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The Nature Conservancy of Canada has purchased three parcels of land totaling 117 acres on Robert’s Island in Argyle.
One of the main reasons for buying the land was to protect a rare flowering shrub called the eastern baccharis. According to the NCC, the only place the shrub grows in Canada is the Robert’s Island area.
Nova Scotia stewardship coordinator for the NCC, Doug van Hemessen, spoke about why protecting the shrub is important.
“It’s listed as threatened species at risk in Canada. There’s only about 3,000 of those plants in the entire area. So that’s the entire population in Canada,” said van Hemessen. “The protection of these properties are really critical to the ongoing protection of that species.”
van Hemessen also talked about the habitat of the area, which he says is a salt marsh.
“There’s ongoing loses to habitat and biodiversity worldwide, salt marsh habitats in particular,” said van Hemessen. “Salt marsh habitats are critically important.”
The area is also an important habitat for a variety of birds including willet and black duck, Canada geese, green-winged teal, red-breasted nuthatch, boreal chickadee and species of warblers.
The NCC hopes that other landowners in the Roberts Island area will help them to conserve the salt marsh habitats.
