The Nature Trust has conserved over 500 properties since 1971. These properties are home to some of the most rare and fragile ecosystems in the province. We have conserved these areas to protect endangered and at-risk species for generations to come. Some of these special places are right in your back yard, and if you are committed to leaving a light footprint, you can visit and explore some of our properties for yourself, and learn about the wildlife that calls them home. Here are a four of our most popular that you can visit if you fancy a day out on the land.
Buttertubs Marsh
The Nature Trust of BC’s Buttertubs Marsh property is a 23-acre reclaimed freshwater marsh habitat within the City of Nanaimo, which was purchased between 1975 and 1979. With a 2km loop trail around the marsh, observation decks and a tower perfect for bird watching, it is no wonder that this park receives more than 75,000 visitors every year.
Buttertubs Marsh is home to many at-risk species. Be on the lookout for Red-listed Purple Martin, Blue-listed Trumpeter Swan, American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Turkey Vulture, Short-eared Owl, or even a Painted Turtle!
Boundary Bay
A great location for spotting wildlife is our 79-acre Boundary Bay property in Delta. Acquired by The Nature Trust of BC in 1987, this property contains intertidal salt marshes, mudflats, and open ocean where you’re likely to spot many wildlife species that take advantage of these unique habitats. This property is a vital link in the Pacific Flyway – the north-south migratory bird route spanning from Alaska to South America.
Keep your eye out for the Western Sandpiper, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, and numerous other beautiful bird species. You might also get lucky and spot the elusive Barn Owl. More than two-thirds of the Fraser River estuary’s Harbour Seal population is found in Boundary Bay, so watch for their bobbing heads in the water.
The Boundary Bay Dyke Trail provides a great opportunity for walking, photography, and cycling. Over a million people visit every year.
The Hoodoos
Located in the East Kootenay Trench, The Hoodoos is the largest property owned by NTBC. Covering nearly 9,700 acres, The Hoodoos property boasts incredible scenery, unique wildlife, and stunning recreational trails. It is one of our most frequently visited properties.
The property gets its name from spectacular hoodoo rock formations, thin spires of rock created over millions of years through erosion. Layers of various mineral deposits, and alternating soft and hard rock, create striped, whimsical looking shapes and textures that are unique to the area.
The Hoodoos provides critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors. With Elk, Deer, Beavers, Muskrats, numerous bird species, and amphibians, the property is integral for biodiversity conservation in East Kootenay – plus it provides great wildlife viewing for visitors!
Vaseux Lake
The Nature Trust of BC’s Vaseux Lake conservation area consists of 13 properties, purchased between 1983 and 2005. It protects 484 acres of critical Bighorn Sheep habitat in the Okanagan.
This property is at the center of one of the most ecologically rich areas in not only BC, but in all of Canada. With so much of the Okanagan being developed, this property now helps to conserve many Red- and Blue-listed species including Behr’s Hairstreak butterfly, White-headed Woodpecker, Nuttall’s Cottontail, and of course, the stunning Bighorn Sheep.
Trails throughout the property lead through grasslands interspersed with Antelope Brush, Douglas-fir, Ponderosa Pine, rocky outcrops, and the stunning views of Vaseux Lake and cliffs in the distance. This is truly the Okanagan in all its glory!
