Largest conservation deal in Atlantic Canada will save critical habitat for Woodland Caribou and the threatened Newfoundland Marten

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: The race is on to save a 3,700-acre (1,497 hectare) untouched oasis home to reindeer (Woodland Caribou) and the threatened Newfoundland Marten but we need your help!

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) must raise $100,000 by the January to save the “Grassy Place” in Southwestern Newfoundland, which is one of the largest parcel of private land on the Island of Newfoundland.

The urgency to protect this incredible, unique place lies in the threat of losing habitat for the threatened species, Woodland Caribou, waterfowl and migratory birds that live here uninterrupted. This opportunity represents the largest private land conservation deal in Atlantic Canada and is seen as a highly important area to protect by scientists, the conservation community, governments and private individuals.

So what would be a better holiday gift than protecting an untouched piece of Canadian nature home to threatened species, Woodland Caribou, waterfowl and migratory birds?

By donating to the Grassy Place, not only will you help NCC save this incredible landscape, you will be helping save an untouched piece of Canada for all time. If NCC is successful in raising the remaining $100,000, the property will be forever left in its natural state. If the remaining $100,000 is not raised by the closing date, the property will go back on the open market.

To donate to NCC in efforts to protect the Grassy Place, call Douglas at 709.753.5540 or Alicia toll free at 1.866.319.5985.

QUOTES

“The conservation community has long been aware of the need to protect this incredibly large parcel of private land in southwestern Newfoundland. The Nature Conservancy of Canada needs your help today to protect this habitat for the caribou, Newfoundland Marten and other plants and animals that live there,” said Linda Stephenson, Regional Vice President for the Atlantic Region of NCC.

“For those who dream of wilderness, ‘Grassy Place’, located in the Robinson’s River Valley is one of the rare places left in insular Newfoundland where the human footprint is barely discernable,” said Aiden Mahoney, a passionate NCC volunteer and resident of Newfoundland and Labrador.

FACTS

· The Grassy Place is a gem hidden in the Long Range Mountains, the most northerly extension of the Appalachian Mountains in North America and has long been identified as an area of ecological significance.

· “Caribou” occur worldwide in the Northern Hemisphere and they are called different names depending on their location and habitat preference (e.g. Caribou in Newfoundland, Deer in the Arctic and Reindeer in Northwestern Europe.

· For decades, representatives of government and the conservation sector have attempted to secure and protect this valley, with no success.

· The Grassy Place is referred to as an oasis because of its location and wetlands. The Grassy Place contains the most extensive example of natural grassland in Newfoundland and Labrador.

· During the spring, sufficient water is backed up by melting ice and snow to flood the entire valley floor and this high-water period prevents any tree development on the floodplain. The absence of trees and shrubs in Newfoundland meadows are extremely rare at this scale.

· With a global population of fewer than 900, the Newfoundland Marten is a threatened forest-dependent mammal that lives in remote areas and needs a very large range in which to roam.

LEARN MORE

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation’s leading private land conservation organization, working to protect our valuable natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain.

Since 1962 NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 2 million acres (800,000 hectares), coast to coast and over 8,300 acres (3,358 hectares) in Newfoundland and Labrador. By investing in conservation we are ensuring that our natural world remains a home for wildlife, a haven for recreation and a vital resource that cleans the air we breathe and the water we drink. Through strong partnerships NCC works to safeguard our natural areas so that our children and grandchildren will have the chance to enjoy them.

CONTACT: Crystal Folkins

Manager of Communications, Atlantic Region

The Nature Conservancy of Canada

Tel.: 506.292.5118

Crystal.Folkins@natureconservancy.ca

www.natureconservancy.ca