Connors Bros. Clover Leaf Seafoods Company Donates Ecologically Significant Island to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick
Blacks Harbour, NEW BRUNSWICK (January xx, 2012) – Southern Wolf Island, one of the most significant Islands in the Bay of Fundy, has been donated to The Nature Trust of New Brunswick by Connors Bros. Clover Leaf Seafoods Company.
Together with East Wolf, Green Rock, Spruce, and Flatpot Islands, Southern Wolf Island is included in the Wolves archipelago, located in the Bay of Fundy about 10 kilometres from Black’s Harbour.
An attraction for tourists and nature enthusiasts, the Bay of Fundy is a natural wonder which provides a habitat for shorebirds that line its coast. The Bay also provides many traditional and emerging economic opportunities for New Brunswickers, from fishing to renewable energy harvesting.The Bay of Fundy was Canada’s entry and a recent finalist as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
Marked by the presence of the Aboriginal travelers, Acadians, English and American Loyalist peoples, the Bay of Fundy has an important heritage that continues to shape the area, according to Renata Woodward of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
“The Southern Wolf Island is one of the most familiar of the outer Fundy isles, as the island and its light house can be viewed by passengers on the Grand Manan ferry,” Woodward explained. “Compared to the Grand Manan Archipelago, the Wolf Islands are wild and unspoiled providing shelter to the endangered harlequin ducks.”
Department of Natural Resources Habitat Section Manager Steven Gordon said, “The Southern Wolf Island is a place of international significance through several designations. These include an important bird area as classified under Bird Life International and a priority area for land conservation under the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture that is registered under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.”
The Nature Trust President Don Dennison added, “As the provincial land trust, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary with a focus on building partnerships and collaborating with New Brunswick companies and other organizations to share in our mutual commitment to the preservation of our special natural areas. This collaboration between Connors Bros. Clover Leaf Seafoods and Nature Trust is a model for success in land conservation that will benefit New Brunswickers for generations to come.
“Connors Bros. Clover Leaf Seafood has been deeply rooted in the community of Blacks Harbour and the Fundy Isles for over a century. This land donation clearly demonstrates exemplary leadership in corporate social responsibility that is a touchstone for contemporary businesses,” Dennison said.
Connors. Bros. Clover Leaf Seafoods executive vice president and managing director Ron Schindler remarked: “Southern Wolf Island is a spectacular island with a sensitive ecology that we are very pleased to offer to The Nature Trust of New Brunswick to ensure that it is protected and treasured. It has been our pleasure to partner with the Trust in building on the already impressive stock of conserved islands and lands in Charlotte County.”
The Nature Trust will be responsible for the conservation and management of the Sothern Wolf Island and will work towards establishing partnerships with local schools, clubs and citizens for stewardship purposes. A stewardship fund has been set up in order to manage the island and it is being supported by the Gosling Foundation, William P. Wharton Trust, Davis Conservation Foundation and Environment Canada through the OQO Program.
About the Nature Trust of New Brunswick
The Nature Trust of New Brunswick is a non-profit land trust dedicated to preserving New Brunswick’s outstanding ecological landscapes for people and nature. The Nature Trust maintains 32 nature preserves around the province, including 10 in the Charlotte County region.
Media Contact:
Renata Woodward, Nature Trust of New Brunswick
(506)457-2398 or (506) 261-1260
naturetrust@ntnb.org">naturetrust@ntnb.org
