At the Nature Trust, we believe in protecting, restoring, and maintaining healthy ecosystems so that they may flourish and benefit us all.
In July 2020, we launched the Conserve Y(our) NB: Protect the Places You Love Campaign with the ambitious goal of raising 10 million dollars to increase the amount of land our organization protects from 8,000 to 15,000 acres by the year 2030. Since then, we have surpassed our 12,000 acres milestone, conserved 17 beautiful and unique nature preserves and conservation easements, and expanded six existing nature preserves.
We launched our campaign after the Government of Canada set the most significant nature conservation target in Canadian history - 30% of land and waters protected by 2030. In a province with one of the country’s lowest nature conservation rates (currently 10%), it is more important now than ever that we make meaningful and measurable contributions to conservation.
So, we developed a Conservation Plan to ensure that we take a science-based and strategic approach to preserving New Brunswick’s special natural spaces by using the best available data to identify and acquire conservation lands.
This exciting new plan provides a path to achieve our shared conservation goals.
The Conservation Plan's guiding principle is to preserve New Brunswick's natural heritage for future generations of all living beings. Through extensive research, surveys, workshops, and input from expert knowledge holders, the Nature Trust has identified three goals from which we set specific and detailed landscape-based targets to ensure alignment with this principle.
Using these targets and spatial conservation planning software, we identified high-value areas throughout New Brunswick to focus our conservation and engagement efforts. This is an important part of the organization's overall strategic planning, which ensures that the efforts of the Nature Trust are leading to positive conservation actions for both nature and people in New Brunswick.
As the species that we love face rapid habitat decline due to land clearing and the increasing impacts of climate change, we are running out of time to meet our ambitious targets here at home and across Canada. Private land conservation efforts are an essential tool to help get us there!
Send us an email at conserve@ntnb.org or give us a call at (506) 457-2398 to join the network of nature lovers helping to implement this Conservation Plan and learn more about our conservation options and programs.