Kawartha Land Trust’s (KLT) 154-acre Killarney Bay Road Property includes a Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) and is part of the Martin Creek Swamp Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).

This mixed swamp contains conifers like Cedar, Balsam, and Hemlock, and deciduous trees like Aspen, Birch, and Elm, and plants like Showy Lady’s Slipper, Labrador Tea, and various moss species.

The property’s vernal pools — temporary, shallow pools of water that dry up by mid-summer — provide breeding habitat for frogs and salamanders.

During the spring snowmelt and rainy season, KLT’s Killarney Bay Road Property’s wetland acts as a holding basin, storing water where it will gradually dry up or be absorbed by plants, thus contributing to flood mitigation.

On KLT’s initial visits to the property, Blue Jays, Ravens, and a large number of Turkey Vultures were present. A clearing on the property was home to a vibrant display of native wildflowers, which contribute to the health of pollinator species in the Kawarthas.

Close in location to KLT’s Jones Woodlot and Fell Wetland properties, this property is largely covered by deep habitat, which means it contributes to the persistence of many animal and plant species that favour interior forest.

The conservation of this property also ensures that its natural features and important carbon storage capabilities will be protected from future development.

The ECCC’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) is a $631-million, 10-year fund to support projects that restore and enhance wetlands, peatlands and grasslands that store and capture carbon. Nature-based solutions are actions that conserve, sustainably manage, and restore ecosystems, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change, build resilience and improve water quality, and provide critical habitat for Canada’s wildlife.

Conserving and restoring nature is fundamental to mitigating and adapting to climate change. The climate and nature crises are inextricably linked. Climate change is altering the water cycle, resulting in flooding, droughts, and wildfires. It is one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss, which is proceeding at an unprecedented rate with up to one million species currently at risk of extinction. Canada is committed to nature-based solutions to build resilience and help Canada meet its 2030 and 2050 climate change objectives.

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This property has been secured with the support of the Government of Ontario through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, which helps conserve ecologically important natural areas and protect wetlands, grasslands and forests that help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, a total of $50 million will be invested over four years, including $20 million from the Ontario government, and another $30 million from other sources, such as individual donations and foundation support through the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA), and other levels of government.