Island Nature Trust surpasses 10,000 acres of protected land on P.E.I.

Island Nature Trust is celebrating a milestone: surpassing 10,000 acres of protected land on Prince Edward Island.

The latest donation to the conservation group came, in part, because of post-tropical storm Fiona.

"We bought this land thinking that we were going to be putting a cabin on it, and after Fiona, we had a certain amount of tree fall," said Bruce Craig, the co-donor of the latest 15 acres and a former board member with the trust.

"We decided that it was time to actually connect this up with the Blooming Point woodland natural area, which was the Island Nature Trust land which is directly adjacent to ours."

"It's all about connectivity, trying to bring smaller parcels in to join the larger parcels, because that's what really allows for decent natural resource conservation."

Island Nature Trust was created in 1979 by a group of volunteers with the goal of conserving ecologically significant land.Since then, the organization has protected 98 natural areas on P.E.I., including wetlands, forests, grasslands, and shorelines.

Reaching the 10,000-acre mark was "great news," saidDan McAskill, one of the founding members.

"When we had the idea of creating the trustand actually setting aside natural areas, that was simply a dream. So we've accomplished part of the dream," he said.

"It's a feeling of achievement thinking about future generations, and what is possible when people work together."

It can be a memorial donation, or it could be land. It could be education. There's all kinds of ways that people can contribute, not just financially. Dan McAskill, Island Nature Trust founding member

McAskill said he thinks attitudes around natural areas have improved since Island Nature Trust got its start.

"There's been a lot of education programs, so people understandat leastthe concept of setting aside land for future generations and in perpetuity," he said.

"It can be a memorial donation, or it could be land. It could be education. There's all kinds of ways that people can contribute, not just financially."

'Preserved in perpetuity'

The 15 acres that Bruce and Patricia Craig donated,on Old BedfordRoad, was the plot that gave Island Nature Trust its milestone.

The parcel includesforest land, riparian land, a river, and habitat for endangered species.

Craig said he hopes other landowners on P.E.I. will consider donations post-Fiona.

They will recover, but it's going to be decades before they're going to recover.Bruce Craig

"I think there are many farmers, many woodlot owners who have a whole lot of fallen trees on their property," he said.

"They don't realize how much it's going to cost to clean it up, and it's a grand opportunity at least to see those lands preserved in perpetuity. They will recover, but it's going to be decades before they're going to recover."

Island Nature Trust executive director Bianca McGregor says P.E.I.'s population is growing, and rural landscapes are under increasing pressure.

"To put it into perspective, 87 per cent of the Island is privately owned, so in order to acquire 10,000 acres, you have to have private land owners buy into what you're doing," McGregor said.

"As a conservation community, we've been tossing around the goal of 10 per cent protection, which is about 140,000 acres protected collectively. That's what we're going to try to achieve."

McGregor said Island Nature Trust is now looking towardthe next milestone.

"As a trust, itwould be nice to see this number tripled at least," she said of the 10,000-acre mark. "I think we could probably make a big dent by 2030, but we'll continue on until we get at least to the30,000- to 40,000-acre mark."

McGregor said she's hoping other landowners and woodlot owners will consider donating land damaged by Fiona.

"Those types of properties are key for us. We don't mind fallen trees," she said.

"They actually add nutrients back into the soil, and our team is really well-versed to get in thereand make little tweaks here and there, so that we can be a catalyst for natural regeneration."