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Nova Scotia

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On The Ground  

In Nova Scotia, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) greatest successes in wetland conservation are a result of long-term partnerships.   For more than 30 years, DUC has been working with private landowners, provincial and federal governments and other non government organizations (NGO) to conserve wetlands and waterfowl habitat. 

Recently, a creative partnership with the Nova Scotia agricultural community and the Province of Nova Scotia has helped DUC develop and implement programs that encourage sustainable land use practices, benefiting both the landowner and waterfowl. This program is called the Nova Scotia Farm Investment Fund Biodiversity Initiative The program includes wetland restoration, farm pond construction, flushing bars, invasive species control and beaver pond management.  This program is jointly funded from DUC, Provincial Agriculture, Federal Agriculture and individual farmers. Through this partnership, DUC hopes to create landscape wide change, one farm at a time.  

DUC is also working with its Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (EHJV) partners to ensure protection and restoration of key wetland habitat to reach goals set in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP).  The protection of wetland habitat occurs through two main programs, land acquisition and conservation agreements. 

Long term conservation agreements (30 years) are signed with different types of landowners; these could include municipalities, corporations and both urban and rural landowners.  The majority of the DUC managed projects are on privately owned land and DUC works with each individual landowner to make sure the wetlands are conserved for the benefit of waterfowl, other wildlife and people.   

Learn more about the following habitat activities:

Wetland Restoration

We are looking for sites that are typically 1 to 5 acres in size. Normally, these sites are not connected to streams, but have high soil moisture because they are located down slope receiving snow melt and runoff from lands after rain fall. These areas may once have been productive wetlands, but have since been ditched, drained or filled in. 

Farm Pond Construction

Natural processes within wetlands can be engineered through constructed wetland systems to improve the quality of the water leaving the farm. 

The biodiversity program will provide incentives for the development of wetlands for wildlife habitat once the water leaving the engineered part of the constructed wetland meets provincial secondary treatment standards.

Flushing Bars

Flushing bars are a simple device used to scare wildlife from the path of a tractor and mower in a hay field. The metal flushing bar is attached to a mounting bracket on the front of the tractor with chains suspended from the bar that drag through the grass forcing wildlife to move before the mower blades reach them.

Invasive Species Control—Purple Loosestrife

Purple loosestrife is an aggressive European weed that has become a problem in wetlands, drainage ditches and wet soils in Nova Scotia. To date the best option to control this plant is through the introduction of predatory beetles that have been approved for introduction by Agriculture Agri-Food Canada, to feed on the plant. This assistance may particularly appeal to organic growers who wish to reduce infestations of this plant on their farm.

Beaver Pond Management

Beavers commonly construct dams that flood farmland, forests, and roads. Removing the dam, trapping or shooting the beavers is often a time consuming and temporary solution to the problem.  Incentives will be provided to farmers to install cost effective beaver pond levelers that maintain the desired water level of the pond, but prevent flooding of roads and valuable land.  This eliminates the need to deal with beaver problems every year, while maintaining the pond for wildlife.

Land Securement

Land securement activities such as acquisition, donations or stewardship and private land agreements are completed if the targeted area meets the requirements of a scientific evaluation and falls within one of the conservation priority areas (CPA) in the province.