We’re pleased to introduce you to the Nature Trust’s newest group of conservation lands: Pony’s Point and Maskells Harbour Beach, spanning nearly 460 acres of spectacular forest, rolling hills, and over three kilometres of Bras d’Or Lake shoreline in Maskells Harbour.

This impressive land assemblage adds to the adjacent Barra Forest-MacNeils Vale Provincial Park and lands at Gillis Point protected by a conservation easement. With these critical gaps now secured, the entire shoreline of Maskells Harbour is forever protected, encompassing a combined 7.4 kilometres of undeveloped coastline and 1,200 acres of contiguous coastal protected area.

The opportunity to assemble such a large, intact coastal protected area is rare anywhere in Nova Scotia with almost 90% of the coast privately owned, but especially rare on the Bras d’Or, where the shoreline is almost entirely privately owned and highly subdivided. With only 5% of the coast protected in the province and even less protected on the Bras d’Or, combined with unprecedented development pressures, the benefit of securing this vast, contiguous coastal wilderness is significant. The area is recognized globally as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and nationally as a Priority Place for conservation due to its rich biodiversity and unique ecological, cultural and historical features.

The small but treasured Maskell’s Harbour Beach property is considered by many to be the crown jewel of the harbour, a special place for generations of locals and visitors alike, charmed by its red sandy shoreline, tranquil waters and stunning vistas.

The conservation lands encompass a rich mosaic of habitats including mature forests of Yellow Birch, Maple, Spruce, Fir and Eastern Hemlock, wetlands and unique gypsum karst topography filled with fascinating sinkholes, ridges and ravines. The extensive shoreline is dominated by steep slopes and cliffs, and punctuated by barachois ponds (coastal lagoons separated from the sea by a sand or rocky bar).

The areas protect important habitat for a diversity of plants and wildlife, including rare and at-risk species like Eastern Wood-Pewee, American Redstarts, Bald Eagles, Blue-headed Vireos, Ring-necked Ducks, Spotted Sandpipers and numerous Warbler species, as well as rare plants like Bulblet Bladder Fern and Bristle-leaved Sedge.

The news is not only good for nature, but for people too. The Bras d’Or is Canada’s largest inland saltwater sea with over 1,000 kilometres of coastline to explore, and Maskells Harbour specifically is one of Nova Scotia’s most prominent and beloved harbours. For over 200 years, it has been a vital destination and stopover for mariners due to its strategic location, idyllic sheltered harbour and stunning scenery. In the late 1800s, then known as Boulaceet Harbour, it was a hub for fishing schooners travelling to and from the Grand Banks, and in 1919 became the birthplace of the Cruising Club of America. The harbour remains a must-see stopover for sailors travelling to Newfoundland and Labrador and a destination for countless boaters, paddlers and sailors.

For the Maskells Harbour Beach property, a group of concerned local citizens and sailor joined together with the Nova Scotia Highland Village Society, recognizing the urgency to save this treasured beach and the last unprotected parcel of land in Maskell’s Harbour. The Nature Trust was then able to acquire the land from this group and we will ensure its long-term protection and stewardship. Our deepest thank you to all involved for this inspiring collaborative effort, including many amazing Nature Trust supporters and volunteers who helped make this significant win for coastal conservation possible.

To help ensure the long-term conservation of Pony’s Point and Maskells Harbour, as well as the protection of other treasured coastal gems, please support Twice the Wild today.

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change. Our thanks as well for the generous support from the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust.