A nature conservation organization has recognized that an at-risk area on Saturna Island needed to be protected and they’ve now acquired that land.
The Nature Trust of BC purchased 31.2 hectares of land known as the Mount Fisher Bluffs in addition to the 58.1 hectares they purchased on Saturna Island in June 2022.
The non-profit organization has been protecting natural environments for 52 years and counting and they’ve helped acquire over 73,000 hectares of ecologically significant land.
The organization says that the area contains many important ecosystems including mature coniferous forests and wetlands which boast tremendous carbon-absorbing properties.
The land is also home to many at-risk and endangered plant and animal species.
The Nature Trust of BC has made this purchase with funds donated from across the province and on Saturna Island who want the pristine nature of the island’s ecosystems protected from future development and human expansion.
The conifer forest within the protected area is one of the smallest and most at-risk of its kind in BC and the Garry Oak ecosystem is part of the 5% of the trees that remain in their natural, in-tact environment.
The protected zone is also home to conifer trees as old as 250-years-old, the threatened barn swallow, great blue heron, peregrine falcon and many other sensitive species.
“We are in awe of the generosity from the Saturna Island community,” Dr. Jasper Lament, CEO of The Nature Trust. “The Mount Fisher Bluffs are teeming with plant and animal life thanks to an incredibly diverse range of ecosystems.”
“These donations will enable us to protect this ecologically rich area for generations to come.”
Saturna Island as well as other southern Gulf Islands are popular getaways for tourists and locals alike. People who travel to Saturna Island praise the island’s beauty and pristine, untouched natural features.
