Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area: A bit bigger, and better than ever

The Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area has officially expanded, with the addition of an important 33-hectare strip of land that once separated the National Wildlife Area into two sections. When you consider its size on the map, it may seem small and insignificant, but for species at risk, migratory birds and biodiversity conservation in southeastern Ontario, this swath of land is invaluable.

Since the 1970s, grassland birds have been experiencing dramatic and drastic population declines across Canada and North America, largely due to loss of habitat and other threats. This section of land that runs across the entire protected area consists of grassland landscapes and adding them to the National Wildlife Area helps ensure they will remain intact. This habitat is vital for grassland birds like the Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark.

“This particular patch of land is important interior breeding habitat for a number of grassland birds. Many of these species require habitats with large, open expanses to sustain themselves, which the National Wildlife Area now provides,” said Mark Stabb, Nature Conservancy of Canada’s program director for Central Ontario – East. “Native grassland habitats in Ontario are down to 1-2% of what were once there naturally.”

Now, the Canadian Wildlife Service can actively manage this important ecosystem and habitat, as an entire unit. Their work will support more than 30 species at risk that call this place home and more than 300 species of migratory bird species that migrate through, rest and/or breed here.

Peter Christie, a board member for the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, is excited to be coming back to this landscape after being away for many years.

“This area is almost magical in that it’s been able to hold strong in ways many other places have not,” Peter said. “This strip of land represents a piece in the continuum of protection that spans along the south shore of Prince Edward County. In conservation, continuity is key and this is a crucial corridor for birds and other wildlife moving through the area.”

When much of the shoreline in southeastern Ontario—and other seasonally desirable parts of Canada—have turned into cottage country, it’s significant when we protect even just a handful of metres along the shore. Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area now protects more than 550 hectares, including 7.5 km of shoreline. Thanks to a dedicated network of partners committed to protecting this area, the south shore of Prince Edward County is becoming something of a hub for conservation—and it continues to expand.

“Imagine this was a dense, maple hardwood forest and a 33-hectare strip was cleared right down the middle of it. That would drastically change the amount of forest interior that would be available for species who need those deep woods conditions,” Mark Stabb continued. “Grassland habitat is very similar. When contiguous habitat gets broken up, birds that need large, uninterrupted expanses find the landscape less appealing and less attractive for breeding. Now the underlying threat of development and fragmentation is gone.”

The grassroots commitment to protecting and preserving this area is remarkable, and community efforts have been incredibly influential to this particular expansion, and other important conservation projects in Prince Edward County. In fact, it was thanks to a tip from a member of the South Shore Joint Initiative that Environment and Climate Change Canada got word of the “for sale” sign being hammered into the ground back in 2019. That phone call triggered quick action to ensure this piece of land would be protected under the Canada Wildlife Act along with the rest of the National Wildlife Area.

Many groups, including the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, the Kingston Field Naturalists, the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, the South Shore Joint Initiative, the province of Ontario, Nature Conservancy of Canada and others, are working together to protect this highly biodiverse area in Southeastern Ontario.

“It’s great to see so many people coming together to protect these jewels in the face of economic pressure for development,” Peter Christie added. “It has shown a farsightedness for the future of biodiversity in Canada. This National Wildlife Area expansion is not only significant for Prince Edward County, but for Ontario and the rest of Canada as well.”

The Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area expansion is the first expansion project under Canada’s Nature Legacy. You can read more about it here.