Investing in the Future: New Research Shows that Conservation Really DOES Work!
Investing in the Future: New Research Shows that Conservation Really DOES Work!
WRITTEN BY ASH NOBLE, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
When you work in conservation, there is always one question that plagues your mind: Is what I am doing really making a difference?
Whether it is long hours spent out in the field trudging through marshes and heavy tree cover in search of an endangered species, or in the office writing emails and reports on conservation projects, the Nature Trust of New Brunswick’s staff and volunteers have the desire to effect change in everything we do.
We are definitely heartened, then, to read a new study which confirms that the work carried out by our team and our invaluable network of stewards and volunteers is not only having a positive impact on the ground in New Brunswick, but is part of a global community actively slowing the biodiversity and nature loss crisis!
Graphic taken from Langhammer et al., “The positive impact of conservation action” study published in Science Magazine
The study, published in the April 2024 edition of Science Magazine, conducted a global meta-analysis of 186 studies and 665 trials measuring biodiversity over time and analyzing the outcomes of conservation action. The researchers found that “in two-thirds of cases, conservation either improved the state of biodiversity or at least slowed declines.”
This study provides the strongest evidence to date that conservation does indeed achieve what it seeks out to do — slow biodiversity loss and preserve our diverse ecosystems for future generations. While the study does not focus entirely on the effects of conservation in N.B., it is encouraging for conservation on a global scale. We at the Nature Trust can also see how we are directly impacting these efforts using the study’s framework.
As part of their findings, Langhammer et al. revealed and explored what they determined to be, in order, the top four most effective methods of environmental intervention and conservation action:
The eradication, control, and management of invasive alien species (IAS);
Actions to reduce habitat loss and degradation;
The sustainable management of ecosystems; and,
The institution of protected areas.
At the Nature Trust, we employ a mix of all four of these strategies and more in our campaigns against biodiversity loss!
The eradication, control, and management of IAS
Our stewardship team not only regularly removes invasive species such as Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolate), Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), and Glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) from our nature preserves, but they have also held invasive species removal workshops to train more than 100 volunteers and members of the public on how to help keep these introduced species from harming or outcompeting our native plants and wildlife. Since 2021, we’ve held 28 invasive species removal and training workshops at 10 of our nature preserves throughout the province! In the future, we will be working to create strategies for more long-term, cost-effective IAS management.
A Silvery glade fern (Deparia acrostichoides) pictured on our new Hal Hinds Forest Nature Preserve
Actions to reduce habitat loss and degradation
Within our new (2023-27) Conservation Plan, the Nature Trust has made a goal of protecting habitat with outstanding biological, geological, aesthetic, and historical value, namely climate-resilient forests and wetlands. Over the last few years, one of our main focuses has been preserving and identifying Appalachian Hardwood Forest (AHF) habitat, a unique and rich ecosystem of hardwood trees associated with 43 rare and at-risk species. Thanks to the support of readers like you, we recently raised the funds to establish the Hal Hinds Forest Nature Preserve in Carelton County, 48-hectare (ha) sanctuary for rare wildflowers, towering ironwoods, silken ferns, and diverse wildlife!
The Nature Trust was also instrumental in prompting the provincial government to adequately protect endangered species in accordance with the N.B. Species at Risk Act, joining Indigenous and environmental groups on a campaign to pressure the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development to act on its legal obligations for threatened and endangered species.
The sustainable management of ecosystems
Managing and stewarding our nature preserves is one of our priorities at the Nature Trust and is undertaken not only by our Stewardship staff, but also by our community stewards and volunteers. We are fortunate to have a strong, passionate network of more than 300 dedicated volunteers and stewards who help us responsibly manage our nature preserves all across the province! To join this community of people making a difference for nature, or to learn more about how to sustainably steward our beautiful province, register for one of our Stewardship Training events this summer.
Photo from our Keiko & Errol Nature Preserve on Ross Island
If you are a landholder and would like resources and guidance on how to effectively steward your own property and the species that call it home, you can also join our Conservation Partner Program! Through this voluntary program, the Nature Trust strives to support private landholders in their mission to preserve their land and its history for generations to come.
The institution of protected areas
As part of our mission to preserve N.B.’s natural legacy, we strategically assess areas of high conservation value throughout the province and seek to protect them forever, instituting them as nature preserves or protected areas. Today, we have more than 80 nature preserves comprising 13,000+ acres of land under our protection and stewardship! In fact, we established 46 preserves and 2,469 ha (6,101 acres) of land in the last decade alone, bringing us closer to our Conserve Y(our) NB Campaign goal of protecting 15,000 acres by the year 2030!
One of our newest and largest nature preserves, The Keiko & Errol Nature Preserve on Ross Island, contains 372.9 ha (921.5 acres) of rocky shoreline, rich coastal forest, essential wetland habitat, and many important species at risk. You can help us celebrate this huge win for coastal conservation by joining us at the grand opening of this preserve on Saturday, July 6 (Full details, including how to RSVP, coming soon)!
The Nature Trust was also instrumental in the province’s recent Nature Legacy initiative to protect 10 per cent of the land in N.B., helping to locate areas of ecological significance and engage the public in this important campaign to double protected areas in the province.
Photo of a Carolina springbeauty (Claytonia caroliniana) found on our Hal Hinds Nature Preserve
Let’s keep the momentum going
While it is clear from Langhammer et al. that conservation action is indeed making a tangible difference in the global community, their study also calls attention to the fact that increased funding and government commitment are necessary if we truly wish to reverse the effects of biodiversity loss, as outlined in the recently adopted 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), stating:
“Although high, these costs are dwarfed by the value that biodiversity provides to society through the delivery of ecosystem services. Thus, conservation actions are investments rather than payments — and, as our study demonstrates, they are typically investments that yield genuine, high-magnitude positive impacts.”
If you want to support our work at the Nature Trust and invest in a future that puts nature first, consider partaking in the CanadaHelps Great Canadian Giving Challenge! For every donation of $10 or more that you give through CanadaHelps, the Nature Trust has a chance to win one of two $10,000 donations. This campaign runs for the entire month of June, so don’t miss this opportunity to make your generous gift to the Nature Trust go even further!