Batchewana Island

Batchewana Island, Lake Superior, Ontario (Photo by Robert Cormier)

The largest privately owned island in Lake Superior

Surrounded by Batchawana Bay, 60 kilometres northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, the undeveloped, 2,076-hectare Batchewana Island (also spelled “Batchawana”) boasts 27 kilometres of shoreline — from sandy and cobble beaches to rocky cliffs — and mature, intact forests and wetlands.

The Island’s forests and wetlands are prime habitat for migratory birds to rest during their journeys north and south. Gray wolf, black bear, moose and more than 30 provincially significant bird species prowl, forage, den, nest and fly through the island’s woods. Many fish, including endangered lake sturgeon, spawn offshore in the shallows.

The forests and wetlands here help lessen the impacts of climate change by absorbing carbon emissions from around the world. In fact, the carbon stored here is equivalent to the energy used by over 500,000 homes annually.

You can help protect and care for Batchewana Island forever by making a gift or multi-year pledge today. With just 2% left to raise, your gift will make a significant difference and have a lasting impact.

Batchewana Island Property Map. Click to enlarge.

An urgent conservation priority

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has a time-limited opportunity to protect the largest remaining privately owned island in Lake Superior. This is our best — and possibly last — chance to see this incredible island protected. The protection of Batchewana Island will contribute to a network of protected areas in the southeastern portion of Lake Superior.
 

Quick facts

• Location: Island in Batchawana Bay, 60 kilometres northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
• Habitat type: Great Lakes shoreline, deciduous and mixed forests, wetland
• Size: 2,076 hectares
• Total project cost: $7,200,000
• Species: gray wolf, American black bear, moose, North American river otter, lake sturgeon (endangered), rusty blackbird (special concern)

Help protect and care for Batchewana Island

The time is now! NCC must raise the funds necessary to purchase and care for Batchewana Island, or we risk the island being sold for private development.

Donation options

Your gift today will help protect this property forever! Donations may be made by cheque, stock transfer or credit card through the link below. Cheques should be made payable to “Nature Conservancy of Canada” and mailed to 410-245 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, ON M4P 3J1. Please indicate either in the memo portion of your cheque, or in a note accompanying your donation, that your gift is for “Lake Superior.”

If a U.S. tax deduction could be more advantageous to you, NCC works in partnership with a registered U.S. charity, American Friends of Canadian Nature. Please contact us to learn more.

For more information or to discuss your donation options, please contact:
Laura Vaughan
Senior Development Officer, Ontario
laura.vaughan@natureconservancy.ca
647-888-4258

A natural legacy

When it comes to conserving Canada’s most important natural areas, protecting land is just the beginning. Stewardship — caring for the land for the long-term — is at the heart of what we do. Each and every property we protect is monitored and managed so that the ecosystems are maintained and species thrive; even if that means leaving it be. This can include mapping and removing invasive species, restoring wetlands, grasslands and forests, monitoring for species at risk, planting native species, building trails or installing signage.

In order to continue to care for the natural areas we protect, NCC has created a Stewardship Endowment Fund. This fund provides annual support for our priority stewardship work across Ontario. Annual benefits from the endowment fund are used to pay the costs necessary to ensure efficient and long-term, science-based management of lands under NCC’s care.

NCC may direct all or a portion of gifts committed to this project to NCC’s Stewardship Endowment Fund for Ontario. Revenue generated by the fund provides for long-term management on properties across the province, including Batchewana Island. In the event that this project becomes fully funded or cannot be carried out, your gift will be allocated to the next urgent priority in this natural area. Up to 10 per cent of your gift may support activities that advance NCC’s mission in Ontario.