Sky-high conservation in the Codroy Valley
Mike Dembeck
The Codroy Valley supports one of the most diverse populations of birds in Atlantic Canada, is designated as an Important Bird Area, and is a key annual stopover site for thousands of migratory birds. NCC staff and volunteers have recorded 71 different bird species in the area since 2013, including the endangered piping plover.
In March of 2017, NCC announced the protection of an additional 150 acres (61 hectares) of wildlife habitat along the Grand Codroy Estuary. The Doyle property features 92 acres (37 hectares) of mature forest, 58 acres (24 hectares) of valuable wetland habitat, including one of the largest bogs in the Codroy Valley, and half a kilometre of frontage on the Grand Codroy River. The property is also located near the province’s only Ramsar site, a designation that recognizes wetlands of international importance for wildlife. The securement of this new property marked 20 years since NCC’s first conservation project in the area.
This project was supported by funding from the Government of Canada, under the Natural Areas Conservation Program and Ecological Gifts Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and other local donors and supporters.