need of protection. Or, we may 

think that species should be rare to be protected. But consider the 

flip side of the coin: even the most common species need adequate 

habitats to prevent them from becoming at risk. 

Take, for instance, beavers: an iconic species quintessential to 

engineering waterways and maintaining wetlands across the landscape. 

As you’ll read about on page 12, beavers may be a common 

species, but wetlands, which are underrepresented, need to be 

conserved for this species to continue to thrive. 

In this issue of the Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine, 

we delve into the R of the CARE principle (Connected, Adequate, 

Representative and Effective). Simply put, representative means 

ensuring that every natural feature, from rivers to Great Lakes, 

grasslands to coastal ecosystems, and native species can persist 

through time despite changes that cause the biodiversity crisis. 

I hope you will be inspired by the stories in this issue that embrace 

representation in all its forms, and how it contributes to creating 

more resilient landscapes. Thank you for your continued support of 

Canada’s nature. 

Yours in conservation, 

Marie-Michele Rousseau-Clair 

Marie-Michele Rousseau-Clair 

Chief conservation officer 

Zack Metcalfe is a 

freelance journalist 

and author based in 

Salmon Arm, British 

Columbia. He wrote 

“Present and accounted 

for,” on page 8. 

Chelsea Peters, 

a freelance illustrator 

since 2015, resides 

in Dundas, Ontario. 

She enjoys capturing 

nature’s beauty 

through line and 

watercolour, and aims 

to inform and inspire 

viewers with her work. 

She illustrated “What’s 

in a name?” on page 5, 

and “Common 

ground,” on page 16. 


SPRING 2024 3

COAST TO 

COAST 

Henslow’s sparrow’s song, which 

resembles a hiccup, is the shortest 

and least complex among North 

American songbirds. 

What’s in a name? 

Migrating birds will soon be returning to Canadian skies. 

Let’s pause and think about what their names mean. 

Learning the name of something is often an important 

first step in people engaging with the natural world, 

and it can lead to lifelong hobbies involving list-keeping, 

sketching, photographing and making sound recordings. 

Knowing a name can be the starting point for appreciating 

and understanding the species around us. However, what 

is in a species’ name, and what it tells us, is quite variable, 

even when naming birds. Some birds have quite useful, 

descriptive names. Take, for example, red-winged blackbird 

and yellow-rumped warbler; in these cases, the bird’s 

English common name is descriptive and includes some 

identifying features. 

However, in other cases, such as Wilson’s warbler or 

Townsend’s solitaire, some birds have been named after people 

(or “eponymously”). In general, these eponymous names 

tell us nothing about the species, and more about the process 

of their “discovery” by western science. In some cases, the 

people that the birds have been named after are today understood 

to be symbols of slavery, colonialism and racism. 

Recently, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) decided 

to rename birds named eponymously or that are currently 

named using offensive or derogatory terms. Although this is 

not the case for all historical figures in the case of bird names, 

the AOS felt that defining what is and is not acceptable in this 

manner was too fraught with difficulty and opted, instead, for 

the more straightforward process of renaming all birds that are 

named after people. 

The effort has also been heralded as a great way to better 

reflect birds’ appearance, behaviour or habitat needs, essentially 

giving birds names that celebrate them for what they are. 

Renaming birds may also remove a barrier felt by people who 

have suffered from Western colonialism, hopefully going some 

way toward making birds, birding and the natural world more 

accessible and a safer place for individuals and communities 

who have suffered under systemic exclusion and racism. 

Soon, spring migrants will be returning to Canada’s skies. 

As we await their return, here are some of our suggestions for 

possible new names. 

SATHEESH RAJH RAJAGOPALAN/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. 


Townsend’s solitaire 

Townsend’s solitaire is a type of thrush, but often 

perches in conspicuous spots like a flycatcher. It 

sings in the winter, likely to defend valuable patches 

of juniper berries, which it eats. Some winter in 

lowland areas, including in cities such as Calgary. 

Baird’s sparrow 

This medium-sized, relatively short-tailed sparrow 

has yellow and brown streaks down its neck, wings 

and back. It spends most of its time on the ground, 

foraging for insects and seeds. 

Sprague’s pipit 

An unassuming, sparrow-sized bird with streaked 

brown plumage and an extraordinary flight and 

song. In spring, males perform aerial displays with 

downward spiral glides over their territory. It is 

well-camouflaged among prairie plants. 

Potential new name: juniper solitaire 

Where to see it: NCC’s Lusicich property in the 

Castle-Crowsnest Watershed 

Potential new name: mixed-grass sparrow 

Where to see it: Many locations across Saskatchewan, 

including NCC’s Wideview Complex property, 

in the ecologically significant Milk River Basin area 

Potential new name: prairie pipit 

Where to see it: McIntyre Ranch in Alberta and 

NCC’s Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage 

Conservation Area in Saskatchewan 

Bicknell’s thrush 

A rare, range-restricted, at-risk species that nests 

in dense, high-elevation balsam fir forests. In Nova 

Scotia, it occurs in bogs and barrens as well as low, 

windswept black spruce and balsam fir, in northern 

Cape Breton Island. 

Wilson’s snipe 

The marsh-dwelling bird hides in dense vegetation, 

bursting into the air when disturbed, with 

a distinctive “sniiiiipe” call and zigzag flight. Males 

display with unique tail feathers, creating an eerie, 

“winnowing” sound. 

Lincoln’s sparrow 

This sparrow species features a yellowy-brown 

chest, small bill and very thin stripes on its chest. It 

lives in wet, shrubby areas and nests on or near the 

ground. It has a lovely, warbler-like song, which 

helps with identifying it when it is hidden in brush. 

Potential new name: bog thrush 

Where to see it: Cape Breton Island’s northern 

peninsula, Nova Scotia 

Potential new name: dainty marsh-hen or dainty 

snipe, after its scientific name “delicata” 

Where to see it: NCC properties in Nova Scotia, 

including Black River Bog 

Potential new name: warbling sparrow 

Where to see it: NCC’s Kingsboro Forest 

Nature Reserve on Prince Edward Island 

Nelson’s sparrow 

Commonly seen hopping among coastal salt 

marsh grasses on the East Coast in the summer. Its 

characteristic “hissing” call sounds like a drop of 

water hitting a hot pan. The rusty orange on its face 

and neck makes it stand out from other sparrows. 

Bonaparte’s gull 

This small, tern-like gull has an elegant, buoyant 

flight. In fact, it was initially classified as a tern, 

before being assigned as a gull. It is unusual among 

gulls in that it nests in trees, in the boreal zone 

across northern Canada. 

Barrow’s goldeneye 

The eastern population of this species is at risk and 

inhabits small pockets of land along the Atlantic 

coast. This stocky diving duck with yellow eyes nests 

in tree cavities near shallow freshwater lakes. Its rapid 

wingbeats allow it to fly through dense forests. 

CHELSEA PETERS. 

Potential new name: marsh sparrow 

Where to see it: NCC’s Haldimand River 

Nature Reserve on Prince Edward Island 

Potential new name: boreal forest gull 

Where to see it: Abundant in summer along 

the Northumberland Strait, such as the Baie 

Verte Nature Reserve in New Brunswick 

Potential new name: crescent-faced goldeneye 

Where to see it: Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland 

and southern Labrador 



BOOTS ON 

THE TRAIL 

Gulf of St. Lawrence 

★ 

NCC 

★ 

NCC 

St. Peters 

Lake 

 

N 

St. Peters Harbour 

and Lake Run 

The crashing waves and refreshing breezes bring a calm and 

peaceful feeling to this slice of the Prince Edward Island shoreline 

On the northeastern shore of Prince 

Edward Island, along the Gulf of 

St. Lawrence, lies the Nature Conservancy 

of Canada’s (NCC’s) St. Peters Harbour 

and Lake Run Nature Reserve. Divided 

by a tidal channel, the reserve is accessed by 

two separate entrance points. Rejuvenate 

your mind and body with a stroll along the 

beach, which is nestled between the open 

ocean and extensive dune landscape. Take a 

dip in the ocean while admiring the majestic, 

grass-covered dunes. 

This seaside gem is popular during the 

summer but equally interesting to explore 

year-round, especially in spring and fall 

when the surroundings are heightened by 

the atmospheric conditions. Be on the 

lookout for seabirds, rare plants and 

aquatic species along the beach, wetlands 

and coastal ponds. 

TREAD LIGHTLY AND ADMIRE FROM 

A DISTANCE 

This coastal habitat is located within 

a designated Important Bird Area. Stick to 

the water’s edge and always keep your pets 

on-leash, as their presence might disturb 

piping plovers nesting on the beach. Please 

keep a distance from the dunes and avoid 

walking on them. These fragile habitats serve 

as a buffer against the impacts of ocean 

storms and protect the inland. Leave no trace 

behind and pack out any trash.1 

LEARN MORE 

natureconservancy.ca/st-peters-harbour 

SPECIES TO SPOT 

• bald eagle 

• beach pea 

• black-bellied 

plover 

• common tern 

• great blue heron 

• greater 

yellowlegs 

• mummichog 

(in the channel) 

LEGEND 

Access points 

— Beach walk 

• Nelson’s sparrow 

• northern bayberry 

• osprey 

• piping plover 

• ruddy turnstone 

• sanderling 

• seabeach 

sandwort 

• semipalmated 

sandpiper 

TOP TO BOTTOM: MIKE DEMBECK; MIKE DEMBECK; NCC. MAP: PHILINA CHAN. 

6 SPRING 2024 

natureconservancy.ca

ACTIVITY 

CORNER 

BACKPACK 

ESSENTIALS 

Empowered 

by nature 

PHOTO: CURTIS COMEAU. ILLUSTRATION: CHELSEA PETERS. 

A spring swell 

Spring is a time of renewal, a time of seeing 

surroundings with fresh eyes and noticing the 

changes taking place. It’s a great reminder: nature 

is closer than you think. As familiar chirps and 

buzzes begin ushering in springtime, the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) invites you to join 

the Small Acts of Conservation challenge. 

MEET YOUR 

NEIGHBOURS 

Get to know the plants 

and animals found in 

your area and connect 

more deeply with the 

nature surrounding 

you. All it takes is an 

app like iNaturalist or 

a field guide to identify 

species that share your 

environment. 

And to promote local 

biodiversity, you can 

identify invasive species 

in your yard and replace 

them with native plants. 

CALLING ALL 

POLLINATORS 

Pollinators, such as 

native bees, butterflies 

and others, help many 

of the plants around 

us thrive. Native plant 

species in your yard will 

attract these industrious 

pollinators. 

You can also provide 

nesting areas for native 

bees by leaving dead 

tree branches and 

stems, and areas of 

open soil. If you’re 

buzzing with energy, 

you can even get out 

your toolbox and 

build a bee hotel. 

FLOCK 

TOGETHER 

Songbirds by the 

billions visit Canada 

each spring for the 

explosion of life that 

occurs. Planting native 

trees and shrubs can 

provide habitat for 

these long-haul flyers. 

You can contribute 

to community science 

by recording your 

observations of visiting 

migratory birds on 

iNaturalist. 

Together, all of these 

efforts can contribute 

to the well-being 

of wildlife and their 

habitats. From 

backyards to communities, 

our collective 

actions can make a real 

and positive impact 

on nature. 

LEARN MORE 

Jessica Burylo flourishes as her full, autistic self when 

spending time outdoors 

Deep in the backcountry, or day to day in Edmonton, where I live, I never 

travel without my earplugs. As an autistic person, I experience sound 

differently. Certain pitches and white noise can be painful. Under- and 

over-experiencing sensations is a familiar part of living with autism for many. My 

earplugs are filters to help manage my sensory differences. 

Nature is full of sounds, if you’re listening. While a crashing waterfall might require 

ear protection, it’s not only about accommodations; being active in the outdoors is full 

of unique pleasures to me because of how it interacts with my autism. 

Many aspects of being in nature align with my values and needs as an autistic 

person. With everything I need on my back, and away from social pressures, I enjoy 

continuous, repetitive movement, all of which regulate my autistic brain. All I need 

to do is get where I’m going. I’ve found social interactions change in the backcountry, 

bringing openness and simplicity, which accommodates my autistic social differences. 

Whether hiking across the backcountry in the Rocky Mountains, or closer to home, 

where I work at Elk Island National Park, I appreciate the genuine conversations that 

arise while sharing these awe-inspiring places with others. 

I’m fortunate to be able to speak openly about my experiences as a person with 

a disability and I’m an advocate for improved accessibility in nature and other 

spaces. It’s both a passion and part of my work. Physical activity in outdoor spaces 

is important for me; it’s a way I can be my full, autistic self. 

I feel joy while adventuring on the trail. Whether appreciating the deep green and 

brown hues of the landscape after a rain, or enjoying a heavy blanket of snow that 

creates a muted, quiet atmosphere, I’m experiencing nature in a way that highlights 

all the ways I love being autistic.1 



Present and 

Located in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 

Cains Mountain’s mix of bedrock, different 

landforms and specialist species is a rich 

example of a representative landscape. 



accounted for 

Conserving areas of biodiversity that are representative of landscapes 

and species not yet protected is essential to creating resilient ecosystems 

BY Zack Metcalfe 

MIKE DEMBECK. 

On September 17, 2014, botanist Sean 

Blaney was standing on the moon. At least 

it looked like the moon, with fields of mineralized 

dust as white and brittle as kosher 

salt, climbing in places to spectacular porcelain ridges and 

cliffs, and collapsing in others into caves, sinkholes and 

underground streams. 

But despite its lunar façade, this moonscape was alive, 

with bats and endemic insects roaming its caves, and ancient 

forests rooted between its craters. Some sinkholes descended 

deep enough to form plaster ponds, and beneath the cliffs 

were wetlands of uncanny richness. Blaney found these 

things in central Cape Breton Island, very near Cains Mountain. 

The omnipresent mineral dust crunching under his 

boots was gypsum. 

“It’s the most visually spectacular gypsum site I know of,” 

says Blaney, and that’s saying something. In 2014, he and his 

colleagues with the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre 

(ACCDC) visited 36 gypsum deposits across Nova Scotia; 

an exhaustive effort to understand the kinds of life flourishing 

overtop this quirky mineral. Gypsum is noteworthy for its 

asymmetrical patterns of erosion, and chemical contributions 

to the soil — nutritious to some, hostile to others. Gypsum 

results in an enormous diversity of habitats on relatively little 

ground, and a community of vascular plants that can’t be 

found anywhere else. 

“There’s a special assemblage of species on Nova Scotia’s 

gypsum,” says Blaney. “When you combine the bedrock type, 

different landforms and those specialist species, you’ve got 

an environment that’s globally unique.” 



We need to make sure the work we 

do is representative of what’s most 

important, and what’s not being 

protected by anyone else. 

Jaimee Morozoff, Nova Scotia program director with NCC 

Ram’s-head lady’s-slipper. 

Species like the ram’s-head lady’s-slipper, 

small-spike false nettle, meadow sedge and 

bald spikerush might grow elsewhere in Canada, 

but in Nova Scotia, they’re vanishingly 

rare. The fact that so many disparate species 

— some hailing from the temperate forests 

of the far south, some from the boreal region 

of northern Ontario and Quebec, and a few 

from the high Arctic — were found together 

almost exclusively on gypsum deposits in 

Nova Scotia was peculiar, and, in some ways, 

very precarious. 

Nova Scotia has more gypsum than any 

other province or state in northeast North 

America, which isn’t saying much. The layer 

of provincial bedrock containing gypsum 

only accounts for just over five per cent of the 

province’s landmass, and only a portion of 

that is gypsum, most of which occurs on unprotected 

private land. Many of the province’s 

gypsum deposits are the property of mining 

companies, with Nova Scotia supplying 

75 per cent of Canada’s mined gypsum. 

“There are two plant species in Nova 

Scotia that may have been made extirpated 

[locally extinct] by gypsum mining,” says 

Blaney. “One is the Canada violet, which 

hasn’t been seen since the 1950s, and another 

is northern wild comfrey. I’ve never come 

across either in Nova Scotia. There are just 

these old historic records.” 

Of the 83 rare species identified by the 

ACCDC’s marathon surveys of 2014, the highest 

concentration was discovered on that 

September day in the shadow of Cains Mountain, 

particularly in its wetlands. What Blaney 

and his colleagues concluded was that Nova 

Scotia’s gypsum deposits generally, and those 

near Cains Mountain specifically, were 

making underappreciated contributions to 

provincial biodiversity. Less than one per cent 

of the layer of provincial bedrock containing 

gypsum was found to be formally protected, 

from mining or anything else. Blaney’s final 

report, published in 2015, left the Nature Conservancy 

of Canada (NCC) a lot to consider. 

“Choosing to conserve land in a new area 

is a big decision for us,” says Jaimee Morozoff, 

Nova Scotia program director with NCC. 

Securement decisions are guided by the 

CARE framework (Connected, Adequate, 

Representative and Effective), which means 

NCC prioritizes securing land in connected 

networks of adequate amount and size, rather 

than in small, scattered parcels. Shifting focus 

away from other existing networks in Nova 

Scotia — such as in Port Joli on the South 

Shore, Pugwash Estuary or the Chignecto 

Isthmus — and toward a region with limited 

existing protection, is not something the 

organization does lightly. To justify the money, 

staff time and effort required to foster 

another protected network from scratch, the 

land in question must fulfill the next requirement 

of the CARE framework — it must be 

representative, with biodiversity values as yet 

unprotected by NCC or anyone else. Cains 

Mountain fit the bill. 

“When we commit to conserving a new 

area,” says Morozoff, “it’s usually because 

there’s something important there that will 

contribute to a more resilient landscape, 

like a species at risk or rare ecosystem.” 

Reginald Hill, BC. 

Reginald Hill 

Nowhere is the importance of representation 

in conservation more apparent than in the 

Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) biogeoclimatic 

zone of southwestern British Columbia. This 

zone, which hugs the Salish Sea and Gulf 

Islands and is defined by mild, damp winters 

and hot, dry summers, supports the highest 

plant diversity, and the greatest species at 

risk density, of any biogeoclimatic zone in BC. 

It also hosts more species of overwintering 

birds than anywhere else in Canada. Despite 

this, the CDF zone is perilously small, 

accounting for only 0.3 per cent of BC’s landmass. 

It has also been heavily developed. 

“Of the available land base, a huge percentage 

has been converted to agriculture or 

cut for forestry,” says Steven Godfrey, west 

coast program director with NCC. “A lot has 

also been developed for housing. We need 

housing, yes, but we need conservation, too.” 

Godfrey and his predecessors have used 

a number of strategies to protect land in the 

CDF zone since the 1970s. Now, more than 

a dozen properties in the CDF are secured 

and managed by NCC, along with many 

parcels that were secured by NCC and later 

transferred to become provincial or federal 

parkland. In addition to acquiring properties 

here, NCC holds 36 conservation agreements 

in which land remains owned by a third party, 

but with legally binding protection. This 

work has been necessarily piecemeal, often 

involving relatively small parcels of heavily 

TERRANCE KLASSEN / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. FERNANDO LESSA. 


JON NELSON; ERIN PAUL DONOVAN / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; MIKE DEMBECK. 

subdivided land because, in the Gulf Islands 

especially, there’s not much else available. 

“It’s really hard to do conservation one 

small piece at a time,” says Godfrey. “Reginald 

Hill’s large size is what makes this project 

so important.” 

Susan Hannon retired to Salt Spring Island 

(the largest of the Gulf Islands) 14 years 

ago, after 25 years of teaching ecology and 

conservation biology with the University of 

Alberta, but idleness was never in her nature. 

She began working with landowners to 

conserve the forests and wetlands on their 

respective properties, and volunteering 

with conservation organizations like the Salt 

Spring Island Conservancy, lending her 

expertise to the wildest corners of her new 

home. One of the wildest was Reginald Hill, 

161 hectares of private land on the island’s 

south shore. 

“It’s a very diverse property,” says Hannon, 

and not just in its species, but also in its ecosystem 

functions and processes. There are 

vernal streams here that flow in the winter 

but not the summer, and at least 20 wetlands, 

some seasonally dry and some soaked yearround. 

The forest here takes many shapes, 

depending on its aspect and altitude, springing 

up with Douglas-fir, arbutus, western red 

cedar and Garry oak. 

“Garry oak ecosystems inside the CDF zone 

support over 100 species at risk by themselves,” 

explains Hannon. “They range from 

plants to butterflies, birds to amphibians.” 

Sharp-tailed snake, common nighthawk, 

western screech owl, threaded vertigo 

snail and propertius duskywing are just 

a few examples from Reginald Hill alone. 

Identifying the presence of these species 

— and the property’s prime location for 

cottage development — convinced Hannon 

to contact NCC. 

“I just felt like it was time to do something,” 

she says. 

Hannon made her case to NCC in 2020, 

detailing the property’s value and vulnerability 

in a letter. NCC began negotiating the purchase 

of Reginald Hill with the family that had 

owned (and cared for) the land for more than 

40 years and was keen to see it conserved. 

“To find that big of a piece of undeveloped 

CDF forest on private land is pretty rare,” 

notes Godfrey. “Parcels of that size tend to 

get chopped up and permanently converted. 

It was Susan bringing it to our attention that 

really kicked off the process.” 

“It’s a beautiful place,” says Godfrey. “You 

can see some really old cedars, some massive 

maple and arbutus, and then step out to one 

of the viewpoints where you can see the south 

Salish Sea, many of the Southern Gulf Islands, 

Mount Baker, all among Garry oaks on those 

shallow soil meadows and rock outcrops.” 

Building a resilient 

network 

When the ACCDC’s report on the gypsum 

landscapes of Nova Scotia was published in 

2015, NCC didn’t dawdle. Between 2016- 

2020, the organization secured 19 separate 

parcels of land in central Cape Breton Island. 

Efforts here aim to increase the representation 

of the diverse Nova Scotian ecological 

features in the protected network NCC has 

named the Cains Mountain Nature Reserve, 

incorporating the very land Blaney trekked in 

2014. Its 500 hectares represent the largest 

protected gypsum landscape in Nova Scotia. 

“You don’t normally document a really 

good site,” says Blaney, “then within a few 

years see it fully protected.” 

With a keen eye on additional properties 

in the Cains Mountain region, NCC staff in 

Nova Scotia are also on the lookout for other 

ecosystems and ecological features that are 

contributing to increasing regional landscape 

resilience. Take, for instance, Port Joli, and 

the ports L’Hebert and Mouton in 

southwest Nova Scotia, with their globally 

significant populations of blue felt and boreal 

felt lichen. And Big Meadow Bog on Brier 

Island is one of only two places in the 

world supporting eastern mountain avens. 

“These little pieces where you have such 

unique habitats and species that don’t exist 

anywhere else, you’re going to miss them if 

you only focus on big projects,” says Morozoff. 

“We need to make sure the work we do is 

representative of what’s most important, and 

what’s not being protected by anyone else.”1 

Western screech owl. 

CARE 

It’s perhaps no surprise that at 

NCC we CARE about nature every 

day. You see, for nature to thrive, 

protected and conserved areas 

need to be Connected, have 

Adequate quality habitats, be 

Representative of all species and 

be managed Effectively. Together, 

those principles represent 

an internationally recognized 

framework to support the 

creation of resilient landscapes. 

If the places we conserve meet 

these criteria, landscapes will be 

able to withstand the impacts of 

climate change and biodiversity 

loss. And if they are resilient, then 

we feel confident we are building 

a thriving world with nature. 

What does resilience look like? It 

means protected areas cover the 

full range of biodiversity within 

a region. To ensure the long-term 

survival of biodiversity, the 

ecological and evolutionary 

processes that sustain biodiversity 

must be maintained. A representative 

protected area system 

protects all parts of biodiversity 

in a region. This ranges from 

a species’ distinct populations, 

to species groups, all the way 

to entire ecosystem types, such 

as tall grass prairie or northern 

peatlands. This ensures that all 

features of biodiversity are 

protected into the future. 


SPECIES 

PROFILE 

The beaver 

Canada’s quintessential aquatic engineer and wetland manager 

ROBERT MCCAW. 



APPEARANCE 

Beavers are semi-aquatic 

mammals with paddle-shaped tails 

and prominent front teeth. A coat of 

luxurious black and brown fur covers the 

beaver’s robust, streamlined body. To 

waterproof themselves, beavers rub 

castor oil, produced from a gland 

near their tail, through their fur 

with their split toenail 

(grooming claw). 

SEAN FEAGAN/NCC STAFF. 

HABITAT 

Beavers can be found in creeks, 

rivers, marshes and lakes throughout 

Canada. They are true ecosystem engineers. 

Using their sharp incisors, they fell trees and 

cut branches to construct lodges and dams with 

mud and stones. The wetlands and ponds they 

create benefit a variety of species, including 

fish, amphibians, birds and insects. Beaver 

dams also act as speed bumps to slow 

a river’s flow during a storm and 

help manage flood risks. 

THREATS 

Threats to this species 

include habitat loss and human 

activities. Pollution and water 

contamination may impact 

their well-being, as they are 

sensitive to changes in 

water quality. 

COEXISTENCE 

Beavers can be tricky neighbours, 

and where they choose to create 

ponds may at times conflict with nearby 

human infrastructure. But there are ways to 

coexist on the landscape. Tools, such as pond 

levellers, can be used to maintain desirable 

water levels by allowing water to flow 

freely in and out of the pond, preventing 

the flooding of nearby roads 

or trails without disrupting 

the beavers. 

• CANADIAN 

RANGE 

What is NCC 

doing to 

protect 

habitat 

for this 

species? 

The Nature 

Conservancy of 

Canada (NCC) 

conserves many 

projects across the country 

that boast suitable beaver habitat. 

Protecting representative habitats 

where this species is present can 

help provide resilient landscapes 

for beavers. 

Beaver Hills, AB. 

In conserved areas where they exist, 

such as the Beaver Hills, Alberta, 

beavers play a critical role in 

shaping the natural area’s riparian 

(streambank) habitat and wetland 

areas. At Quebec’s Alfred-Kelly 

Nature Reserve, NCC installed 

water level control systems in 2022, 

which facilitate the coexistence of 

human infrastructures with beaver 

activities. This in turn supports 

other species, such as the endangered 

Blanding’s turtle; 90 per cent 

of this species’ habitat in the 

Outaouais region are wetlands 

created by beaver dams.1 



PROJECT 

UPDATES 

1 

Acting fast for key coastal habitat 

KWIAKAH TERRITORY, BC 

1 

2 

THANK YOU! 

Your support has made these 

projects possible. Learn more at 

natureconservancy.ca/where-we-work 

3 

In the fall of 2023, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) was invited by 

the Kwiakah Nation to conserve a parcel of private property in their territory 

that was at high risk of being developed. The forested, waterfront property sits 

at the entrance to the Phillips Arm on BC’s south-central coast, about an hour’s 

boat ride from Campbell River. This coastal landscape has been stewarded by Indigenous 

Peoples for millennia, and the Kwiakah Nation’s strong land stewardship 

vision sets a high standard for the long-term care of lands throughout their territory. 

The project came with one catch: the 75-hectare property was listed on the 

open market and was being pursued by another private buyer. After confirming 

the project’s conservation value and identifying the necessary partner funding, 

NCC acted fast and brought the land into conservation. 

The conservation area encompasses two kilometres of coastline and multiple 

creeks and streams, which benefit grizzly bears, salmon and other coastal wildlife. 

The Douglas-fir, western red cedar and western hemlock forest is recovering from 

past harvesting; conserving this land now will allow it to naturally regenerate 

into a thriving old-growth ecosystem over time. 

In addition to its ecological value, the new conservation area represents 

a valuable contribution to the Kwiakah Nation’s stewardship vision for its territory. 

Relationship and trust building between NCC and the Kwiakah Nation was 

an additional outcome of this successful project, laying a foundation for NCC to 

continue to support the Kwiakah Nation’s conservation goals through further 

invitations and engagement. 

To learn about the Nation's conservation goals, visit kwiakahconservation.com. 

MICK THOMPSON/FLICKR. 

Grizzly bear with salmon. 


Mackie Ranch, SK. Inset: Blanding’s turtle. 

JASON BANTLE. INSET: RYAN M. BOLTON. ROSEMARY GILLIAT EATON. 

2 

Conserving a key 

migratory bird rest stop 

3 

MACKIE RANCH, SK 

The expansion of a globally important migratory 

stopover along the eastern shoreline of Chaplin 

Lake in Saskatchewan marks a significant milestone 

in grassland conservation in Canada. This 

project exemplifies a dedicated commitment 

to safeguarding grasslands under NCC’s Prairie 

Grasslands Action Plan. Now totalling 1,286 hectares, 

Mackie Ranch’s grasslands and wetlands 

provide habitat for a diversity of shorebirds, 

including sanderling, semipalmated sandpiper 

and piping plover. 

Grasslands also filter water, help lessen the 

risk of floods and droughts, and store billions 

of tonnes of carbon. Historically, they provided 

nourishment to communities. Today, they continue 

to be a cornerstone of our economy. The 

conservation site was named in recognition of 

the generations of stewardship by the Mackie 

family. The ranch will continue to be used for 

cattle grazing to help keep the grasslands 

healthy and support the local economy. 


A partnership to 

protect and conserve 

SOUTHWEST NOVA SCOTIA 

From forests to barrens, wetlands to sandy 

beaches, Kespukwitk (southwest Nova Scotia) 

is a diverse ecological area and home to 

close to 70 species at risk. The Mi’kmaq word 

kespukwitk means “land ends” or “end 

of flow.” 

NCC, Mi’kmaq First Nations, non-government 

organizations, academic institutions, and federal 

and provincial government departments are 

actively working together in the region, under 

the umbrella of the Kespukwitk Conservation 

Collaborative. The partners share evidence-based 

information, resources and expertise, and discuss 

collaborative efforts to ensure the future of 

entire ecosystems within this natural area.1 

To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca/kcc. 

A passion 

for nature 

“My Aunt, Helen Salkeld, was 

in every sense of the word 

a trailblazer. Born in 1926 on 

a small farm near Lucknow, 

Ontario, Helen was the first 

member of her family to go 

to university, where she 

obtained a degree in biology. 

“Helen later spent her career 

as an entomologist for Agriculture 

and Agri-Food Canada’s Central 

Experimental Farm in Ottawa. She 

was a true naturalist and spent her 

life committed to caring for the 

natural environment around her. 

“In 1954, Helen jumped in a 

station wagon and set off on an 

Ontario to British Columbia road 

trip with three of her girlfriends. 

This incredible journey took them 

from coast to coast, picnicking 

in fields, camping, and swimming 

in lakes and rivers. 

“Helen had a passion for 

nature and was committed to 

conservation. In 2002, she 

donated 20 hectares in eastern 

Ontario to the Nature Conservancy 

of Canada. This property is 

still used to host Conservation 

Volunteers events. 

“Sadly, my aunt passed away in 

2020. She was predeceased by 

her long-term partner, Isobel. As 

the executor of her estate, I got to 

see her passion for nature live on 

through a gift in her Will to NCC. 

I am proud that Helen’s legacy 

continues to support the plants 

and animals that provided her so 

much joy over the years.” 

~Lorna

FORCE FOR 

NATURE 

Common 

ground 

Margaret Rosling is using her experience in Aboriginal law to 

bring together Indigenous interests and conservation outcomes 

CHELSEA PETERS. 



argaret Rosling has 

always been a big believer 

in the power of serendipity. 

LUCAS JMIEFF. 

She counts it as serendipitous that she was 

introduced to legendary lawyer Tom Berger a 

few years into her law career. Berger, who was 

known for fighting for groundbreaking Indigenous 

land claims, pulled Rosling into the realm of Aboriginal and human 

rights law, a world in which she has since spent most of her career. 

“I really consider my first day of work with Tom to be one of the 

turning points in my life,” Rosling reflects. “We worked together on 

many important cases in Aboriginal law, and I learned so much about 

Indigenous Peoples and their rights. It was transformational for me.” 

Just weeks into the job, it was also a stroke of serendipity that she 

didn’t pack a lunch on her first trip to the Blueberry River First Nations 

in northeast British Columbia and found herself under a tarp, sharing 

boiled moose meat with a generous Elder. 

This experience was just the start of more than three decades 

of advising and advocating for Indigenous governments. This work 

would take Rosling far into northern BC, the Prairies, the Yukon 

and beyond, and would shape her life as a champion of people whose 

connection to land is paramount. 

“The land is really what Aboriginal rights and title are all about 

— protection of the environment, and maintaining the ability of 

Indigenous Peoples to continue to live, work and exist, and practice 

their culture on the land.” 

Rosling’s work in litigation culminated with the Peel Watershed 

case in the Supreme Court of Canada, which quashed the Yukon 

government’s arbitrary land use plan for the Peel. Over the past 

decade, Rosling’s focus has evolved to a more collaborative and 

solutions-oriented practice of negotiation, a move that suits her 

positive, forward-thinking ethos. Working on behalf of Indigenous 

governments on major negotiations, many focused on ensuring 

Indigenous land rights are upheld, Rosling has seen first-hand the 

power of working together to find common ground. 

There is such opportunity right now for 

conservation and Indigenous aspirations 

toward Reconciliation to meet up. 

“I’ve been so fortunate to be involved in many negotiations that 

bring together the interests on Crown land of Indigenous Nations, 

resource development companies, governments and environmental 

groups,” she says. 

It’s this expertise and focus on creating solutions that sparked 

a connection between Rosling and the Nature Conservancy of Canada 

(NCC) after being introduced by a mutual contact. In another nod to 

serendipity, the connection came at a time when Rosling was shifting 

her focus to advancing Indigenous interests and land conservation 

through collaboration and negotiation. 

Rosling has been working with NCC as an expert advisor since 2021, 

helping the organization continue its pursuit of larger, more imaginative 

conservation outcomes. She has helped create formalized agreements 

between NCC and First Nations, while also rethinking ways in which 

we can collaboratively hold and care for land. 

Wildflowers in Qat’muk, BC. 

ABORIGINAL LAW 

Aboriginal law is a body of law, made by the 

courts and legislatures, that largely deals with 

the unique constitutional rights of Aboriginal 

Peoples as defined in Section 35 of the 

Constitution and the relationship between 

Aboriginal Peoples and the Crown. 

Nancy Newhouse, NCC’s regional 

vice-president in BC, notes that Rosling 

has given NCC the knowledge and confidence 

to pursue more complex projects in the 

province, while also providing advice on 

navigating the intricacies of Aboriginal law 

and politics. Her skills have brought groups 

to the table that, on the surface, appear to 

represent conflicting interests: Indigenous 

Nations, resource companies, governments 

and environmental groups. 

“What I love about this approach is that 

it’s collaborative. It’s bringing people together 

to a common goal,” she says. “There is such 

opportunity right now for conservation and 

Indigenous aspirations toward Reconciliation 

to meet up.” 

Rosling is excited about what the future 

holds for both Indigenous land rights and 

conservation, and she is grateful to be able 

to help shepherd in these changes through 

her work. Over the past three decades, Rosling 

says she has witnessed a “long overdue” 

evolution in how Aboriginal rights and 

Indigenous Peoples’ voices are treated in 

Canada. There is always more work to be 

done, but she sees this shift as one that 

is only going to grow in momentum. 

“It used to be that we would spend a lot 

of time trying to get governments’ attention,” 

she says. “Now, doors are opening more and 

more. The pendulum is continuing to swing. 

The work we are doing together is going to 

be transformational.”1 



CLOSE 

ENCOUNTERS 

Prairie ABCs 

By Shelly Nicolle-Phillips, fibre artist 

Saskatchewan’s diverse natural areas, rolling landscapes 

and native grasslands have always captured my imagination. 

As a homegrown Maritimer who moved across the 

country and settled in Saskatchewan 22 years ago, 

there is still much of the province I’ve yet to see 

and experience. 

And it’s the allure and charm of the Prairies that 

seeded the inspiration for my Prairie Alphabet art 

project: 26 individual hand-hooked pieces depicting 

facets of the Prairies from A to Z. I only began rug 

hooking in 2015, but there’s a long tradition of it in 

the Maritimes, and my late grandmother was quite 

skilled in the craft. The project started with A: 

three-flower avens, which occurs at NCC’s Old Man 

on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area 

(OMB), a site emblematic of the Prairies and one 

that I was fortunate to visit recently. 

Arriving at OMB one summer day with my 

family, I was immediately captivated by the vast, 

open grasslands — unlike anything I’ve seen on 

the East Coast. The tranquil environment and 

acoustics were worlds away from ambient city soundscape. 

Mountain bluebirds perched at a distance like brilliant blue baubles. 

Occasionally we heard the yips, yaps and barks of coyotes. We even 

caught a glimpse of the resident bison herd! And I managed to spot 

three-flower avens in person, which turned out to be the littlest, 

daintiest flower. In the moment, I learned to appreciate and notice 

the activity in the micro-environment in addition 

to the sweeping landscape. 

Once back home, inspired by my experiences 

and friends’ recommendations of Prairie species, 

plus having pored over field guides to grasp the 

species’ details, I put my wooden rug hook to 

work. Strewn across my craft table laid lofty piles 

of fibre that emerged through a burlap backing 

as my alphabets. In this organized chaos emerged 

a beautiful piece of art. 

In the creation and refining of my art, I’ve delved 

deeper into the interconnectedness of Prairie life, 

such as plains bison, a keystone species that both 

creates habitat for other species and relies on 

healthy grasslands to thrive. 

My hope is to use my art to showcase other 

landscapes across the country and the biodiversity 

housed in these unique habitats, and, in turn, 

inspire their appreciation and conservation.1 

More of Nicolle-Phillips’ work can be found at www.hookedontheprairies.ca 

SHELLY NICOLLE-PHILLIPS. 


Life on Earth has changed. We are facing 

a crisis of climate change and species loss 

that threatens our way of life, and our future. 

But there is hope, and a solution that’s right 

before our eyes. A solution far bigger, and 

far more powerful, than the challenges 

themselves: nature. 

Nature is, and always has been, the answer. 

It sustains us. It is resilient. It has the power 

to heal and inspire. Look at the waters that 

wave and the mountains that have stood for 

a million moments; the collective life of 

these very things enables us to live ours. 

But it’s never been about one tree, one creek 

or one person. We know the power of coming 

together is what allows us to create real, 

tangible change. 

At the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 

we are doers. Changemakers. Collaborators. 

And together, we can protect nature and 

champion its amazing ability to care for people 

and communities. So, let’s unite to conserve, 

restore and care for nature. Let’s rise to this 

challenge and unlock nature’s power, so life 

on Earth can not only continue to exist, 

but can thrive. 

naturemakesitpossible.ca

YOUR 

IMPACT 

Supporting threatened species 

In Ham-Sud and Ham-Nord, in Quebec’s Estrie region, with your support, the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and partners protected a natural corridor that supports 

the survival and resilience of the region’s animals and plants, including threatened 

species like Van Brunt’s Jacob’s-ladder. Corridors like these are crucial in the face of 

climate change, as they allow species to move, disperse, reproduce and feed. The 

wetlands and forests here help purify water and the air and are important carbon 

sinks. At close to 520 hectares, the NCC site is part of an ECOTIERRA project that 

will see the land approved for the sale of high-quality carbon credits. 

To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca/ham-sud. 

Salmonier 

Nature 

Reserve 

doubled 

Thanks to you, the Salmonier 

Nature Reserve in Newfoundland 

and Labrador has doubled in 

size, adding intact boreal forest, 

heathland and wetlands. The 

area’s unique fog forests provide 

a moist site for rare arboreal 

lichens to flourish. The dense 

canopy supports at-risk birds, 

like red crossbill and olive-sided 

flycatcher. Now totaling 410 

hectares, this expansion safeguards 

a natural buffer for the 

Avalon Wilderness Area. It also 

provides important habitat 

for species such as woodland 

caribou, red fox, hibernating 

bats, beaver and Canada lynx. 

Funded by the Government 

of Canada’s Natural Heritage 

Conservation Program and 

numerous donors, the project 

underscores NCC’s commitment 

to accelerating large-scale 

conservation efforts nationwide. 

LA HALTE STUDIO; DENNIS MINTY. 

Thank you for all you do for nature in Canada!

NCC Magazine Spring 2024

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