WHAT IS THE WOLASTOQ/SAINT JOHN RIVER PRIORITY PROJECT?

The Wolastoq/Saint John River, meaning the beautiful and bountiful river, is the 2nd largest river in Atlantic Canada, surpassed only by the St. Lawrence. From its headwaters in northern Maine to its mouth at Saint John, NB on the Bay of Fundy it is home to over 500,000 people. It is rich in agricultural land, diverse Acadian forests, and productive wetland environments. It is also home to an abundance of species-at-risk and fragile ecosystems.

The Nature Trust of New Brunswick is part of a collaborative project between First Nations, Federal and Provincial governments, and other conservation organizations who are working to protect species-at-risk in the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed.

In each of the four years, a series of professionally facilitated workshops will be held to collaboratively identify key conservation actions on species-at-risk recovery, and support will be provided to partners and stakeholders working to implement these actions. The initiative will integrate both Western and Indigenous world views, and use an adaptive management tool known as the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation.

To date, the Nature Trust of New Brunswick has partnered with Birds Canada, Nashwaak Watershed Inc., University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development, Canadian Wildlife Service Atlantic, Eastern Habitat Joint Venture, and Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, to advance several species-at-risk projects in the watershed, including a threatened birds research program, an assessment of soil-mining in the Nashwaak River, and predicting habitat suitability for the Endangered Furbish’s Lousewort on the banks of the Wolastoq/Saint John River.

WHAT THE PROJECT WILL ACHIEVE

  • Better conservation outcomes for more species-at-risk;

  • Improved return on investment and collective benefit;

  • Set the direction for species-at-risk recovery projects over the long-term and will guide future recovery planning and on-the-ground action in other regions of New Brunswick.

Funding for this project is being provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canada Nature Fund, and partners will leverage additional funding and in-kind support throughout the life of the project. Funding will support important activities like conservation planning, project implementation, and capacity-building and training for participating organizations.

More information on the Wolastoq/Saint John River and other priority places can be found here.

Interested in learning more? You can contact our Conservation Coordinator, Courtney Le Roux, below.