On July 12, 2025, under bright summer skies, supporters, partners, and local leaders gathered at the East Bluff Nature Preserve to celebrate a major conservation milestone — the final donor tour of the year and the lasting protection of one of Northern Ontario’s most cherished landscapes. Located in Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island (Mnidoo Mnising), East Bluff is one of five preserves secured through the Wild Futures Campaign, a highly successful 2024 initiative dedicated to protecting critical wild spaces across Ontario. Thanks to the unwavering support of donors and other funders, all five nature preserves—East Bluff, Benallen Wetland, Simon Bay, Kolapore Woodland, and Greenock Swamp— are now permanently protected for a wildand thriving future.
450+ Acres Secured for Life
This is a remarkable victory for Ontario’s most sensitive and vulnerable habitats. These 450 acres, home to sensitive species at risk, such as the Cerulean Warbler, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, and rare orchids, will remain safe havens for wildlife. From provincially significant wetlands and upland forests to the Lake Huron shoreline, these preserves act as nature’s lungs—storing carbon, filtering water, and providing irreplaceable habitat for countless species. By safeguarding these ecosystems, the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy is ensuring that future generations will enjoy a healthier, more biodiverse planet.
Some of these preserves will soon be accessible by trail systems, ensuring the public can easily enjoy and connect with these beautiful natural spaces. The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy looks forward to announcing these new opportunities in the coming seasons.
Together, We Made It Possible
This success would not have been possible without the collective dedication of a passionate community of supporters, along with conservation partners Ducks Unlimited Canada (Benallen Wetland) and Greenough & North Bruce Wilderness Alliance (Simon Bay), and critical funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund provided through Ontario Land Trust Alliance and the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program(GCP).
Quotes
“This campaign proves one thing: when we unite for nature, we can achieve the extraordinary. Hundreds of donors stepped up to match the generous government funding, and we were able to meet - in fact, exceed - our $1 million Wild Futures Campaign goal. The success of this program is a testament to the support we have in the community for protecting wild spaces and the plants and animals that call them home. Together we are changing the future, one wild acre at a time." –Beth Gilhespy, Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy CEO
“Congratulations to the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy — the permanent protection of East Bluff and other vital landscapes is a win for the people of Ontario and visitors to our beautiful province.Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, our government is proud to support the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy’s efforts to safeguard Ontario’s most ecologically significant lands. These projects protect important ecosystems while ensuring future generations can continue to connect with nature and experience our province.” –Todd McCarthy, Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
About The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy
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The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC) is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to preserving Ontario’s most sensitive and vulnerable
landscape since 1997. To date, EBC has safeguarded over 10,117 hectares (25,000 acres) of natural habitats, providing critical refuge for numerous species at risk. -
The East Bluff Nature Preserve marks a significant milestone in EBC’s mission to conserve Ontario’s natural heritage, and a triumphant conclusion to our 2024 Wild Futures Campaign. Through this ambitious initiative, we successfully protected 182.1 hectares (450 acres) of vital habitat by January 2025, reaching our campaign goal and securing a lasting legacy for wildlife and future generations.
- To learn more about our 2025 Wild Future Campaign, visit: https://escarpment.ca/about/campaigns/wild-future-campaign
About the Province of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership (GCP) Program
The Greenlands Conservation Partnership program is the single largest provincial fund to secure private land in Ontario. This unique program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, leverages non-governmental dollars to acquire, restore and manage privately owned natural areas such as wetlands, grasslands and forests. For every dollar of provincial funding provided, grant recipients match it with a minimum of $2 from other conservation partners, including individual donors, foundations and other levels of government. Since 2020, the Ontario government has invested $58 million into the program, which has helped to protect over 430,000 acres (174,310 hectares) of private land across the province – more than 2.75 times the size of Toronto.
About Environment and Climate Change Canada
Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) is a $1.4 billion, ten year fund (2021–2031) administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada to help conserve, restore, and enhance the management of ecosystems such as wetlands, peatlands, forests, and grasslands, in order to help tackle the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. The NSCSF focuses on three main objectives: (1) conserving carbon-rich ecosystems at high risk of conversion to other uses that would release their stored carbon; (2) improving land management practices to reduce their greenhouse gas emission-causing impacts on Canada’s ecosystems; and (3) restoring degraded ecosystems. Overall, these projects will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon sequestration, while also providing benefits for biodiversity and human well-being.
About Ontario Land Trust Alliance
Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) focuses on providing community, knowledge sharing and support to land trusts across Ontario. It empowers and supports highly effective, well-governed land trusts that engage their communities to protect forests, wetlands, nature, and water sources and provide natural climate solutions. OLTA builds capacity through training and educational programs, connecting land trusts to each other, resources, and their communities, leading and supporting on-the-ground conservation work, sharing knowledge and best practices, reducing financial barriers to land conservation, promoting organizational excellence, providing access to current research and acting as a voice for land trusts among the public, governments, and other rightsholders.
Our impact is Ontario-wide through 51 connected charities and communities. OLTA’s local land trust members currently collectively own and steward over 2,000 natural areas and green spaces across Ontario, with the leadership of thousands of supporters and volunteers annually. To support your local land trust, visit: www.OLTA.ca.
Media Contact:
Beth Gilhespy
Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
