The B.C. conservation charity works to raise the final $408,000 to conserve vital habitat for wolves, cougars, deer, and birds in the Discovery Islands.

November 6, Discovery Islands, B.C.: The Nature Trust of British Columbia, a leading land conservation charity in B.C., announces that it is raising the final $408,000 to purchase and protect 14.4 hectares (35.7 acres) of sensitive forested wildlife habitat on Cortes Island, a jewel in the Discovery Islands. The land, referred to as Manson Bay Forest, contains mature Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock, and Western Redcedar forest with scattered veteran trees that are at least 200 years old. Cortes Island’s lush coastal ecosystems are home to many wildlife species, including wolves, cougars, deer, mink and over a dozen at-risk bird species. The waters surrounding Cortes Island provide habitat for marbled murrelets, river otters, sea lions, as well as humpback and orca whales. 

Cortes Island is located within the unceded and traditional territories of the We Wai Kai, Kwiakah, Homalco, and Klahoose First Nations. Manson Bay Forest is surrounded by natural forested ecosystems and by raising the funds to protect this land, the charity is preserving the connectivity and resiliency of these ecosystems for the incredible biodiversity found on Cortes Island. 

“There are trees in Manson Bay Forest that are more than 200 years old. We’re on a mission to protect them and this critical land on the Salish Sea because it is rare, ecologically important and irreplaceable,” says Dr. Jasper Lament, CEO of The Nature Trust of BC. 

The area is part of the Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone, characterized by its temperate climate and abundant rainfall, which creates an ideal environment for mature Douglas-fir and Western Redcedar. The varied terrain, with dry rocky knolls and mature coniferous forests provides habitat for many birds, mammals, and amphibians. 

The purchase of Manson Bay Forest on Cortes Island is the latest project from The Nature Trust of BC and is part of their mission to protect and conserve the most ecologically vulnerable ecosystems in British Columbia. Through the support of donors and nature-lovers across the province, The Nature Trust of BC can safeguard important habitat and powerful carbon sinks, directly addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.  

“We must safeguard Manson Bay Forest and the species that live there like the threatened barn swallow. This will protect the biodiversity and resiliency of our coast not just for today but for future generations,” says Dr. Lament. 

“Manson Bay Forest supports The Nature Trust of BC’s overall goals of conserving habitat in the Discovery Islands—a transition zone from the Salish Sea to Johnstone Strait that is surrounded by a rich marine environment, providing deep waters and unique shallow marine habitats that support a diverse ecosystem of shellfish, crustaceans, fish, mammals, birds and marine plants,” says Tom Reid, West Coast Conservation Land Manager, The Nature Trust of BC. 

You can help make this vision a reality by donating today. The deadline for fundraising is December 31st, 2024.

  • Donate here to help the Nature Trust of BC raise the final $408,000 needed to purchase and protect this important conservation area.
  • Find out more about all The Nature Trust of BC’s current projects here.

NOTES:

  • Cortes Island – Manson Bay Forest provides key habitat for many at-risk species, such as the SARA Threatened Barn Swallow as well as the Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Nighthawk, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Martin, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Northern Red-legged Frog, all of which are of SARA Special Concern. 
  • Manson Bay Forest is surrounded by natural forested ecosystems and by raising the funds to protect this land, the charity is preserving the connectivity and resiliency of these ecosystems for the incredible biodiversity found on Cortes Island. Cortes Island – Manson Bay Forest has merchantable timber value and once protected, the old and mature forests will be protected in perpetuity. 
  • Cortes Island is located within the unceded and traditional territories of the We Wai Kai, Kwiakah, Homalco, and Klahoose First Nations. 
  • BC is the most biodiverse province in Canada – yet approximately 28 percent of its assessed species have low or decreasing populations. Conserving habitat protects BC’s biodiversity. 
  • The forests found within the Coastal Western Hemlock zone of Cortes Island provide key habitat for more common species such as wolves, deer, and cougars, as well as many species that have been designated federally as at-risk.  
  • Over a dozen at- risk species have been observed within one kilometer of Manson Bay Forest, including Barn Swallow, Marbled Murrelet, Band-Tailed Pigeon, Common Nighthawk, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Martin, Olive-Sided Flycatcher, Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Great Blue Heron and Northern Red-Legged Frog.  
  • Other species found on or in the waters around Cortes Island include wolves, deer, cougars, mink, river otters, sea lions, humpback and orca whales. 
  • Marbled Murrelets are one example of a species-at-risk that has been observed in the ocean waters surrounding Cortes Island. These small seabirds can travel over a hundred kilometers a day between their inland nest sites located in large areas of old forest and marine foraging areas, where they hunt for small fish to feed their chicks. Murrelets are unusual among seabirds because of their solitary and secretive nesting requirements. They avoid predators by flying silently at high speeds (greater than 80 km/h) during dark twilight to visit their secluded forest nests.  

ABOUT:

The Nature Trust of British Columbia is a leading land conservation charity with over 50 years of success protecting and caring for B.C.’s most critical habitats. Since 1971, The Nature Trust of BC and its partners have conserved more than 73,000 hectares (180,000 acres) of ecologically significant land to save vulnerable wildlife, fish and plants.

LEARN MORE:

IMAGES: Here

CONTACT:

The Nature Trust of BC

Alicia Arruda, Senior Account Manager ● Naturetrust@yulupr.com

604-558-1656