An effort to buy a piece of a 200-year-old forest in a biodiverse BC region is underway, but the deadline is approaching fast, according to the group racing to protect it from development.
The Manson Bay Forest on Cortes Island is within the unceded and traditional territory of the We Wai Kai, Kwiakah, Homalco, and Klahoose First Nation, and it is highly sensitive to human damage.
That’s according to the Nature Trust of BC, a land conservation charity that has secured more than 500 areas of ecologically significant land since the 1970s.
“Manson Bay Forest on Cortes Island provides key habitat for many at-risk species, such as the SARA Threatened Barn Swallow as well as the Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Nighthawk, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Martin, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Northern Red-legged Frog, all of which are of SARA Special Concern,” the Nature Trust of BC said.
The group added that the Marbled Murrelets, a species at risk, live within this region. The birds were featured on the BBC with David Attenborough.
John Yunker/Shutterstock
The cost? Less than a condo in most of Metro Vancouver. The organization has set a fundraising goal of $400,000 to purchase the 35.7 acres (14.4 hectares) and says if funds can be raised by December 31, 2024, these forests can be protected in perpetuity.
Brianna Powrie/Nature Trust of BC
To find out more, head to the Nature Trust of BC website.