Loughborough Wilderness Update

In 2018 and early 2019, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) added some 255 acres to the Loughborough Wilderness Reserve. This includes the 161-acre Bill Koen Estate property on North Shore Road, which includes a large area of the Loughborough Lake maple swamp, 80 acres on Ramparts Road on the south side of the lake and a donation of shoreline near the mouth of Fishing Lake Creek by Joe and Beth Pater. These additions, which bring the size of NCC’s protected area to over 4,000 acres, were made possible by the generous support of many contributors from the community including individuals from the Battersea Loughborough Lake Association.

Loughborough Lake is at the heart of the Frontenac Arch, an extension of the Canadian Shield granite connecting Algonquin Park in the north to Adirondack Park in New York State to the south. This is one of the most important ecological connections in North America and one of the most biologically diverse places in Ontario. The Arch provides a vital migratory linkage for birds and other species, including bats, butterflies and wide-ranging mammals. NCC is committed to protecting a collection of properties to ensure this landscape continues to support migratory species in the future.

The coming year promises to be our biggest effort yet. We will be tackling a variety of projects that will add almost a thousand acres to the Loughborough Wilderness Reserve! As is so often the case with acquisitions like this, we have been working on most of these projects for many years and they are just now coming to fruition. In addition to these properties, NCC is also acquiring almost 2,000 acres of land on Benson Lake and Mississagua Creek. These acquisitions will include approximately 1,000 acres of land being donated by three separate landowners. Combined, these new projects will increase the area of protected lands on the Frontenac Arch by almost 2%, helping Canada in its commitment to protect 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters nationwide through networks of protected areas and other conservation measures by 2020.

Gifts of money or of land to Nature Conservancy of Canada are considered a charitable donation and qualify for a tax deduction. If you are interested in supporting this work or would like more information on NCC’s work at Loughborough Lake you may contact Gary Bell at (613) 862-3331 or at gary.bell@natureconservancy.ca