New County south shore guide maps global key biodiversity area

A new information guide maps Prince Edward County’s South Shore which now meets criteria for global and national Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA).

The south shore has long been a globally-significant Important Bird Area (IBA) and is designated a KBA global level for many threatened bird species and aggregations of birds and at the national level for many threatened amphibians and reptiles, plants, ecosystems and birds.

Funded by a grant from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, the free South Shore Guide features a map of the County’s KBA, published by local environmental non-profit South Shore Joint Initiative (SSJI).

The work of the SSJI conservation organization is recognized along with federal and provincial governments, and private landowners actively engaged in acquiring and managing properties for conservation.

Since 2018, the County’s SSJI volunteers have educated and advocated for the rare and fragile biodiversity of the County’s south shore lands and waters.

The new information guide highlights the international recognition of the south shore as well as SSJI’s work to protect and preserve the area for all future generations.

Readers will learn about community advocacy that contributed to the designation of the Monarch Point
Conservation Reserve, and how SSJI volunteers are working toward the creation of a South Shore Footpath.

The guide also outlines efforts to establish a Dark Sky Preserve on the south shore and highlights SSJI volunteers’ work to collect and archive stories from the County’s commercial fishery, restore the heritage Hudgin Log House, and document the biodiversity of the South Shore Key Biodiversity Area.

Printed on recycled paper and designed to fold easily into a pocket or backpack, the guide is intended to be a practical companion for residents and visitors alike.

“We expect that the map will be very useful to visitors to the south shore,” said Cheryl Anderson, SSJI President. “It delineates provincial and federal public lands, as well as lands owned by Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust. The opportunities for responsible recreation on the South Shore are endless.”

The guides are available at the Picton TD Canada Trust branch and at ssji.ca They will be distributed locally and at all SSJI events.

For more about the south shore and conservation efforts, visit SSIJ.ca

SSJI vice-president Gurpreet Patheja, left, presented the first copies of the guide to Robyn Comfort, Branch Manager TD Canada Trust Picton Branch, with SSJI president Cheryl Anderson, at right. – Dawn Ayer photo

KBACanada.org describes the Prince Edward County South Shore KBA as: “on the south shore of Prince Edward County between Point Petre and Prince Edward Point.

The KBA extends to encompass McMahon Bluff at the mouth of the Black River on the east, and the waters of Soup Harbour– including the waters around Salmon Point– on the west.

It is comprised of approximately 26 km² of land and 65 km² of near-shore waters. The land portion of the KBA’s northern boundary is formed by Army Reserve Road and Hill Top Road, which cross the land from the southern shoreline to the hamlet of South Bay.

The coastal portion of the northern boundary follows the shoreline from South Bay along the peninsula and includes Flatt Point, Half Moon Point, and Point Traverse to Prince Edward Point. The entire Long Point Peninsula, including the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area (NWA), home to the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, lies within the KBA.

The south shore of the KBA encompasses about 26 kilometers of shoreline, which is the only lengthy undeveloped strip of shoreline remaining in Prince Edward County – indeed, one of the few shorelines of Lake Ontario that have remained undeveloped.

The near-shore waters of the KBA extend from the mouth of the Black River across the sheltered waters of South Bay, around Timber and Swetman Islands, around Prince Edward Point, and west to Soup Harbour, terminating in the waters surrounding Salmon Point. The Nature Conservancy Canada’s McMahon Bluff Nature Reserve, along with Timber and Swetman Islands are also included in the KBA.”