Forested wetland donation boosts Island Nature Trust holdings

The Island Nature Trust has received a donation of 28 hectares of land in eastern P.E.I., which it says will now be protected for wildlife in perpetuity.

The Hessian Farm 1810 Woodland Natural Area is near Georgetown, in an area that has become popular for cottage development.

"There is wet forest, which is of particular value from a wildlife perspective," said Megan Harris, executive director of Island Nature Trust.

"Wet forest, or forest wetlands, are very diverse. They have, when we look at our biodiversity targets, and trying to get the biggest bang for our buck, forested wetlands are right up there in terms of the diversity of different species of birds and small mammals that are supported in that type of habitat."

The old farmland — donated by Stephen Hessian —  had been in the family since the early 19th century, but it stopped being profitable as a farm during the first half of the 20th century, and the family stopped working the land. It is now a forest and wetland rather than fields.

The wetland area is home to sora rails and pied-billed grebes, while red-eyed vireos, eastern wood peewees — a threatened species — and woodpeckers can be found in the forest.

The land is also attractive to the group because it is adjacent to a provincially-owned wildlife management area, providing the potential for a larger, single chunk of protected land.

"When we have such a chopped up landscape with so many small parcels of privately-owned land, to try to build pieces of protected land just little bit by little bit, having that nucleus already there was a key driver also in accepting the donation," said Harris.

The land was donated through the Government of Canada's Ecological Gifts Program, which has been particularly successful on P.E.I.

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