Coastal Marshland Safeguarded for Mi'kmaw Community in New Brunswick

In a significant step towards environmental conservation and cultural preservation, a 25-hectare salt marsh near the confluence of the Petitcodiac and Memramcook rivers in New Brunswick has been transferred to the Fort Folly First Nation, or Amlamgog, for protection and management. The land was purchased using federal funding from the Indigenous-led Area-Based Conservation Program and donated to the community.

The salt marsh, which is backed by dikes and fronted by mudflats, is a valuable natural barrier that helps mitigate the effects of climate change. As the sea level rises, salt marshes can act like a sponge, soaking up and releasing tidewaters, and helping to reduce erosion from waves and storm surges. However, these coastal habitats are under threat as development often prevents them from adapting and growing inland.

The transfer of this land to the Mi'kmaw community is not only an important conservation effort but also a step towards reconciliation. The salt marsh is culturally significant as it is home to sweetgrass, a sacred plant used in traditional ceremonies. The Amlamgog cultural coordinator, Nicole Porter, looks forward to bringing community members, including children, to the marsh to learn how to harvest the sweetgrass.

The land acquisition is part of a larger initiative by Sikniktuk Climate Adaptation, a conservation organization founded by Lyle Vicaire, an environmental scientist and consultant from the Elsipogtog First Nation. Vicaire is conducting research in the newly protected area to identify salt marshes at risk of drowning due to sea level rise, with the goal of advocating for more conservation efforts in the region.