NSWWT Completes First Land Acquisition
500-Acre Pleasant River Forest Strengthens Conservation Corridor
The Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust (NSWWT) has completed a purchase of nearly 500 acres of ecologically significant forest in Pleasant River, Queens County, strengthening habitat connectivity for species at risk while advancing the province's largest private woodland carbon offset program.
Completed December 19, 2025, the acquisition is NSWWT's first property purchase, representing nearly 12.5% of the Trust's goal to protect 4,000 acres by Spring 2026. The forest is adjacent to the Pu'tlaqne'katik Wilderness Area and lands protected by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, strengthening an important conservation corridor surrounding Kejimkujik National Park.
This acquisition was completed in partnership with the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI) and made possible by funding contributions from Parks Canada and the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association, contributing to a broader collaborative effort to connect protected areas surrounding Kejimkujik National Park. The North Queens region provides critical habitat for several species at risk and supports diverse forests characteristic of the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest region.
The Pleasant River property will be integrated into NSWWT’s growing Carbon Program, which uses the voluntary carbon offset market to fund the lifetime stewardship and monitoring of privately-owned woodlands across Nova Scotia. Through this program, private landowners can permanently protect their forests through Working Forest Community Easements while receiving professional forest management and ongoing care funded by carbon revenues.
“This acquisition marks a significant step forward for NSWWT, expanding our network of ecologically managed woodlands while permanently removing this property from the conventional clearcut cycle,” said Mary Jane Rodger, Executive Director of NSWWT. “We’re excited to be able to purchase our first property in North Queens – a community that has supported our organization since its inception.”
"Protecting and restoring forests in the North Queens region is essential to maintaining the ecological connectivity that species at risk depend on," said Abby Lewis, Forest Stewardship Coordinator at Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute. "This partnership demonstrates how collaborative conservation can create lasting benefits for both wildlife and local communities."
NSWWT will steward this property as a demonstration forest to support applied learning through biodiversity monitoring and restorative forestry treatments. Having undergone intensive harvesting several decades ago, the woodland is now at a pivotal moment for restoration. Beginning in Spring 2026, stewardship efforts will focus on restoring ecological diversity, enhancing wildlife habitat, increasing long-term carbon storage, and fostering resilient, productive forests under continuous canopy cover.
Photos of the Pleasant River property are available, and media are welcome to arrange site visits.
About NSWWT: NSWWT supports the long-term stewardship of privately owned forests across the province. By partnering with landowners, NSWWT helps conserve working woodlands while keeping them productive, healthy, and resilient for generations to come. Learn more at https://www.nsworkingwoodlandstrust.org/
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Media Contact:
Ellen Riopelle
Outreach and Communications Coordinator
ellen@nsworkingwoodlandstrust.org