’S EAST COAST

ABOUT CANADA’S EAST COAST Canada’s East Coast includes the island of Newfoundland, , and the majority of . The East Coast evokes stunning images of natural and cultural features along the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the landscape is characterized by second-growth Acadian forests, which are dominated by sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch and red spruce. Boreal forests of white and black spruce and balsam fir occur in Newfoundland. Small lakes and wetlands are common throughout this region. The East Coast also boasts lush coastal habitats, including estuaries and salt marshes, open rocky barrens, bogs, islands and eel-grass beds. These marine habitats are renowned for their richness and the abundance of seabirds, marine mammals and fishes found in them.

WHY NCC PROTECTS LAND ON THE EAST COAST Brier Island, NS (Photo by Mike Dembeck) The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is protecting a significant amount of land in this region. Land use on the East Coast is dominated by resource industries, such as forestry and 5 FACTS ABOUT mining. Agriculture is concentrated in the rich lowlands of Prince Edward Island, northeastern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. THE EAST COAST Despite significant human development in the region, the East Coast remains domi- nated by forests, particularly in the more rugged uplands. Most of the agriculture and 1. The Bay of Fundy boasts the settlement in this region occur within the coastal lowlands and along river valleys. highest tides in the world. Acadian forests have a long history of human use, and forestry is important for many local economies. Most of these forests have been harvested several times, and less than one per cent of original old-growth forest remains today. 2. Nova Scotia is home to a unique and rare group of plants that are The East Coast is a rich ecosystem and is one of the most productive marine systems mainly restricted to the lowlands in the world. Each year millions of shorebirds migrate along the East Coast. Several along the Atlantic coast. rare species, including piping plover and roseate tern, nest here.

CONSERVATION NEEDS 3. Nova Scotia is connected to the NCC has conserved more than 18,000 km² on the East Coast, including habitat for rest of by a narrow many of the 248 species of birds in the region. Currently, NCC is working in several land bridge known as the Chignecto natural areas that require urgent action to conserve their natural ecological features Isthmus. Only 17 kilometres wide at and the species they sustain. These include: its narrowest point, the Chignecto • Acadian Peninsula • Lower Bay of Fundy Isthmus is an important wildlife • Avalon Peninsula • New Brunswick & Nova Scotia Northumberland Straits corridor for animals moving between • Eastern shore coast and forest • Prince Edward Island coast and forest New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

4. During the summer, there are more seabirds than people on the island of Newfoundland.

5. The harvesting of wild fish and seafood on Canada’s East Coast is worth more than $2 billion annually and provides jobs to over 60,000 Canadians.

To learn more about this iconic landscape, visit natureconservancy.ca/eastcoast. Tabusintac, Acadian Peninsula, NB (Photo by Mike Dembeck) NCC-PROTECTED EAST COAST AREAS

NCC’s conservation work on the East Coast has contributed to the protection of important forest, salt marsh, wetland and beach habitats as well as Atlantic salmon habitat. NCC is also working to protect and manage old-growth forests, which are very rare in the region, and is connecting important habitats for species, such as moose and Canada lynx.

The map below displays all of NCC’s protected areas across Canada’s East Coast, to date.