The conservation of the Minesing Wetlands has been expanded.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced the protection of 32 hectares (80 acres) in the globally important Minesing Wetlands, just 15 kilometres west of Barrie, this morning.
The newly created Baldwick Bluff Nature Reserve is a collection of forests, fields, wetlands and headwater streams surrounding the core of the Minesing Wetlands. This area acts as a protective buffer to the main wetlands, ensuring that wildlife have the room they need to thrive. It helps control floods and provides clean water for nearby communities. The area also provides important habitat for species at risk, including eastern meadowlark (threatened), bobolink (threatened), andHine’s emerald dragonfly (endangered), which is found only in the
Minesing Wetlands in Canada.
The Minesing Wetlands play an important role in filtering the water that is carried by the Nottawasaga River into Georgian Bay, and that flows out of thousands of taps in nearby homes. This vast collection of marshes, fens and treed swamps acts as a large sponge to help mitigate floods and supports more than 30 species at risk. With a rapidly changing climate, protecting large, intact wetlands is vitally important to the health and resiliency of local communities.
Comprising approximately 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) of wetlands, fields and forests, the Minesing Wetlands are often referred to as the “Everglades of the North” due to their designation as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance — a distinction they share with their Floridian counterpart.
The federal government provided approximately $500,000 to help NCC acquire and steward this site.
“The Minesing Wetlands are an amazing place — where birds stop over in the tens of thousands during spring migration, fish are plentiful in the rivers, and deer and other wildlife find a protected haven to rest. It also provides recreational opportunities from paddling to hiking to snowshoeing. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is excited to announce the expansion of this key natural area.”-Mike Hendren, Regional Vice-president, Ontario, Nature Conservancy of Canada
“Thanks in part to the Canada Nature Fund’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program, the Nature Conservancy of Canada will be protecting important wetlands and forests located in the newly conserved Baldwick Bluff Nature Reserve. Wetlands are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems in the world and play an important role in the fight against climate change. This new reserve surrounds the Minesing Wetlands, an internationally recognized site. Conservation of this important piece of land will also help provide habitat for species at risk and clean water for nearby communities. With help from partners like the Nature Conservancy of Canada and support from the local community, we are making progress toward our goal of conserving a quarter of Canada’s land and a quarter of its oceans by 2025.” – The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
For more photos of the site, please click here.