Harrington - Ottawa couple protects nine kilometres on Rivière Rouge
Rivière Rouge property, QC (Photo by John Berryman)
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has received a generous gift of land that expands a key wilderness corridor between Ottawa and Montreal.
The not-for-profit group today announced it is the owner of 685 hectares of forested land in Harrington, Quebec.
The land donation is by John and Louise Berryman and is strategically located near other NCC conservation lands. This nine-kilometre-long property on the west bank of the Red River (Rivière Rouge) canyon is an important forest corridor that links the Ottawa Valley to the Parc national du Mont-Tremblant.
The property is mainly home to deciduous forests typical of the southern Laurentians, ideal habitat for large mammals such as moose and black bear, which have been spotted there. There are also wetlands, such as wooded marshes and peat bogs, that provide suitable nesting grounds and resting stops for many migratory bird species, including the least bittern, a species designated as threatened in Canada and at risk in Quebec.
There are also butternut trees on the property, an endangered species under SARAin Canada and that is likely to be designated as at-risk under the ARTVSin Quebec.
Acknowledgments
NCC especially wishes to thank land donors John and Louise Berryman, owners of the Harrington Forestry Centre (Centre Forestier Harrington), an entity dedicated to sustainable forest management and forestry (Harrington Tree Nursery) for their generosity.
The project was also supported by :
The generous donation of part of the property was made through the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. To learn more about the Ecological Gifts Program, visit canada.ca/ecological-gifts.
Quotes
“It has been a pleasure working with the Nature Conservancy of Canada in furthering our efforts to protect the natural diversity of this unique forest habitat for future generations. Our donation has provided us with a sense of timeless purpose through the conservation of a significant biodiverse woodland property in the heart of the Lower Laurentians.” - John Berryman – Owner of the Centre Forestier Harrington
“The protection of this property consolidates a major forest corridor for the movement of species between the Rivière des Outaouais and the Parc national du Mont-Tremblant. Many species need these large expanses to roam and fulfill their life cycles.” - Marie-Andrée Tougas-Tellier, project manager at the Nature Conservancy of Canada
“Through its support of the Ensemble pour la nature project, the Government of Quebec wanted to protect biodiversity in southern Quebec, where human activities are exerting the greatest pressures on ecosystems. By preserving natural environments typical of the Laurentians region, the initiative announced today is not only fully in line with this priority, but also contributes to the general quality of life for the population and to the fight against climate change. Congratulations to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for this very significant new action.” - Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change.
“With the help of partners like the Nature Conservancy of Canada and John and Louise Berryman and with conservation initiatives such as the Ecological Gifts Program, we are doubling the amount of protected nature across Canada’s lands and oceans. Nature is central to our Canadian identity, and, by taking the initiative now to increase the amount of protected areas, we’re ensuring Canadians now and in the future can connect to nature and experience its wonders.” - The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, ex-Minister of Environment and Climate Change
