FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MAY 14, 2021
FREDERICTON, NB
The Nature Trust of New Brunswick (Nature Trust) was disheartened to learn on Friday morning that the wetland on the northern section of the Ferris Street Forest and Wetland Nature Preserve was drained by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) as a result of highway maintenance in the area, causing critical damage to Species at Risk habitat and migratory bird nesting sites.
The damage was noticed early on Friday by concerned volunteer stewards who were visiting the nature preserve. Nature Trust staff arrived on site shortly after and asked DTI employees to halt the work immediately. The wetland at Ferris Street provides a sanctuary to diverse flora and fauna, and draining it can have devastating impacts on the species that call it home. Shaylyn Wallace, Stewardship Coordinator with the Nature Trust was on site Friday morning and observed “There were ducks nesting here that are now trying to walk through the wetland in the mud. It’s sad. There is not enough water in the wetland for them – over a foot of water is gone”. The work also destroyed important Species at Risk habitat and a beaver dam, and impacted a Canada Goose nesting site with eggs that had yet to hatch.
The Department of Environment and Climate Change granted a Watercourse and Wetland Alteration permit for DTI to work in the Fredericton district, however this was not specific to the Ferris Street site. The maintenance work was being done on the southern section of the Ring Road in Fredericton, which borders the wetland habitat at Ferris Street. “What happened here is not acceptable. We need to reevaluate how the protection of wetlands in our province is regulated. The disregard for New Brunswick wildlife by our own government is concerning. For such a wide-ranging permit, due diligence should be completed for each site to ensure that this kind of destruction to Species at Risk habitat and migratory bird nesting sites does not take place” says Renata Woodward, Chief Executive Officer of the Nature Trust.
The 16 hectares (40 acres) of land that makes up the Ferris Street Forest and Wetland Nature Preserve hosts an incredible diversity of wildlife and features a well-established trail system through mixed forest for residents and visitors to enjoy. This important nature preserve was protected in 2015 when a group of concerned community members came together as the Friends of Ferris Street to secure permanent protection for the land. The City of Fredericton owns the property and works with the Nature Trust to protect this land through a license agreement.
Several species of migratory birds nest in and around the wetlands at Ferris Street, including: green heron, common yellow throat, hooded merganser, Canada goose, and red-winged blackbird. Other birds that have been observed on the nature preserve include several species of warbler, common yellowthroat, great crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, northern flicker, olive-sided flycatcher, ovenbird, song sparrow, and veery.
“Our Fredericton community has worked very hard over more than two decades to protect this valuable urban sanctuary to conserve wildlife and biodiversity in our city,” says Peta Fussell, Nature Trust President. “It is so disappointing that this action has reversed all of that work and is causing significant harm to the flora and fauna that we sought to protect. I sincerely hope that quick action will be taken to remedy this situation”.
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ABOUT THE NATURE TRUST OF NEW BRUNSWICK:
Established in 1987, the Nature Trust of New Brunswick is a charitable land conservation organization dedicated to preserving the province’s ecologically significant landscapes. To date, the Nature Trust has conserved over 9,000 acres in more than 60 beautiful and diverse nature preserves in New Brunswick.
Our mission is to conserve areas in New Brunswick that are ecologically significant, to establish nature preserves that remain protected forever, to steward the preserves through a network of volunteers and supporters, and to engage with the public on the importance of land conservation, New Brunswick’s natural heritage, biodiversity, and species at risk.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelsey Hogan
Acting Communications Coordinator
Nature Trust of New Brunswick
kelsey.hogan@ntnb.org