Enewsletter

It's time to celebrate! Earlier this month, the governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador announced their commitment to establish Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve and a waterway provincial park to protect the Eagle River. Over 13,000 square kilometres of boreal habitat will be protected in these new parks.

Nature Canada has been working towards the creation of a national park in the Mealy Mountains for more than 15 years, and we couldn't have realized this success without support from our members and online community.

The national park in the Mealy Mountains will be the largest in eastern Canada, and larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite parks combined. The permanent protection of such a large area of boreal forest will ensure at-risk species like the Woodland Caribou and the Harlequin Duck have the habitat they need to survive.

The park will also serve as an anchor along the Atlantic Flyway, an important breeding ground and migration route for many arctic bird species heading to wintering grounds in the south some as far as South America. Three Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are included in the proposed boundaries of the new protected area and support globally significant concentrations of breeding Harlequin Duck and Common Eider. In addition, large concentrations of Black Scoter and Surf Scoter congregate there to moult. Stronger habitat protection for these species will benefit all waterfowl and wildlife in the area.

Establishing a national park will also help mitigate the effects of global warming. The soils and forests of the Mealy Mountains region are rich in organic carbon, which makes them an important storehouse for greenhouse gases that can accelerate global climate change. Leaving these soils, forests and extensive wetlands undisturbed will help to reduce potential carbon emissions that could impact climate change.

Nature Canada will continue to support the completion of the national parks system in the coming years. But we want to take this opportunity to celebrate our success with everyone who has supported us in this work. Thank you for your dedication to protecting nature in Canada.