Thanks to a generous donation, the Nature Trust is proud to announce the protection of 97 acres of forested land and shoreline on Long Island, along the northeastern shore of the Bras d’Or Lake.

Well known for its historical significance as well as its continuing place as a sailing and recreation destination, the Bras d’Or is a unique ecological hotspot. Its brackish waters form a salt-water estuary watershed, with three passages to the Atlantic Ocean linked from this “inland sea.” Protecting coastal ecosystems here is challenged by development patterns, as the coast is fragmented by residential properties and transportation infrastructure. This new conservation land represents a win for the unique ecology along this part of the lake.

The newly protected property includes shoreline along the Bras d’Or Lake and is predominantly forested. Its undeveloped coastline is characterized by rocky beaches and outcrops, while a series of prominent cliffs line the steep slopes of the property’s eastern side. The southern end of the property hosts old tolerant forest, and a variety of softwood, mixedwood and hardwood stands occur elsewhere, including treed swamps.

Together, these ecosystems support a diversity of rare and sensitive flora and fauna.

Several rare and at-risk vascular plants have been recorded on the property including Dissected Moonwort, Northern Adder’s-tongue, Drummond’s Rockcress, Maidenhair Spleenwort (the latter two of which tend to be found on rock outcrops).

The mature hardwood forests of the property provide habitat for the Eastern Wood-Pewee, which is listed as a species of Special Concern by the federal Species at Risk Act and as Vulnerable under the Nova Scotia Endangered Species Act. The property also likely holds nesting habitat for Bald Eagle and Osprey.

This property was donated to the Nature Trust by Neil MacKinnon. His mother, the youngest of ten children, was born there, on what was then her father’s subsistence farm. After several decades of work with his surviving cousins and with local surveyors to clear the title to the land, Neil says, “I take great comfort in knowing that the place where my mother was born will remain a forested nature reserve in perpetuity.”

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia through the Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement. 

The Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement is a project of the Province of Nova Scotia. Working with conservation partners, the goal is to increase the amount of protected and conserved areas and advance an integrated approach to the protection, conservation and recovery of biodiversity, including habitat, species at risk and migratory birds, in the Province. The Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, through the Canada Nature Fund. 

Our thanks as well for generous support from the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust, a critical source of land securement funding for Nova Scotia’s land trusts.