Nature Conservancy is expanding coastal land protection in the Prospect Area Reserve

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has purchased 14 hectares of undisturbed coastal habitat, barren and rocky shoreline along a popular hiking trail near Halifax for protection.

The acquisition of the land in the Dr. Bill Freedman Nature Reserve by the conservation organization (NCC) ensures that another 500 meters of the 3 mile High Head trail are protected.

The new lot near Prospect and about 30 kilometers southwest of downtown Halifax is located in an area known locally as Phantom Cove.

The acquisition brings NCC’s total wildlife sanctuary in the Prospect area to 132 acres.

Jaimee Morozoff, NCC program director in Nova Scotia, said in a press release that the expansion reflects the nonprofit’s “commitment to preserving our vital coastal habitats and fostering a deep connection between people and nature.”

“This beloved trail and precious place will be preserved forever, a precious gift to all who hold this extraordinary place close to their hearts and to the wildlife who call it home,” Morozoff said.

The High Head Trail skirts Shad Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean. With its fresh sea breeze and panoramic vistas, it makes for a peaceful summer stroll and an ideal spot for birdwatching, says the NCC.

The newly protected site serves as an important stopover for migratory shorebirds, such as the whimbrel, who forage on the barrens’ bountiful crowberries.

Savannah sparrow and fox sparrow use the barrens for nesting, while willets and bald eagles also visit the area. Harlequin duck, provincially listed as endangered, black scoter and long-tailed duck winter along the coastline.

The reserve’s exposed granite bales provide the necessary conditions and habitat required for rare coastal plants, such as rosy crowness and knotted mother-of-pearl. Other plants that thrive there are mountain holly and rhodora. Wild raisins, blueberries, blueberries, bearberry and black crowberries, also found in the barrens, are abundant food sources for wildlife, the organization points out.

This important land conservation project was made possible through the generosity of private donors.

“Nova Scotia is fortunate to have a very successful land conservation program led by partners such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada, who work closely with private landowners to protect more of our land and water,” said Provincial Environment Minister Tim Halman, in the release.

“As we work toward our goal of 20 percent conservation by 2030, the generosity of private landowners plays a critical role in helping us achieve this goal. Their gift to the Nova Scotians living today and to future generations also ensures that our province’s land – which they value and love – will forever retain its natural, environmental, scenic and personal significance.”

The granite rocky coastline and barrens that dominate the reserve play a vital role in purifying vast amounts of groundwater before it returns to the ocean. Slopes or runoff that drain directly into these coastal waters are important for biological productivity and affect plankton production in feeding grounds for whales, dolphins and seals.

“The dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss are two sides of the same coin, and we must tackle them together,” said federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault in the release.

“Working with partners like the Nature Conservancy of Canada, we are helping to protect the natural environment in Nova Scotia and across the country. Protecting land plays a vital role in helping halt and reverse biodiversity loss and contribute to the recovery of endangered species.”

Bill Freedman, for whom the wildlife refuge was renamed in 2016, was an author, ecologist, and educator and chair of the biology department at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Freedman, who died in 2015, volunteered for 25 years with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and left a legacy across the country. He served as NCC’s National Board Chairman and as Chairman of the Atlantic Regional Council.

The NCC marks the 20th anniversary this year since it first began protecting land at Prospect High Head. The NCC now preserves approximately 9,009 acres in southwestern Nova Scotia through the establishment of 27 nature reserves.