P.E.I. islands secured by Nature Conservancy

Two P.E.I. islands that were earmarked for protection in the early 1970s have been acquired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the organization announced Wednesday.

The NCC has obtained Governor's Island, located in Hillsborough Bay, and Reynold’s Island off Murray Harbour.

The islands were acquired with help from private and business donors, the provincial government and a $225-million federal Natural Areas Conservation Program, which helps non-profit organizations secure ecologically sensitive lands.

The islands were recommended for protection by the Maritime Panel of the International Biological Program in 1972, said Linda Stephenson, NCC Atlantic regional vice-president.

“I wish to thank each and every one of our partners who contributed to this major conservation success,” said Stephenson.

“All of P.E.I.’s offshore islands are important for waterfowl and other species and are necessary for the movement of certain colonies of birds and for shallow water feeding sites.”

The 84-acre Governor’s Island contains woods and wetland areas and has some of the oldest geological formations in P.E.I. Its waters are extensively used by one of the province’s largest great blue heron colonies, and numerous migrating ducks, including Canada geese.

Reynold's Island has salt marshes, sandy beach and wooded areas that are popular with colonial nesting birds such as terns, gulls, herons and several species of waterfowl. Harbour seals frequent the sand spit in the northeast of the 31-acre Island.

Fred and Shirley Hyndman contributed toward securing Governor’s Island, while the provincial government help fund Reynold’s Island. Other contributors include Tim Banks and Carrie McNabb, and Dr. Regis and Joan Duffy, Amalgamated Dairies Ltd., Maritime Electric and P.E.I. Mutual Insurance.

"This acquisition marks another achievement under our government's Natural Areas Conservation Program," said Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent.

"We continue to take real action across Canada to protect our ecosystems and sensitive species for present and future generations. Your actions today will help to protect the abundance and variety of life that will constitute our natural heritage tomorrow."

The NCC has conserved more than 4,500 acres on P.E.I. and 2.2 million acres across Canada since 1962.