FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013
(Fredericton, NB) The Meduxnekeag River Association Inc. (MRA) is this year’s recipient of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for Excellence in Land Conservation. On Friday, Nov. 1 from 2 to 4 pm, an award ceremony will take place at Government House in Fredericton to recognize the outstanding achievement of the MRA in acquiring and protecting a significant portion of the lands in the Meduxnekeag watershed, a valuable part of New Brunswick’s Saint John River watershed.
“This is the second year of the award, which was created by his Honour Graydon Nicholas, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Nature Trust of NB,” says Don Dennison, Past President of Nature Trust. “This initiative by His Honour to establish the award for land conservation is testimony to Mr. Nicholas’ understanding of, and commitment to respecting the land and the connection to it felt profoundly by First Peoples and generally by all New Brunswickers. The award provides an opportunity to give thanks to those who work to protect it.”
Twelve nominations were put in front of a five-member selection committee, which includes Angela Acquin, a member of the St. Mary's First Nation community, Paula Noel, Regional Director of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Mike Sullivan, New Brunswick Ministry of Natural Resources, Kevin Davidson with Canadian Wildlife Services, and Don Dennison, Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
“I think we were chosen in recognition of our 15 years of work in acquiring and protecting ecologically significant land in the Meduxnekeag watershed,” says George Peabody, MRA Program Coordinator. “We are, so far as I know, unique among NB local organizations in carrying this out.”
Starting in Woodstock in 1995, the MRA initially focused only on fish and fish habitat in the area. Recognizing the importance of the Meduxnekeag watershed and uniqueness of the Appalachian Hardwood Forest found there, the group blossomed into the impressive organization seen today, with almost 800 acres of protected land through the Meduxnekeag Valley Nature Preserve system and well-established educational outreach programs.
“In addition to the direct value of our work, we think our example shows how a relatively small local organization can make a big local difference in land conservation,” says Peabody. “We'd like to see the same sort of thing happening in communities all over New Brunswick.”
About the Award
The Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for Excellence in Land Conservation recognizes individuals and organizations like the MRA for their achievements in land conservation, including:
- An individual or entity who has contributed in a sustained manner over a significant period of time.
- An individual or entity who has contributed significantly in a relatively short amount of time.
- A donor of funds or property.
- A volunteer, steward and/or member of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
- A corporate or community partner of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
- An individual who contributed significantly in the past and should be recognized posthumously.
About the Nature Trust of New Brunswick
The Nature Trust of New Brunswick is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to preserving New Brunswick’s outstanding ecological landscapes for people and nature. The Nature Trust currently protects 36 nature preserves in the province. For more information about the organization, visit naturetrust.nb.ca.
About the Meduxnekeag River Association
The Meduxnekeag River Association is a community-based watershed organization in Woodstock, New Brunswick that has protected over 800 acres of eco-regionally significant habitats. For more information about the organization, visit meduxnekeag.org.
