Overview
The preserve protects 3-hectares (7.41-acres) of Oromocto Island, in the Wolastoq (Saint John) River.
History
The Welamokətok Cinerea Nature Preserve is within traditional Wabanaki territory. The preserve was donated by Joan Kenny, in 2015 in memory of her late husband, Robert Kenny.
The nature preserve was named after the traditional Wolastoqiyik name for Oromocto Island, ‘Welamokətok’, and the scientific name for ‘butternut’, ‘Juglans cinerea’. ‘Welamokətok’ roughly translates to the place of good fishing and the place where the water is deep. An alternate spelling is ‘Welamukotuk’.
Ecology
The Welamokətok Cinerea Nature Preserve contains a wetland surrounded by a silver maple floodplain forest and has waterfront access to the Wolastoq (Saint John) River near Maugerville. Other hardwood species are present, including butternut trees (Juglans cinerea), listed as endangered under the Federal and Provincial Species at Risk Act (SARA).
Clusters of milkweed are found within the grassland portion of the nature preserve, providing suitable habitat for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), a species listed under the Federal and Provincial SARA as special concern.
Access and Activities
The preserve in inaccessible to visitors, but access may be granted with permission or during an organized tour with the Nature Trust.
*The property is undeveloped and there are a variety of hazards and risks associated with accessing this preserve. While this nature preserve is open for public access, visitors must assume responsibility for their own actions and safety and are to use the land at their own risk.