(Maugerville, NB) The Nature Trust of New Brunswick has expanded the amount of conserved land in the Grand Lake Meadows region with the acquisition of 70 hectares (172 acres) on Middle Island in the Maugerville area of the lower St. John River. The new nature preserve will be named after the traditional Wolastoqiyik/Wəlastəkwiyik name for the island, Noloqonokek/Nələkwənəkek Nature Preserve. 

Long before the river was named the St. John River, it was known by Wolastoqiyik/Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet People) as ‘Wolastoq’/Wəlastəkw, meaning ‘Beautiful and Bountiful river’, a name that the nation is currently working to reclaim. ‘Noloqonokek/Nələkwənəkek’ is the traditional Wolastoqiyik/Wəlastəkwiyik name for what is now known as ‘Middle Island’. Nolomiw refers to upriver and ‘qono’ refers to a ‘long period of time’ therefore, ‘Noloqonokek/Nələkwənəkek’ is relating to upriver and a long period of time. The Maliseet language was an oral language and two linguistic spelling variations of the language have been developed and are both recognized today.

“Wolastoq ancestors wisely named each and every landscape and waterway according to a detailed description of each unique area.” Says Wolastoq Grand Chief, Ron Tremblay. “For instance, Wolastoq means “Beautiful and Bountiful River” for it once was Beautiful as well as provided everything our people needed to survive.”

For many generations, Middle Island has served the farming families of the Maugerville area as summer pasture ground. The Nature Trust acquired the new nature preserve to conserve in perpetuity the floodplain forest and Provincially Significant Wetlands that supports a diversity of plant life, birds, amphibians, and rare insects. The preserve is part of the Grand Lake Meadows, Atlantic Canada’s largest freshwater wetland complex.

“The Nature Trust is excited to work with landowners on protecting new pieces of the Grand Lake Meadows.” Says Nature Trust President, Vince Zelazny. “As the largest wetland in the Maritimes, the Grand Lake Meadows is a hotspot for a diversity of rare and endangered species. This acquisition is important to protecting the habitats that these species rely on for survival.”

On the afternoon of June 24th from 1 – 5 PM, the Nature Trust, along with Wolastoqiyik elders, and Canoe Kayak New Brunswick, will be hosting a grand opening event. Members of the public are invited to join a paddle in the big canoes, starting at Douglas Hazen Park, going past the Welamukotuk Cinerea Nature Preserve on Oromocto Island, with a stop at the shoreline of Noloqonokek. For more information and to join the grand opening event, please contact Bethany at bethany.young@ntnb.org or at (506) 457-2398.

A special thank you to those who contributed to the protection of Noloqonokek/ Nələkwənəkek Nature Preserve including major funders: The Government of Canada through the Natural Areas Conservation Program, the NB Wildlife Trust Fund, the Davis Conservation Foundation, The William P. Wharton Trust, the Sitka Foundation, and the ECHO Foundation.

About the Nature Trust of New Brunswick

Established in 1987, the Nature Trust of New Brunswick is a registered charitable conservation organization dedicated to preserving the province’s ecologically significant landscapes. To date, the Nature Trust has conserved over 2,800 hectares (7,000 acres) in 50 beautiful and diverse nature preserves in New Brunswick.

About the Natural Areas Conservation Program

The Government of Canada’s Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP) is a unique public-private partnership managed and directed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). To date, $345 million has been invested in the NACP by the Government of Canada to secure our natural heritage. Additionally, more than $500 million in matching contributions has been raised by NCC and its partners. 
 © 2018 NBEN / RENB