Saints Rest Marsh Preserve

This preserve of 8.1 hectares (20 acre) was acquired in 1996 by donation from a Saint John resident. It is situated next to Irving's Taylors Island Nature Park and across the Bay from the Nature Trust Manawagonish Island Preserve. It is subject to the enormous sweep of tides characteristic of the Bay of Fundy. The vegetation is typical of salt marshes with many tussocks of salt-water cord-grass, Spartina alterniflora, separated by saltwater pools giving different micro-habitats. On the landward side the encroaching sea has left a narrow fringe of dead and dying trees.Saints Rest Marsh has long been known as an important bird-watching site. Black ducks, American widgeon, Savannah sparrows, snowy egret, glossy ibis, the tricoloured heron, and Virginia rail have all been recorded there.