Category: Gifts of Land

The Judson Family: Honoring their vital land donation for coastal headland conservation 

Ben Russell

Island Nature Trust (INT) relies significantly on land donations in protecting the natural landscapes of Prince Edward Island, particularly when these donations connect with existing protected areas. While financial support plays a crucial role in the Island Nature Trust’s mission to safeguard the island’s natural heritage, the donation of land stands as a testament and lasting commitment from individuals and families to protect the island’s ecological diversity.

We are excited to spotlight the remarkable generosity of the Judson family, who donated the 117-acre Judson Salt Marsh Natural Area in Alexandra. This donation aims to expand the already protected Crown Point headland, known as the 182-acre Crown Point – Wjikijek Natural Area. The latter faces threats of development due to its proximity to Charlottetown and Stratford, making it a focal point in recent conservation endeavors by the Island Nature Trust.

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INT Expands its ‘Corridors of Connectivity’ Mission with Generous Land Donation in Blooming Point

Ben Russell

Island Nature Trust (INT) has reached a major milestone in its conservation efforts. With the recent donation of 15 acres by Bruce and Patricia Craig (pictured), INT’s total acquisitions of ecologically important land now exceeds the 10,000-acre mark. This contribution located in Blooming Point on the Old Bedford Road, not only expands connectivity for wildlife, but also strengthens conservation efforts and promotes the preservation of surrounding ecosystems.

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Buote family donates legacy upland hardwood forest in New Glasgow

Ben Russell

It’s a crisp fall morning. The leaves crunching under our feet betray the silence as Rowena Lawlor and Faren Buote accompany me into the Buote Heritage Woods Natural Area in New Glasgow. The stand of old white pine trees greeting us at the entrance to the trail have a stoic presence. The forest is looking unusually skeletal for this time of year from the impact of Hurricane Fiona. Only a few isolated red and amber patches are visible, indicating some leafed branches were spared the intense winds that tore through the rest of the canopy a few weeks earlier.

‘This is the spot where my siblings and I came across a large owl last year,’ says Rowena, one of eight siblings who – as a family – donated the woods to Island Nature Trust in 2021. Her voice crackles with emotion. ‘Walking together in the woods it suddenly appeared ahead of us in the trees. It felt like the owl was our mother Clarice proudly looking down on us. She would have been so happy to know that this land is now protected, forever’.

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MacKay Family Donates 268 Acre Lowland Forest and Wetland to Add a Patch

Ben Russell

Last year, five parcels were donated to the Add a Patch campaign to be protected in perpetuity. The largest of these properties was donated by the MacKay family in 2021 – sitting next to Strang Road in Haliburton, Prince County – it features a sizeable area of carbon absorbing peatland and bog. The habitat is known to support Canada warbler, while housing several uncommon, tracked flora such as royal fern, Vermont blackberry, white fringed orchid and rose pogonia.

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First of its kind donation sees American family return forest and wetland back to Islanders

Ben Russell

A game-changing cross-border partnership between Island Nature Trust and American Friends of Canadian Conservation – launched to help American landowners donate their land for conservation purposes – is celebrating its first win.

American ownership is approximately 3.5% of the total land on PEI, yet for many years, American landowners interested in donating land for conservation purposes have experienced disproportionate legal and financial barriers. However, thanks to INT and American Friends initiative forged in 2018, significant tax relief is now secured for American donors.

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Penny’s Point Natural Area: Iconic coastline saved from development in Fortune Bridge

Ben Russell

This beautiful yet fragile coastal headland will now be protected forever.

The peninsula, named Penny’s Point Natural Area, is located within the Rollo Bay Wildlife Management Area and is on the south point at the mouth of Rollo Bay. It was transferred to Island Nature Trust for perpetual stewardship in December, through a most generous and thoughtful donation. Land donors Tom Welch, Anne Lambert and Nancy Willis were resolved to see this coastline remain in a natural state forever.

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