Quintessential Rare Plant Site Protected, Forever Celebrating the New Wilsons Lake Conservation Lands

A hotspot for Canadian endangered species conservation has been protected, forever, in Nova Scotia. The Nature Trust announced today the successful acquisition of the 300 acre Wilsons Lake Conservation Lands, in Yarmouth County.

Southwestern Nova Scotia is home to a unique group of wetland plants known as Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora. Eleven of these plant species are on Canada’s endangered species list. They exist nowhere else in Canada. One property in particular has been a top conservation priority for decades, since the first discovery of these unique plants in Nova Scotia. The Nature Trust has now secured the long-sought-after site.

The Wilsons Lake Conservation Lands protect over 2.5 kilometers of shoreline (on Wilsons/Bennetts Lake), as well as forests, wetlands,

and vernal pools important for frogs and other amphibians. Most significantly, the property includes extensive, intact shoreline habitat critical for three nationally endangered plants: the delicate and beautiful Pink Coreopsis and Plymouth Gentian, and the small but resilient Water Pennywort. The site is also home to Longs Bulrush.

All four endangered plants are found only in Nova Scotia, nowhere else in Canada, and only on a small number of lakes. Plymouth Gentian grows in only three places in the world: A few lakes on the Tusket River, some ponds in Cape Cod and a few coastal rivers in the Carolinas, making its conservation here of global importance.

Protection of the site is particularly timely and significant in light of increasing threats to the

only surviving habitat for these species. Growing cottage and road development are damaging or destroying these last intact habitats.

Top right: Pink Coreopsis, Plymouth Gentian and Water Pennywort. Bottom: Shoreline habitat on the Wilson’s Lake Conservation Lands

Dr. Paul Keddy, who completed the first systematic surveys of these rare wetlands plants in Nova Scotia, and devoted more than a decade of his career to their study, began advocating for their conservation in the 1970s. He was delighted to hear that one of Canada`s most important Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora sites is now protected.

“The west shore of Wilsons Lake is one of the most outstanding examples of a coastal plain vegetation type in Canada. I say this having studied many coastal plain lakes in Nova Scotia and Ontario, having published numerous scientific papers on shoreline wetlands overall — and having canoed the length of the Tusket River in 1982. I use Wilsons Lake in my book, Wetland Ecology to illustrate the importance of naturally fluctuating water levels for creating biologically diverse wet meadows. Hence, this property is not only significant for its many rare plants, but for the scientific principles which it

exemplifies. Wilsons Lake is a perfect example of how conservation and scientific research complement one another.”

The Nature Trust and scientists like Dr. Keddy have long recognized the ecological significance of the Tusket River. It has the highest diversity of these rare wetland species in Canada and is the only river with Pink Coreopsis and Plymouth Gentian. It truly is a globally significant river. In recognition of this significance, the Nature Trust began a building contiguous shoreline corridor of protected

rare plant habitat centered around the biodiversity hotspot on the river, Wilsons Lake. Such a corridor is critical to provide adequate habitat to truly protect these species, and the natural processes and systems required for their survival, over time.

The new Wilsons Lake Conservation Lands complete this conservation corridor. The site is bounded on the North by the Tusket River Nature Reserve, and will ultimately become part of this provincially managed Nature Reserve. It also connects with the Nature Trust’s Jack and Darlene Conservation Lands, and land protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. With this critical gap filled, the conservation corridor now protects a total of 1110 acres (450 ha) of contiguous habitat, encompassing 11 kilometers of intact shoreline critical for these endangered species. The Wilsons Lake conservation corridor is itself just one part of an even larger campaign focused on protecting the entire suite of 11 endangered wetland plant species of southwest Nova Scotia. Since 1998, the Nature Trust has been working with landowners, volunteers and local communities

Scott Leslie

Frogs and other amphibians thrive in the protected area’s vernal pools (photo by Scott Leslie)

in southwest Nova Scotia to protect critical habitats for rare plants through land conservation, stewardship and education. To date the Nature Trust has protected 11 conservation lands, encompassing 1200 acres (485 hectares) of critical habitat for endangered Atlantic Coastal Plain Species. These efforts build on the early work initiated by the Tusket River Environmental Protection Association, a local conservation organization that has been working to protect these species and habitats for 25 years. Other partners in research, conservation and stewardship of Atlantic Coastal Plain flora include the Province of Nova Scotia, Kejimkujik National Park, Acadia University, the Nature Conservancy, the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute and the Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora Recovery Team. Dr. Nick Hill, also an accomplished plant ecologist and academic, and Nature Trust science advisor, has done extensive field research on these unique plants. Like other researchers and scientists, Dr. Hill says he is delighted to see decades of scientific research, discovery and planning around these species and their habitats culminating in something so real, so tangible and lasting. The link between the scientific community and the Nature Trust is a powerful and important one. Conservation science is critical to guide the conservation efforts of

organizations like the Nature Trust. The Nature Trust in turn provides the means to protect biodiversity and ecological processes identified as high priority and valued by the scientific community. Once protected, these conservation lands then provide scientists with irreplaceable opportunities for long-term ecological research and education. According to Nature Trust Executive Director, Bonnie Sutherland, with some of Canada’s most endangered species finding refuge only here in Nova Scotia, their future is entirely in our hands. Today’s announcement brings good news on two fronts. “Achieving the long-sought protection of this Wilsons Lake site brings four endangered species one more step back from the risk of extinction,” she noted. “But just as important, the longtime efforts of so many

researchers, conservation partners, volunteers and donors that ultimately made this achievement possible demonstrates that Nova Scotians are truly committed as guardians of our unique natural legacy. That dedication inspires great hope for the future.”

Len Wagg

Rocky shoreline at Wilsons Lake (photo by Len Wagg)

Dr. Nick Hill is one of the scientists delighted to see the site protected. He is co-leading an educational field trip to Wilsons Lake August 15.

Be a Part of the Wilsons Lake Conservation Lands Legacy

There are many ways to part of this conservation legacy, from participating in an educational field trip to the site, to volunteering as a Property Guardian, or donating to support the site’s protection and long-term stewardship.

Special thanks to all who made this conservation achievement possible Part of the National Conservation Plan, this conservation project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Other major supporters to date include:

Province of Nova Scotia

Marguerite Hubbard Charitable Foundation

Gosling Foundation

McLean Foundation

Small Change Fund

Keurig, Banrock Station

Ascenta

And many generous individual donors. Thanks as well to all our volunteers and conservation partners for making this and all our endangered species and freshwater conservation successes possible! Special thanks to the Province of Nova Scotia for partnering in the long-term conservation and stewardship of this site as part of the Tusket River Nature Reserve. Charitable donations to support the Wilsons Lake Conservation

Lands can be made online at www.nsnt.ca or by calling us at (902) 425-5263. We also accept gift of securities and gifts by will.

The Nationally Endangered and Globally

Rare Plymouth Gentian

Water Pennywort (National Listing: Threatened)

Amphibians enjoy the unique vernal pools on the property The Nationally Threatened Water Pennywort

Pink Coreopsis (National Listing:

Endangered. Globally Rare)

Plymouth Gentian National

Listing: Endangered

Photo by Oliver Maas