Family donates "cathedral” of old hemlock trees to conservation
Nature Conservancy of Canada protects forest and wetlands near Tatamagouche
Bonnyman family lore states that a beloved grove of hemlock trees will stand as long as the family’s elders do. Today, the Bonnymans are extending that prophecy by donating 37 hectares of old-growth forest, lake shoreline and freshwater wetlands at Mattatall Lake to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to conserve the land for future generations.
The Bonnyman family has stewarded this forested lakeside property southwest of Tatamagouche for three generations. Their donation today ensures that key habitat for a variety of species, including black bear, bald eagle and forest birds like eastern wood-pewee, will be protected.
While nearly three-quarters of the property consists of Wabanaki (Acadian) forest, the remainder includes inland water, lakeshore wetland and treed fen ecosystems around Mattatall Lake. Protecting ecosystems like this one helps incorporate nature-based solutions like water filtration and absorption services, which benefit communities downstream.
The new conservation area, Hemlock Hill at Mattatall Lake, includes 13 hectares of towering eastern hemlock trees that have withstood over a century of changing seasons and increasingly violent hurricanes. Now they will also be protected from development pressures and have a champion helping them fight invasive species.
The aging trees face an emerging threat. Smaller than a pencil tip, the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) insect is slowly but surely invading eastern hemlock forests in Nova Scotia, inflicting dramatic losses upon ecosystems. With a lack of established natural predators in this area, HWA causes high mortality in hemlock trees, as it feeds on nutrients within the tree’s needles. NCC will closely monitor the stands of eastern hemlock on the donated site to help protect them from HWA.
This conservation project was made possible with funding from the Government of Canada, through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund, the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. A portion of this project was donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada under the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. This program provides enhanced tax incentives for individuals or corporations who donate ecologically significant land.
This project showcases how NCC is accelerating the pace of conservation in Canada. In the past two years alone, NCC has influenced the protection of more than 1 million hectares (almost twice the size of Prince Edward Island), coast to coast to coast. Over the next few years, the organization will double its impact by mobilizing Canadians and delivering permanent, large-scale conservation.
In the face of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, nature is our ally. There is no solution to either without nature conservation. When nature thrives, we all thrive.
Quotes
“We are thrilled that this very special grove of hemlocks, and a large portion of the Mattatall Lake shoreline will be preserved for future generations thanks to NCC and its partners. We hope that many will visit the cathedral of hemlocks and experience first-hand the beautiful soft light and the chill you feel when you enter.” – Angus Bonnyman, land donor
“I am grateful to the Bonnyman family's generous donation of this special grove of hemlocks and its surrounding habitat to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Preserving Hemlock Hill at Mattatall Lake marks a meaningful step forward in our continuous mission to protect biodiversity. It underscores our collective dedication to conservation and the protection of Nova Scotia's cherished landscapes.” – Jaimee Dupont Morozoff, NCC Program Director in Nova Scotia
“Through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program and the Ecological Gifts Program, the Government of Canada is making progress toward its goal of conserving 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030. By working with partners such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada and generous landowners like the Bonnyman family, we are helping to protect the natural environment in Nova Scotia and across the country. Protecting land plays a vital role in helping to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and contributes to the protection of species at risk, like the eastern wood-pewee, as well as century-old eastern hemlock trees. Only by engaging in a whole-of-society approach can we meet our conservation goals.” – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Facts
- Mattatall Lake is one of the largest lakes in the Cumberland and Colchester County area. The surrounding watershed and nutrient-rich wetlands include several streams and bogs, which serve as an important breeding ground for a host of waterfowl including American black duck, mallard, common loon, gadwall and common merganser.
- The forest at Hemlock Hill provides important habitat for a variety of songbirds, such as eastern wood-pewee, red-eyed vireo, blue-headed vireo and white-throated sparrow.
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares.
The Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP) is a unique partnership that supports the creation and recognition of protected and conserved areas through the acquisition of private land and private interest in land. To date, the Government of Canada has invested more than $470 million in the Program, which has been matched with more than $982 million in contributions raised by Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the country’s land trust community leading to the protection and conservation of nearly 800,000 hectares of ecologically sensitive lands.
Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program provides a way for Canadians with ecologically sensitive land to protect nature and leave a legacy for future generations. Made possible by the terms of the Income Tax Act of Canada and the Quebec Taxation Act, it offers significant tax benefits to landowners who donate land or a partial interest in land to a qualified recipient. Recipients ensure that the land’s biodiversity and environmental heritage are conserved in perpetuity. To learn more about the Ecological Gifts Program, please visit www.canada.ca/ecological-gifts.
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