“The Lower St. John River region is a rich landscape that is home to a diversity of plant, animal, insect, and bird species - many of them rare and endangered such as the Cobblestone Tiger Beetle and the Peregrine Falcon,” says Aaron Dowding, NTNB Conservation Planning Manager. “Protecting these habitats can help ensure that the beauty and diversity we see today will remain for generations to come.”
The development of this conservation strategy has been a complex yet rewarding process, involving the extensive analysis of relevant data and the close collaboration of many partners including federal and provincial government scientists, conservation groups, researchers, and naturalist organizations. Having now identified important areas for conservation in the region, NTNB is seeking to actively engage New Brunswickers in land conservation and stewardship efforts, with the first step being a series of informative open house events.
"We hope that those interested in these initiatives can join us in taking a hands-on role in stewarding the forests, wetlands, and rivers in this region for future generations. And, we are here to give them the tools to do so," says Dowding.
NTNB and its partners invite everyone with an interest in conservation to attend an open house in their community, where information will be provided about species at risk, important habitats, private land stewardship, and the overall Lower St. John River conservation strategy.
"Our community tour gives us an opportunity to share our learnings about the Lower St. John River region. For example, landowners may not know that they have endangered species on their property, so we can help inform them about that,” says Dowding. “On the other hand, there is also a lot we can learn about the ecology of the region from landowners and what they have observed over time.”
Please join NTNB for an open house in your community:
- Keswick Ridge - Sun., Jan. 26, Keswick Ridge Community Hall (84 Route 616) from 2 to 3:30 pm
- Taymouth - Mon., Jan. 27, Taymouth Community Centre (864 Route 8) from 7 to 8 pm
- Hampton - Tues., Jan. 28, Lighthouse River Centre (1075 Main St) from 6:30 to 8 pm
- Grand Bay-Westfield - Wed., Jan. 29, Community Centrum (609 River Valley Dr) at 7 pm
- Sussex - Thurs., Jan. 30, Sussex Public Library (46 Magnolia Dr) at 6:30 pm
- Gagetown - Fri., Jan. 31, Royal Canadian Legion (81 Tilley Rd) from 7:30 to 8:30 pm
About the Nature Trust of New Brunswick
The Nature Trust of New Brunswick is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to preserving New Brunswick’s outstanding ecological landscapes for people and nature. Nature Trust NB currently protects 37 nature preserves in the province. For more information about the organization, visit naturetrust.nb.ca.
