More P.E.I. land protected by Nature Conservancy of Canada
'My grandfather would be very pleased to know a place he loved will be conserved forever'
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is protecting another large pocket of P.E.I., according to a written release from the organization.
The new conservation area — a 35-hectare (87-acre) coastal land includes valuable wetland, salt marsh and forest habitat along the Percival River in Egmont Bay, west of Summerside.
This expands the amount of NCC-conserved land along the Percival River to 221 hectares (547 acres), the release said.
The land was donated by Anne Louise Boswall and has been named the Stanley G. Bryant Nature Reserve, after Boswall's grandfather.
'Remain a home for wildlife'
"I am so delighted this beautiful part of Prince Edward Island will always remain wild and a home for wildlife. It gives me great peace of mind knowing the Nature Conservancy of Canada will be taking care of it and my grandfather would be very pleased to know a place he loved will be conserved forever," Boswall said in the release.
The Egmont Bay region is low-lying and naturally boggy which made it unsuitable for farming and because of this, the area has largely remained wild, the NCC said, adding the region's wetlands and forests are some of the most ecologically-significant wild habitats remaining on P.E.I.
The area is home to the American black duck, Canada goose, Nelson's sparrow and many other species of migratory birds.
The Percival River area is also an important host to rare trees including black ash and eastern white cedar, as well as the Island's highest diversity of lichens, it said.
More P.E.I. news
With files from Angela Walker