A large area of wetland habitat is being protected in rural Ottawa, thanks to a family’s donation. Nature Conservancy of Canada says it has added 91 hectares to its conservation portfolio, acquiring a wetland and forest property on the east side of Marlborough wetland in southwest Ottawa. The group says this is due, in part, to a land donation by the late Doug Smith, through the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. For Fred Waucaush, this land in rural Ottawa holds more than trees and water. It is a place he believes deserves protection. Nature Conservancy of Canada says the wetland will now be cared for in perpetuity. “It’s important that they conserve these 91 hectares,” said Waucaush, a Munster resident. “There’s a lot of wildlife in here, including on the big pond there. There’s a lot of ducks that live there during the season.” The conservancy says these natural areas do more than support ducks and other wildlife. “Canada has about 25 per cent of the remaining wetlands. And so, we have an obligation to care for those that remain and restore them,” said Rob McRae, program director for Eastern Ontario with Nature Conservancy of Canada. McRae said wetlands provide valuable ecological benefits, filtering water and helping to reduce flood risk. “Wetlands really act as a sponge. They filter the water, providing downstream water clarity as well as holding the water back,” he said. “So, in times of high water, wetlands help to mitigate flooding impacts downstream. And also, in times of low water or drought, they release it slowly, making more water available for people and for nature.” The area is also a place where people come to enjoy the outdoors, like sisters Sandra and Linda Weedmark, who visit the Marlborough Forest regularly. “We’re out here to go snowshoeing,” said Sandra Weedmark. “We come out here because there’s lots of room. There’s nobody. You’re out in the middle of nowhere.” They say keeping natural places like this is important as the region grows. “I think that’s great. I think they need to protect our green spaces and our wetlands and stuff,” said Linda Weedmark. “You can’t build houses on everything.” Nature Conservancy Canada says this latest addition adds to a network of more than 8,100 hectares of conserved lands in the area.
