Conservation Matters
“Our Shaubac Wetlands Carbon Project is somewhat of a departure from KCC’s traditional way of protecting lands on the Kingsburg Peninsula and we very much appreciate the confidence placed in us by the fund managers. We look forward to joining with our local community to ensure that precious wetlands on the Shaubac will receive the protection needed to fulfil their critical role in reducing carbon emissions.”
Janet Peace, Chair of the Board, Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy
Dear KCC members and supporters,
We are very pleased to announce that the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy has been awarded a significant grant from a brand-new Nova Scotia Fund in support of community action to mitigate climate change.
Here is what the Fund committee told us in response to our proposal:
“Congratulations on this achievement! The Review Committee was impressed by the quality of your proposed project and believes that it aligns well with the goals of the Fund. Your project has the potential to make a significant impact in your community, and the Fund is thrilled to be able to support its implementation.”
This grant, in the amount of $257,400, together with a further $114,600 to be raised from local fundraising efforts, will allow KCC to spearhead a 2-year climate resilience initiative: the Shaubac Wetlands Carbon Project. In collaboration with the Acadia First Nation Ecology Group, research staff and students of Dalhousie University, Strum Environmental, and members of KCC and our community, our initial goal is to map, measure, and analyze the capacity of the Shaubac Wetlands to store carbon from the atmosphere.
Once this phase is complete, the steering organizations, together with pertinent resources at the provincial and municipal level, will assess the results and look at ways to safeguard—and even enhance—the wetlands’ capacity to store carbon. (For more information on how wetlands act as carbon sinks, see this backgrounder). We will then share our findings and initial recommendations with the community in order to assess next steps collectively. Also during this phase, a wetlands toolkit will be developed that the local community and other municipalities can use to assess and develop a monitoring plan for wetlands on their own lands.
Why Assess the Carbon Storage Capacity of Wetlands?
Photo credit: Catherine Pross
We all know wetlands are valuable as habitat, water sources, and places of beauty and rich biodiversity, but it’s only in the last 5-10 years that we are learning just how valuable they are as carbon “sinks.” Recent research has demonstrated that wetlands are significantly more effective than trees in absorbing and storing carbon. In other words, undisturbed, productive wetlands—like the wetlands on the Shaubac—are very important natural systems that take carbon out of the atmosphere. They serve a critical role in the race to reduce carbon emissions.
We aren’t the first organization to carry out wetland carbon sequestration studies of this kind (Ducks Unlimited has done ground-breaking carbon studies in the Boreal Forest (see video below), but this will be a rare (if not only) evaluation of carbon storage in wetlands within undeveloped coastal forest in our region. Determining the carbon storage value of these natural wetlands will help to establish their social and economic value, which will help to demonstrate why their long-term protection is necessary. As a land trust with nearly 30 years conservation experience and leadership in the Kingsburg area, KCC is uniquely positioned to steer this effort. With the support of this grant, we are ready to work with our local community and with the lands we have protected to ensure the Shaubac wetlands will be protected over the long-term.
Thank you to our members and community for your continued support. We invite your questions, ideas, and participation. Please get in touch with any comments or questions.
— The Board of Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy
contact@kccns.org
MAILING LIST SUBSCRIBE
statement from mayor
carolyn Bolivar-getson
Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL)
“Over the past few months, MODL has been working with the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy (KCC) to secure the purchase of approximately 55 acres of land on the Shaubac in support of our shared conservation vision. We know that conservation efforts work best when it occurs in partnerships and MODL is pleased to partner with the KCC in its efforts to conserve and protect lands on the Shaubac.”
The MODL Council has voted to contribute $300K towards the purchase price of these acquisitions by the closing date, with a further request for $60K to be presented to the Council at its September meeting. In partnership with KCC, MODL will likely be contributing ongoing, additional resources to the design and implementation of trails, and other appropriate forms of public access under the guiding principles of KCC’s Mission and stewarding practices.
Funding Challenge – We Need your Support!
KCC’s efforts must now turn urgently towards raising the required additional $360,000 before the acquisition closing date of September 30, 2022.
While grant submissions to government agencies and private foundations are already underway, history tells us that a good part of these funds will come from existing supporters and benefactors, either directly or through their connections.
We are appealing to all concerned to contribute what they can through the donate button below, and to point us to those who should also be hearing from us by contacting us at: kingsburgcoastalconservancy@gmail.com. Be sure to watch the fund chart below for progress!
