Our Plaister Cliffs conservation lands lie along the Bras d’Or in Cape Breton.

This area is well known for the “plaister,” or gypsum, that forms the basis for a globally rare, fragile, and fascinating karst landscape. Karst landscapes are formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks and are characterized by underground drainage systems that form otherworldly above- and underground terrains of sinkholes, caves, and escarpments.

Karst features are considered threatened in Nova Scotia, very rare in northeastern North America, and globally uncommon. In Nova Scotia, approximately 90% of the karst sites are located on private land, which makes the Nature Trust’s private land conservation work a critical tool to protecting these unique habitats.