Overview
Located on the unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik in York County, the Nashwaak River Nature Preserve is a 47-hectare (116-acre) property that hosts diverse climate-resilient forests and red maple and cedar swamps and is a sanctuary for a diversity of plant and animal species.
History
Despite a major timber harvest that occurred on the property around the 1980s, which dramatically altered the landscape that had previously consisted of mature forest stands and diverse natural habitats, pockets of mature yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) were protected by steep slopes that descend towards the Nashwaak River. This preserve was acquired in 2025 as part of our most successful year of conservation to date.
Ecology
In addition to protecting mature trees, this area’s steep riverside slopes also host water features like vernal streams and wet seeps, which support a rich diversity of life and provide important habitat for species like salamanders, frogs, sphagnum moss, culturally significant black ash (Fraxinus nigra), and varied ground vegetation. A rich cedar wetland also provides habitat for rare lichens such as Pannaria rubiginosa (S3/S4) and Pannaria conoplea (S3/S4), which are indicators of suitable conditions for our target species at risk lichens like wrinkled shingle lichen (an S2 species, though none were found during our surveys).
Black bears, moose, and a large community of beavers — the industrious creatures that engineered the red maple swamp on the property — can also be found in the area, and nearby observations of olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) and eastern wood-pewee (Contopus virens) highlight the preserve’s value for species of special concern that depend on mature forest habitat. Red oak (Quercus rubra) saplings and seedlings, a species that is projected to do well in the face of climate change, are also abundant in the forest understory and are expected to become the dominant canopy in 30–50 years.
Access and Activities
Visitors can access this preserve via a right of way along Hanson Way, off Kilarney Road. If you have any questions or concerns regarding access to this preserve, please contact the Nature Trust at info@ntnb.org
Please contact the Nature Trust office at (506) 457-2398 or engage@ntnb.org for information about volunteering and fieldwork opportunities.
*The property is undeveloped and there are a variety of hazards and risks associated with accessing this preserve. Any visitor must assume responsibility for their own actions and safety and are to use the land at their own risk.