Protected conservation lands in the limestone landscape of the Napanee Plain just got a little bigger.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), with the support of government partners and private donors, has now permanently protected a large natural property near Stoco Fen, a significant wetland located near Tweed.
Program director Central Ontario East Nature Conservancy of Canada Mark Stabb says, “Private landowners approached NCC with a vision of having this property permanently protected and they worked with us to make this conservation project happen. We are grateful for their cooperation, and we are looking forward to caring for this beautiful property alongside the provincially protected Stoco Fen Provincial Park.”
Encompassing 81 hectares of forest, wetland and rocky habitat, the Stoco Karst Forest nature reserve is in the Napanee Plain, a unique landscape where limestone lies close to the surface and water slowly erodes limestone underground.
The protection of the new NCC nature reserve provides habitat for interesting plant and wildlife species.
It also connects with a large intact forested area, sustaining wide-ranging mammals such as black bear, moose and bobcat which require large expanses of habitat, as well as many species of birds and provides flood regulation and water purification services for downstream communities such as Belleville.
On the surface this supports rare, sparsely-vegetated habitats known as alvars. Below ground the water creates caves, crevices and unique landforms that are known as karst.
Due to these tough conditions, alvars are home to distinctive species that have adapted to life on alvars.
The new nature reserve protects both these types of features and builds on and creates a buffer for nearby Stoco Fen Provincial Park, a 350-hectare nature reserve class Provincial Park.
Minister of Environment Conservation and Parks David Piccini says, “Protecting natural areas, including this property that borders Stoco Fen Provincial Park, is a shared responsibility that we all play a role in supporting. I’m proud of the work we’ve done alongside the Nature Conservancy of Canada and its partners, including private landowners, to safeguard natural areas and protect our province’s vital resources. Our collaborative efforts make it possible to preserve more ecologically important natural areas, conserve the province’s natural diversity and promote healthy spaces for generations to come.”
The project was made possible by the Government of Ontario through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program and the Government of Canada through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.
Numerous private donors across Ontario who support the work of NCC also contributed to the protection of this land.
