NCC Magazine - Summer 2022

SUMMER 2022 

Beyond 

TKTKTKTKTKTKT 

the horizon 

Conservation to meet today’s realities 

natureconservancy.ca 

WINTER 2021 1

SUMMER 2022 

CONTENTS 

Nature Conservancy of Canada 

4 Accelerating conservation at new scales 

Doubling the pace of our conservation impact. 

6 Dr. Bill Freedman Nature Reserve 

This nature reserve outside Halifax commemorates a long-term NCC volunteer. 

7 Share your nature pics 

The Big Backyard BioBlitz is back! 

7 Connect and recharge 

Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, 

describes how nature revives him. 

8 Big, bold and impactful 

Expanding the pace, scale and scope of conservation. 

12 North American river otter 

Nature’s water clowns are making a comeback. 

14 Force for nature 

NCC board member Rob Prosper sees the potential to accelerate conservation 

through Indigenous-led protected areas. 

16 Project updates 

Investing in our future, MB; Keep The Rock Rugged, NL; a legacy of care, AB. 

18 A love letter to the mountains 

How the mountains changed one woman’s life. 

Digital extras 

Check out our online magazine page with 

additional content to supplement this issue, 

at nccmagazine.ca. 

Nature Conservancy of Canada 

245 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 410 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 3J1 

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. 

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natureconservancy.ca

Keep The Rock Rugged 

Big, bold and boreal 

Featured 

Contributors 

TKTKTKTKTKTKT 

TOP TO BOTTOM: GENEVIÈVE LESIEUR; ANDREW WARREN; NIV SHIMSHON. 

It has been a busy time here at the Nature Conservancy 

of Canada (NCC), with so much great work underway to 

accelerate conservation across the country. There are many 

exciting successes to celebrate, but one that stands out to me 

from recent months is a project we’ve nicknamed “big, bold and 

boreal.” This Earth Day, I was delighted to join colleagues and 

partners to launch our Boreal Wildlands project. 

It’s certainly big, and bold: it’s the largest project the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has undertaken, and the biggest 

private land conservation project ever in this country. And it’s 

boreal, spanning nearly 1,500 square kilometres in Ontario’s 

boreal forest — part of the largest forest system on the planet. 

In this issue, you’ll read about why landscape-scale protected 

areas are crucial if we are to tackle the global challenges of 

climate change and biodiversity loss. Working from coast to 

coast to coast, NCC aims to double the pace of conservation 

in the next few years. In the face of these challenges, nature 

offers us real solutions. That is why we are working at an 

unprecedented pace now to conserve the natural areas that 

are our life support systems. 

Just as nature offers us solutions to the world’s most pressing 

issues, collaboration is the key to getting more nature into our 

lives. The Boreal Wildlands is a $46-million project. With the 

support of our partners, as well as individual donors and foundations, 

we have raised more than two-thirds of the funds. This 

spring, we launched a fundraising campaign to close the project. 

We need you! To learn more about how you can support the 

Boreal Wildlands, or other projects, visit borealwildlands.ca. 

Thank you as always for your support, 

Catherine Grenier 

Catherine Grenier 

President and CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada 

Brian Banks is a writer, 

editor, geographer and 

perpetually aspiring 

naturalist devoted to 

experiencing and 

advocating for the 

animals and plants with 

whom we co-exist and 

the environment on 

which we depend. 

Jacqui Oakley has 

illustrated for The New 

York Times, Reebok, 

Rolling Stone and 

National Geographic 

with her art shown in 

Toronto, L.A. and 

Shanghai. After living in 

Zambia, Bahrain and 

England, she now lives 

in Hamilton, Ontario. 


SUMMER 2022 3

COAST TO 

COAST 

Vidal Bay, ON 

Accelerating 

conservation 

at new scales 

In the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, the 

Nature Conservancy of Canada is conserving more, faster 

T 

he Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is working at an 

unprecedented scale to deliver conservation impact. As the 

largest private land conservation organization in the country, 

NCC is unlocking solutions to support Canada’s targets to conserve 

30 per cent of our lands and waters by 2030. 

Accelerating conservation means NCC is delivering conservation 

impact faster and more extensively than ever before. We’re not only 

putting our energy and ambition into privately protected and conserved 

areas, we’re helping others contribute toward Canada’s 30 by 30 goal 

and lending our expertise in conserving lands of high natural value. 

We can’t do this alone, and we are committed to collaboration, 

consultation and bringing people together for change. 

HELPING NATURE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT LIFE 

When habitats are integrated and connected, and entire natural systems 

are conserved, nature can better deliver essential services that support 

life. By connecting landscapes that provide nature-based solutions, we’re 

taking care of places that clean our water, purify our air, absorb and 

store carbon, and support food security. Protecting connected habitat 

also supports the species that live there, including close to one-third 

of Canada’s species at risk. 

Learn more about the projects 

that are helping accelerate 

conservation in Canada and 

how you can help 

natureconservancy.ca/ 

accelerate. 

ANDREW WARREN. 

4 SUMMER 2022 natureconservancy.ca

PROJECTS THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE 

How do we do it? Through projects large and small, and through partnerships such as the Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program, 

across the country. Here are some of the projects undertaken over the past two years that have added to our conservation impact. 

Qat'muk, BC 

NCC was invited to help deliver the complete and 

permanent extinguishment of all tenures and development 

rights in the Jumbo Valley, and to support the Ktunaxa 

Nation Council (KNC) in their ongoing conservation planning 

for the establishment of an Indigenous Protected and 

Conserved Area. NCC is honoured to work with the KNC to 

help them achieve their vision of fully protecting Qat'muk. 

Thaidene Nëné, NWT 

Sometimes, the smallest projects 

carry the biggest impact. Within a vast 

area of cultural and ecological significance, 

NCC purchased a private holding 

of about one hectare, transferring it to 

Parks Canada. This removed an obstacle 

to completing Thaidene Nëné National 

Park Reserve, influencing the conservation 

of over 14,000 square kilometres in 

keeping with the wishes of local 

Indigenous communities. 

Buffalo Pound, SK 

You helped us conserve the seven 

kilometres of shoreline around 

Buffalo Pound Lake for the sake of 

threatened grasslands and species 

at risk. This natural area provides 

drinking water for 25 per cent of the 

province’s population. 

TOP TO BOTTOM: PAT MORROW; PARKS CANADA; NCC; JASON BANTLE; MIKE DEMBECK; MIKE DEMBECK. 

Vidal Bay, ON 

The project comprises more than 7,600 hectares of shoreline and forest, redefining 

landscape-scale conservation in southern Ontario. The forests, wetlands and alvars found 

here capture and store nearly 23,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year; the equivalent of 

taking nearly 5,000 cars off the road annually. 

Chignecto 

Isthmus, NS/NB 

The Chignecto Isthmus is the 

narrow strip of land connecting 

mainland Nova Scotia to New 

Brunswick and the rest of North 

America. Since 2010, you have 

helped us conserve just over 

2,200 hectares on both sides 

of the border, continuing to 

steward and expand upon our 

existing conservation efforts 

along this critical wildlife corridor. 

Krieg Property, QC 

The Krieg property in the Green Mountains Nature Reserve 

is an idyllic natural area full of life. Its mature forests are home 

to eastern wood-pewee, a small, threatened songbird. Several 

species of spring salamanders also live in the area’s streams. 

NCC hopes to connect the property to the Green Mountains 

Nature Reserve, a place of high biodiversity and a well-used 

outdoor recreation area in Quebec. 

Upper Ohio, NS 

The conservation of rare Acadian 

forest, over 25 kilometres of lake 

shoreline and 130 hectares of freshwater 

wetlands in Upper Ohio make this 

project the third-largest acquisition in 

NCC’s 50-year history in the province.1 



BOOTS ON 

THE TRAIL 

Murphy Cove Rd 

 

N 

★ 

Prospect 

Bay 

The 

Alley 

Dr. Bill Freedman 

Nature Reserve 

Prospect Bay Rd 

Phantom 

Cove 

Mullins 

Cove 

Hardiman 

Cove 

Dr. Bill Freedman 

Nature Reserve 

A majestic coastal landscape that includes eight types of habitat 

Dr. Bill Freedman was an ecologist and former Chair of the 

Department of Biology at Dalhousie University, where he also 

served as professor emeritus. He was also a major figure with the 

Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) as a board member and 

volunteer for more than 25 years. Dr. Bill, as he was affectionately 

known, passed away in 2015. The Dr. Bill Freedman Nature 

Reserve is dedicated to his memory and his contributions to NCC. 

The reserve is located just 23 kilometres southwest of Halifax, Nova 

Scotia. The coastal barrens landscape juts out into the Atlantic 

Ocean and is flanked by picturesque Shad Bay and Prospect Bay. 

Natural features include eight types of habitat: white spruce coastal 

forest, old fields, bogs, granite barrens, boulder/cobble shoreline, 

rocky shoreline, cliffs and open ocean. 

The popular 7.6-kilometre (round-trip) High Head Trail passes 

through four sections of NCC’s 133-hectare nature reserve. This 

moderately challenging trail winds in and out of forested 

pathways onto rocky outcrops, which provide breathtaking 

views of the open ocean. Nova Scotia’s jagged southern 

coastline and several rocky islands can be seen in the distance. 

The granite barrens found here purify massive amounts of ground 

water prior to its re-entry into the ocean. With its fresh sea breezes 

and panoramic vistas, the High Head Trail is a wonderful hike in the 

summertime and an ideal place for birdwatching. 

STAY SAFE 

On your journey, it is important to leave no trace behind and to 

stay on the well-travelled path outlining the coast. It is advised 

not to venture inland toward sensitive ecological habitat nor too 

close to the rocky cliffs.1 

Learn more at natureconservancy.ca/billfreedman. 

LEGEND 

-- High Head Trail 

★ Trailhead 

SPECIES TO SPOT 

• balsam fir 

• crowberry 

• harlequin duck 

• mountain holly 

• red maple 

• ruffed grouse 

• snowshoe hare 

• speckled alder 

• white birch 

• white-tailed deer 

• wild raisin 

MAP: JACQUES PERRAULT. PORTRAIT: JOEL KIMMEL. PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: ROBERT MCCAW; MIKE DEMBECK; ANDREW HERYGERS/NCC STAFF. 


ACTIVITY 

CORNER 

BACKPACK 

ESSENTIALS 

L TO R: BRENT CALVER; COURTESY ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE CANADA. 

Share your 

nature pics 

This summer, participate in 

the Big Backyard BioBlitz 

Did you know that photographing the plants, 

animals and fungi around you can be an easy 

way to connect with nature and contribute to 

science and conservation? 

This summer, the Nature Conservancy of 

Canada is once again running its annual Big 

Backyard BioBlitz. You can join the event and 

share your species observations of the nature 

around you. Conserving nature requires lots 

of information. Your observations may be used 

by scientists to help them understand the 

distribution of species. 

Best of all, you’re volunteering your time to 

help increase knowledge about the species 

in your area. 

How to participate in the Big Backyard BioBlitz: 

1. Sign up at natureconservancy.ca/bbb. 

2. Receive your step-by-step instructions to 

ensure your observations are included in the 

group effort. 

3. Tag team with family and friends, or make it 

your me-time with nature. 

Whether you’re new to bioblitzes or a seasoned 

regular, join in the effort! 

Connect 

and recharge 

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment 

and Climate Change Canada, is motivated by nature’s benefits 

Since my teenage years, I have always found myself drawn to nature. 

When out in nature, there is not one particular item in my backpack, 

because I tend to vary where I go and for how long. I love to take 

a camera with me to document the beautiful landscapes and breathtaking views 

that we are so fortunate to have in our country. Whether hiking in the beautiful 

Chic-Choc Mountains in the Gaspé Peninsula, canoeing in Ontario, kayaking in 

the middle of a pod of white-sided dolphins in northern BC or kayaking during 

my honeymoon in the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, nature has 

had a very special place in my heart. For as long as I can remember, I have had 

essential “annual appointments” with nature. I get a sense of calmness when 

I am outdoors, and I feel the need to protect it as much as possible. 

My backpack may not be big enough to fit the next essential item — my family. 

But they are an important part of my visits in nature. Whether by myself, with my 

wife or my kids, spending time in nature allows me to disconnect from our family’s 

busy life and reconnect with them and the amazing nature that our country has to 

offer. Simply being in nature allows me to slow down and recharge. 

And don’t just take it from me; doctors from the BC Parks Foundation’s PaRx 

program prescribe a “nature pass” to our country’s parks and natural areas to 

improve people’s mental and physical health by connecting them with nature. 

Nature acts as a source of calmness but also a source of motivation. Nature also 

has incredible potential to boost resilience, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, 

grow national economies and achieve for nature and for society in general. 

When we protect nature, everyone benefits.1 



Big, 

bold 

AND 

impactful 

Faced with the urgent crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate 

change, we must expand the pace, scale and scope of conservation 

BY Brian Banks 

ANDREW WARREN. 


Boreal Wildlands, the largest single private 

conservation project ever undertaken in Canada. 

Put a map of Ontario on the 

wall, throw a dart at its geographical 

centre, and if your aim is true, 

that dart will hit smack dab in 

the boreal forest, somewhere near 

Hornepayne, a forestry town 500 kilometres 

northeast of Thunder Bay. 

For two years, that part of the map has been 

a special focus for Kristyn Ferguson, the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) program director 

for large landscapes in Ontario. Specifically, 

a 1,450-square-kilometre (145,000-hectare) area 

to the west and south of the community of Hearst, 

about 900 kilometres north of Toronto. The lands 

here are rich in boreal forest habitat, pristine 

lakes and rivers, and carbon-storing peatlands. 

In April, on Earth Day, NCC unveiled a fundraising 

campaign to complete the conservation 

of these lands, covering an area more than twice 

the size of the city of Toronto. When complete, 

the project will be the largest single private conservation 

project ever undertaken in Canada, 

dubbed the Boreal Wildlands. 

“The first time I had a chance to visit the 

property was in late September of 2021,” says 

Ferguson. “It was peak fall, where all the poplar 

and birch leaves turn yellow against the dark 

conifers. From any bit of height, looking out at 

the forest, it just goes on forever. The lakes look 

glacial because of their bright greenish colour. 

This place is mesmerizing.” 

Boreal Wildlands’ significance is both tangible 

and symbolic. 

The property, originally held by Domtar, with 

whom NCC negotiated an option to purchase 

the site, has tremendous conservation value. It 

is home to threatened woodland caribou, other 

large mammals like black bear, lynx, wolf and 

moose, and provides nesting, breeding and migratory 

stopover habitat for a multitude of birds. 

At the same time, the project epitomizes how 

NCC, as Canada’s leading private conservation 

organization, is responding to the crises of rapid 

biodiversity loss and climate change by expanding 

the pace, scale and scope of its work — adding 

a focus on larger conservation projects in all 

regions that builds on its long history of protecting 

crucial habitat in southern Canada. 

natureconservancy.ca SUMMER 2022 9

Left: Boreal Wildlands, ON. Right: Qat'muk, BC 

This focus, a cornerstone of NCC’s new 

roadmap for the next eight years, will see 

NCC protect more land, faster, either through 

traditional fee simple acquisition, as with 

Boreal Wildlands, or by lending its expertise 

— in securing private financing or acquiring 

resource development rights, say — to help 

projects led by governments, Indigenous 

communities or other partners. 

The goal: to double NCC’s impact by 2030, 

conserving an additional one million hectares 

and delivering $1.5 billion of new conservation 

outcomes. In the process, NCC will help 

Canada achieve its pledge, as a member of 

the international High Ambition Coalition for 

Nature and People, to protect 30 per cent of 

this country’s lands and waters by 2030. 

“Our new strategic plan lays out our toolkit 

and our values, and a recognition that with 

climate change and biodiversity loss, we have a 

big part to play,” says Nancy Newhouse, NCC’s 

regional vice-president in British Columbia. 

It’s an approach endorsed by Mike Wong, 

North American regional vice-chair of the 

International Union for Conservation of Nature’s 

World Commission on Protected Areas. 

“Protected areas are one of the best conservation 

tools in the world,” says Wong, who 

is based in Gatineau, Quebec. “When you have 

large intact areas that are well-managed, you 

conserve both the diversity as well as the carbon 

that is stored in that protected ecosystem.” 

Supporting partners 

One of NCC’s longstanding strengths is its 

ability to bring together landowners, donors, 

fundraising partners, governments, Indigenous 

communities and other non-profits to protect 

nature. But traditionally, the outcomes include 

NCC owning the land. Taking a supporting role 

on other groups’ projects isn’t entirely new, 

but according to Dawn Carr, NCC’s director of 

strategic conservation, it’s been mainly ad hoc. 

When you have large intact areas that 

are well-managed, you conserve both the 

biodiversity as well as the carbon that is 

stored in that protected ecosystem. 

Mike Wong, North American regional vice-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s 

World Commission on Protected Areas 

“We’ve not done a lot of proactive outreach 

with potential partners to ask, ‘What 

conservation objectives do you have that 

our abilities or capabilities might be able to 

support?’” says Carr. “The more we ask, the 

more opportunities will surface to support 

lasting conservation.” 

Increasingly, NCC is looking to scale up 

its collaboration with partners in a more 

proactive manner. 

A prime example that demonstrates NCC’s 

potential in a supporting role are the negotiations 

now underway between the Ktunaxa 

Nation and the BC government to establish 

an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area 

(IPCA) in the Central Purcell Mountains. 

The IPCA will encompass an area known as 

Qat'muk, a sacred landscape the Ktunaxa 

hold as the spiritual home of the grizzly bear. 

NCC was invited to work with the Ktunaxa 

Nation Council in 2019 to help them achieve 

their vision of fully protecting Qat'muk — an 

area rich in biodiversity that includes the 

Jumbo Valley and surrounding watersheds. 

The core threat to the area was a proposed 

ski resort in the Jumbo Valley, which the 

Ktunaxa and their supporters had been 

fighting against for 30 years. After decades of 

legal battles, an opportunity arose to negotiate 

a settlement with the developer and open 

the door to develop an IPCA. 

NCC first assisted the Ktunaxa in developing 

the ecological rationale for protection, 

which was necessary to secure funding for the 

IPCA creation. It then also acted as the negotiator 

on behalf of the Ktunaxa in talks to extinguish 

the developer’s tenures and development 

rights associated with the resort. Today, 

NCC is poised to assist the Ktunaxa with conservation 

planning, providing mapping and 

ecological data for the Qat'muk IPCA once its 

details have been finalized. 

“The Ktunaxa are leading the government-to-government 

conversations about 

what Qat'muk will look like,” says Newhouse. 

“Our role there now is to be a support to the 

Nation as requested.” 

The Qat'muk example also underscores 

that working alongside Indigenous communities 

more generally, in different capacities, 

will be a growing area of emphasis for NCC as 

it expands its large landscapes work. The Boreal 

Wildlands project is a case in point. While 

it won’t be an IPCA, the project area includes 

L TO R: ANDREW WARREN; PAT MORROW. 


L TO R: CLAUDE CÔTÉ; GLENN BARTLEY. 

the traditional territories of many Indigenous 

Nations and communities within Treaty 9. 

“We’re making sure we’re speaking with all 

of the communities, learning how they’ve 

used the site historically, how they might like 

to use it going forward,” says Ferguson. 

“We’re in the very early days of developing 

partnerships that NCC intends to be longterm, 

respectful, meaningful and that bring 

benefit to the communities.” 

Protect and connect 

Protecting any parcel of land, large or small, 

that provides essential habitat for species at 

risk is critical to help stem the loss of species 

and conserve overall biodiversity. 

But from an ecological standpoint, largescale 

projects play a unique role by ensuring 

the existence of large expanses of connected, 

protected habitat. These areas are critical 

for larger animals that migrate seasonally or 

require big territorial ranges for feeding 

and reproduction. In the face of a changing 

climate, they also provide a measure of resilience, 

giving many species of animals and 

plants the opportunity to adapt and adjust 

their location over time. 

The Green Mountains Nature Reserve in 

the Appalachian corridor of southeastern 

Quebec is a prime example of the value of 

large-scale connectivity in NCC’s portfolio. 

Established in 2008, the reserve continues 

to grow thanks to the donation or purchase 

of adjoining parcels of land. It now measures 

close to 8,000 hectares in size. It also is directly 

linked to protected areas south of the 

U.S. border. 

“If you look at a satellite map, you can see 

that every piece of land around [the reserve] 

is cities or farms, not much forest. So, it’s 

very important to keep that corridor for 

the migration of species from the south 

to the north with climate change,” says Cynthia 

Patry, NCC’s project manager for the 

Northern Green Mountains. “We still have 

wide-ranging mammals that are crossing the 

border and using that corridor, like lynx, 

moose and bears. Outside of that corridor, 

there are no lynx, so we really want to 

maintain it for them.” 

The Green Mountains Nature Reserve is 

one of a handful of NCC’s existing large-scale 

protected areas located in Canada’s south. 

The newest in this category is Hastings Wildlife 

Junction, a planned 8,000-hectare acquisition 

consisting of significant forests and wetlands 

located between the towns of Belleville 

and Bancroft in southeastern Ontario. However, 

in future, given the density of settlement 

in the south, NCC expects most of Canada’s 

large-scale protected area opportunities 

will lie farther north. 

This reality, coupled with the fact that 

much more of the land in Canada’s North is 

Crown land, also explains why NCC’s role 

in such projects is likely to be that of a supporting 

partner. As Newhouse explains, ownership 

of such lands will stay with the Crown, 

but in many cases, as with Qat'muk as well as 

another recent project in BC, the Tenh Dzetle 

Conservancy, made possible with the relinquishing 

of mineral rights, NCC’s role will be to 

“create agreements whereby when [such] privately 

held tenures are relinquished, there’s a 

parallel process that creates a protected area.” 

IUCN’s Wong says he is happy to learn that 

NCC is looking at a different way of doing 

things, as it represents the kind of approach 

that everyone — individuals, governments, 

Green Mountains Nature Reserve, QC 

companies, NGOs and other stakeholders — 

needs to embrace if Canada and the world are 

going to achieve their commitments to protect 

30 per cent of their territories by 2030. 

Wong highlights the failure of most countries 

to reach the IUCN’s previous target of 

protecting 17 per cent of their lands by 2020. 

In Canada’s case, we’re now at just 13.5 per 

cent. “If we didn’t make the 17 per cent target, 

how do we get to 30 per cent?” he asks. 

“You have to do things differently, right?” 

Ferguson agrees: “We’re so proud of everything 

that NCC has been able to accomplish 

over the last 60 years with the help of our 

supporters. But we recognize that we are at 

a crisis point, when we need to think bigger 

and think differently, bring in different 

partners and collaborate.” 

Recalling her visit to Boreal Wildlands, she 

describes standing on the banks of the Shekak 

River alongside Councillor Wayne Neegan of 

the Constance Lake First Nation, NCC’s escort 

on the land. As the river rushed past on its 

way to Hudson Bay, Neegan pointed out 

moose tracks at the water’s edge and demonstrated 

how he calls moose when hunting. 

About that moment, and others since, Ferguson 

reflects: “I think we all recognize we’re 

headed in the right direction, working together 

on initiatives that are making a conservation 

impact at scale. We’re doing it for the land 

and the caribou, but also for people. We’re all 

realizing we’re not separate from nature; we 

are a part of nature. So, every time we’re helping 

nature, we’re actually helping ourselves.”1 

HELP MAKE 

THE BOREAL 

WILDLANDS 

A REALITY 

At more than twice the size 

of the city of Toronto, once 

complete Boreal Wildlands will be 

the largest private land conservation 

project in Canada’s history. 

The Nature Conservancy of 

Canada invites you to join us in 

making conservation history. 

The Boreal Wildlands will 

ensure the future of more than 

1,300 kilometres of rivers and 

streams, vast carbon-storing 

peatlands and seemingly endless 

stretches of interior forest. Boreal 

Wildlands alone stores more 

than 192 million tonnes of CO2, 

equivalent to the average lifetime 

emissions of three million cars, 

demonstrating the direct positive 

impact this site’s conservation 

could have on stemming the global 

climate and biodiversity crises. 

Having successfully raised 

two-thirds of our fundraising 

target, we now need you to 

join us in this historic campaign. 

Learn more at borealwildlands.ca. 

The Boreal Wildlands is home to 

birds like Canada warbler. 



SPECIES 

PROFILE 

North American 

river otter 

Found throughout North America, river otter populations are stable 

after recovering from significant declines in the 19 th and 20 th centuries 

JOE BLOSSOM/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. 

12 SUMMER 2022 


APPEARANCE 

River otters can measure up to 1.4 

metres from nose to tail, and weigh up 

to 14 kilograms. They have brown, waterrepellent 

fur, webbed feet and long, strong 

tails that help propel them through water. Their 

underbody is usually lighter in colour. Their tiny 

ears close under water, and their thick fur 

helps keep them warm in cold water. Long 

whiskers help them find prey, such as 

fish, clams, insects and other 

aquatic animals. 

Cherry Meadows, BC 

Taking a peek 

RANGE 

River otters can be found 

throughout North America. In 

Canada, they are found in every 

province and territory, but have 

only recently returned to Prince 

Edward Island after disappearing 

at the beginning of the 

20 th century. 

HABITAT 

River otters can live in a variety of 

aquatic habitats, including rivers, lakes and 

large creeks. They also thrive outside of water 

and can sometimes be seen playing in snow or 

sliding down muddy hills. Playing helps strengthen 

social bonds and gives younger otters a chance to 

practise hunting skills. 

Their burrows are typically found near water 

and are often built to be accessible 

from both land and water. 

What NCC is doing 

to protect habitat 

for this species 

River otter populations declined 

significantly throughout the late 

1800s due to over-harvesting and 

water pollution. However, through 

conservation management and 

reintroduction efforts, populations 

have recuperated and are now 

considered stable or increasing. 

ICONS: CORY PROULX. NCC; ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. 

BIOLOGY 

River otters breed between late 

winter and early spring. Although they can 

reproduce annually, it is more likely for this 

species to give birth every two years. Female otters 

give birth to between one and six pups. The pups are 

born blind and spend the first month of their lives in 

their dens with the female. After two months, the 

female teaches the now-sighted pups how to swim. 

This species does not hibernate and remains 

active under frozen water by breathing 

through breaks in the ice. River otters can 

hold their breath underwater for up to 

eight minutes. 

River otters need healthy aquatic 

habits to survive. The Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) 

continues to protect habitat across 

Canada where river otters live. One 

example is NCC’s Cherry Meadows 

property, near Kimberley, BC. 

Located in the Rocky Mountain 

Trench, this area features extensive 

wetlands — perfect habitat for 

nature’s water clowns.1 

How you can help 

Help protect habitat for species at 

giftsofnature.ca. 



FORCE FOR 

NATURE 

Changemaker 

Rob Prosper sees the potential to accelerate conservation 

through Indigenous-led protected areas 

JESSICA DEEKS. 

14 SUMMER 2022 


For the first part of his career with Parks 

Canada, Rob Prosper lived and worked in 

some of Canada’s most iconic natural areas, 

such as the Nahanni National Park Reserve. In these 

places of stunning landforms and beautiful waterways, 

Prosper also saw first-hand the impression made on 

visitors by the people who called the land home. 

Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve 

THAIDENE NËNÉ NATIONAL PARK RESERVE: PARKS CANADA. JESSICA DEEKS. 

“I used to say, ‘we attract people to geography, but people leave with a 

cultural experience,’” Prosper explains. “And that’s the one that lasts.” 

Prosper recognized that the practices and traditions of Indigenous 

communities in natural areas, such as the Dehcho First Nation in 

Nahanni, made profound impressions on visitors. He believes that 

these types of authentic experiences are important to fostering an 

ethic of conservation. 

Continuing his career at Parks Canada’s national office, as the director 

of Indigenous Affairs and the vice-president of Protected Areas 

Establishment and Conservation, Prosper was responsible for building 

meaningful relationships with Indigenous people. A member of Acadia 

First Nation, Prosper says he has been influenced by these relationships 

with Indigenous leaders in conservation. 

Prosper recently retired after a 38-year career and now sits on the 

board of directors for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). 

“It’s an organization that can actually contribute to conservation on 

the ground and, as a land manager, it lends itself to building relationships 

with Indigenous people,” explains Prosper about his inspiration 

to join NCC’s board. 

[Indigenous Protected and Conserved 

Areas] can advance conservation and 

also put in the foreground the importance 

of Indigenous culture and language. 

ADVANCING CONSERVATION AND RECONCILIATION 

Prosper was the federal lead on the Pathway to Canada Target 1, 

a goal set by the government to conserve 17 per cent of terrestrial 

areas and inland water, and 10 per cent of marine and coastal areas 

of Canada by 2020. Since then, Canada has set the goal of 30 per 

cent of its lands and oceans by 2030. 

When considering reaching these new targets, Prosper believes 

a wide and inclusive approach is necessary, and sees great potential 

in working collaboratively with Indigenous communities. 

“The biggest conservation gains available to Canada to meet its 

international obligations,” says Prosper, “are in the area of Indigenous 

Protected and Conserved Areas, and those can take a whole 

variety of forms.” 

As defined by the 2018 Indigenous Circle of Experts report, 

Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) “are lands 

and waters where Indigenous governments have the primary role in 

protecting and conserving ecosystems through Indigenous laws, governance 

and knowledge systems. Culture and language are the heart 

and soul of an IPCA.” 

Prosper believes these areas can advance 

conservation and also put in the foreground 

the importance of Indigenous culture and 

language. “I don’t know that there is a more 

profound expression of Reconciliation than 

Indigenous communities responsible for their 

territories,” says Prosper. 

NCC works in collaboration with 

Indigenous communities across the country 

on a broad range of conservation projects. 

Prosper believes the science-based expertise 

of the organization can be helpful with work, 

such as identifying biodiversity-rich areas, 

while Indigenous knowledge and applying 

concepts such as Two-Eyed Seeing contributes 

to a holistic approach to managing 

lands and waters. 

Considering his own connections to nature, 

Prosper thinks about his time working on 

the land and the relationships he developed. 

“Experiencing the Nahanni through the eyes 

of the community of Nahanni Butte and 

through the eyes of Dehcho First Nation was 

very influential,” he reflects. 

In his work at Parks Canada, Prosper 

ensured Sable Island, Tallurutiup Imanga and 

Thaidene Nëné and many other protected 

areas were established. He lives with his 

family in southeastern Ontario and has a 

nearby farm property, which he says allows 

him to be connected to the land. Prosper 

plants and tills, while still letting things grow 

a bit wild to contribute to the area’s biodiversity. 

He jokes, “I’m now managing my own conservation 

area.”1 



PROJECT 

UPDATES 

1 

Investing in our future 

SOUTHWESTERN MANITOBA 

3 

1 

THANK YOU! 

Your support has made these 

projects possible. Learn more at 

natureconservancy.ca/where-we-work. 

2 

Investing in nature has never been more important. Manitoba’s 

prairies, forests, wetlands and lakes not only provide important 

habitat for rare and endangered species, they help lessen the risks 

of flooding, filter our drinking water, and capture and store carbon. 

They also attract pollinators and protect the land against drought. 

These natural landscapes, including the mixed-grass prairie and 

wetlands found on Manitoba’s Jackson Pipestone Prairies & Wetlands 

project, are nature’s gift and our ally in the face of today's global climate 

change and biodiversity loss crises. The project is part of two Important 

Bird Areas. This is a key opportunity to support prairie, tributary and 

lake conservation in the province. 

Located in southwestern Manitoba, near the town of Broomhill, the 

project includes some of the last large, connected blocks of mixed-grass 

prairie in the province. The securement of these lands ensures the 

sustainability of important habitats and the thousands of species that 

depend on them. 

A number of at-risk species live here, including Baird’s sparrow, 

Sprague’s pipit, ferruginous hawk, chestnut-collared longspur, prairie 

loggerhead shrike, burrowing owl, great plains toad and barn swallow. 

Maple Lake and Plum Lake also provide important stopover habitat 

for migrating waterbirds. 

NCC partners with local farmers and producers to improve the longterm 

health of grasslands. The project is managed with nearby lands as 

part of a larger livestock production operation, providing further benefits 

to the local economy. 

With your support, we can protect this remarkable place for local 

and migratory species. 

For more information, visit natureconservancy.ca/jacksonpipestone. 

GLYN THOMAS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. INSET: NCC. 

Giving back 

“It’s important to show younger generations 

that you need to keep giving back — to get 

them in the mindset of helping protect the 

environment and preserve natural habitats 

in perpetuity. 

Burrowing owl 

“We see real value in providing a significant 

stream of steady funding that can be used 

as a catalyst for accelerating the Nature Conservancy 

of Canada’s ambitious conservation 

goals. Our intention is that our $1-million 

donation encourages other individuals or 

families to give flexible funding to protect 

the environment. We hope this becomes 

a prototype for giving that other donors will 

be motivated to replicate. 

“Change won’t happen overnight, but if, 

as a result of our gift, more people know 

about NCC and take steps to support your 

projects and programs, then in 10, 15 or 

even 20 years, we’re likely to see even more 

land conserved, more wildlife thriving and 

more people enjoying nature.” 

~ Al Collings and Hilary Stevens, 

Collings Stevens Family Foundation, 

donors since 2017

Caribou 

2 

Keep The Rock Rugged 

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR 

NCC’s Keep The Rock Rugged campaign is an ambitious three-year appeal to raise $3 million to advance 

conservation in Newfoundland and Labrador. Over $1 million is already committed. 

The province has the third-smallest percentage of protected land in Canada. Keep The Rock Rugged 

aims to expand critical nature reserves and support student internships, volunteer programs and 

research projects, and invest in new technology to advance nature conservation in the province. 

Learn more at natureconservancy.ca/keeptherockrugged. 

Newfoundland and Labrador 

Partner Spotlight 

RBC Tech for Nature is 

a multi-year commitment to 

new ideas, technologies and 

partnerships focused on 

protecting our shared future. 

That’s why the organization 

partnered with the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) 

to invest in the power of 

innovative technology. 

CARIBOU: MIKE DEMBECK. ROCK: CLAUDIA HANEL. WATERTON: LETA PEZDERIC/NCC STAFF. 

Waterton Park Front, AB 

3 

A legacy of care 

WATERTON PARK FRONT AREA, ALBERTA 

Across the country, NCC works in and near communities and landscapes that have cared for the lands 

and waters around them for generations. In spring 2021, the Bectell family approached NCC about ensuring 

the future of the lands that had been under their care for years. 

Working with NCC, the family placed a conservation agreement on their lands, located 10 kilometres 

east of Waterton Lakes National Park. The property includes native grasslands and wetlands. The 

area is home to several species at risk, such as ferruginous hawk, grizzly bear and western blue iris. 

It is also within a sensitive raptor and key sharp-tailed grouse range and next to a Key Wildlife and 

Biodiversity Zone. 

The 324-hectare Bectell property builds on the existing network of lands under NCC’s care in the 

Waterton Park Front area. The agreement ensures the property will be maintained in a natural, healthy, 

unfragmented state while retaining its use as a working ranch. 

RBC Tech for Nature has 

helped NCC to develop artificial 

intelligence (AI)-based tools 

to plan effective conservation 

action across the country. These 

tools take existing information 

on species, habitat, climate, 

connectivity and threats and 

predict where the best places 

are to conserve and what 

conservation actions to take. 

The tools are also among the 

first in the country to help 

prioritize actions to care for 

properties once they are 

confirmed for conservation. 

This partnership highlights 

the importance of conserving 

the right habitats and places, 

while using the right processes, 

globally, in NCC's work to 

address the twin crises of 

biodiversity loss and climate 

change. Ultimately, these 

AI-based tools support 

decision-making to optimize 

NCC’s impact from coast to 

coast to coast. 


CLOSE 

ENCOUNTERS 

A love letter 

to the 

mountains 

By Gayle Roodman, NCC manager of editorial services 

Dear mountains, 

You don’t know me personally, but you might recognize me by my 

feet. I’ve skied, hiked, snowshoed and biked your contours for the 

past several decades. 

You see, you changed the course of my life. 

When I finished high school in Ontario, I was nowhere near 

deciding what to do with my life. 

The first thing I did after graduating was take the train to Lake 

Louise in Alberta to work there for the summer. I will never forget my 

reaction to seeing your Rockies for the first time. I was gobsmacked. 

Seeing your grey spires and blue-white glaciers in person left me 

speechless. Between shifts, I spent most of my spare time exploring 

you. I even took a mountaineering course so I could become 

closer to you. 

In winter, I’d return to Ottawa to work. I did this for a few years, 

until your call was too strong to pass up. You got under my skin, 

so I moved myself west. 

Being new to the area, I joined outdoors groups filled with 

like-minded people. I made lifelong friends on your trails. You 

also opened a world of possibilities. I’ve explored your Adirondack, 

Himalaya, Tatra and Andes cousins. Each mountain range looks 

different, but despite the continental divides, you share something 

in common: the power to lift my mood, rejuvenate me, challenge 

me and deepen my connection to the natural world. 

But you haven’t had it easy. You provide so much — clean air, 

water, leisure, refuge for species, spiritual benefits, just as a start — 

yet I sometimes forget that despite being massive and strong, you’re 

still vulnerable to development and the effects of climate change. 

For all that you’ve given me, here’s what I promise to give back to 

you: you’ll never become “wallpaper” to my eyes. I’ll always marvel at 

the light that plays upon your ridgetops. I’ll fiercely defend my belief 

that you look prettier with snow, and more formidable without. I’ll continue 

to seek you out when I need to clear my head and raise my heart 

rate. I’ll respect your temperaments and your weather. I’ll give space 

to the animals that live on you. I will always remember that it is a privilege 

to experience the awe of your vistas. And I’ll do my best to ensure 

others treat you well and with the care and respect you deserve. 

Thank you, and keep up the good work. 

Gayle 

JACQUI OAKLEY. 


LET YOUR 

PASSION 

DEFINE 

YOUR 

LEGACY 

Your passion for Canada’s natural spaces defines your life; now it can define 

your legacy. With a gift in your Will to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 

no matter the size, you can help protect our most vulnerable habitats and the 

wildlife that live there. For today, for tomorrow and for generations to come. 

Order your free Legacy Information Booklet today. 

Call Marcella at 1-877-231-3552 x 2276 or visit DefineYourLegacy.ca

YOUR 

IMPACT 

Swift fox pups, southern Saskatchewan 

Protecting 

native grasslands 

Today, less than 20 per cent of Saskatchewan’s 

native grasslands remain intact. But thanks 

to your support, 629 hectares of endangered 

grasslands and wetlands at the Lonetree Lake 

property have been protected. Many private 

donors also contributed to the conservation of 

Lonetree Lake, including members of the Field of 

Dreams Facebook Group, initiated by University 

of Regina professor Marc Spooner. What started 

with Spooner’s question, “What should we do 

with our Saskatchewan Government Insurance 

rebates?” expanded into something incredible. 

The group raised $103,500 toward protecting 

the vibrant habitat found at Lonetree Lake. 

Hastings Wildlife Junction, ON 

TOP TO BOTTOM: JOHN E. MARRIOTT; MIKE DEMBECK. 

Critical conservation 

in southern Ontario 

The 8,000-hectare Hastings Wildlife Junction will 

play a critical role in lessening the impacts of 

climate change and biodiversity loss. Located at 

the junctions of the Algonquin to Adirondacks 

and The Land Between corridors, a project of 

this magnitude and ecological significance is 

staggeringly rare in southern Ontario, where so 

much of the land is converted for development. 

Thank you for all you do for nature in Canada!

NCC Magazine - Summer 2022

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