Nicole Lasalle and Richard Desrosiers donated a 5.9 hectare property in Saint-Paul to the Lanaudière Ecosystem Conservation Trust (FiCEL), which will henceforth be named Tourbière Desrosiers.
This property, which is home to no less than 72 vascular species, 48 animal species and 34 avian species, is part of a vast forest massif of the Lanoraie peat complex. This peat bog is an environment of ecological importance, since it allows fauna and flora to move between the Lanoraie peat bog and that of Sainte-Marie-Salomé.
« This land has been bequeathed to us and we are happy to bequeath it to future generations, so that they too can benefit from lands that are still forested and healthy. » Ms. Lasalle and Mr. Desrosiers.
Made up of three forest communities dominated by red maple, this peat bog is made up of closed and dense stands, humid and of good height.
Among the species counted at the Tourbière Desrosiers, some are in a precarious situation. This is the case of the lesser flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) and the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) which are likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable in Quebec, as well as the black ash tree (Fraxinus nigra), which has was added to COSEWIC’s list of threatened species in Canada in 2018.
The perpetuity of this peatland is a natural climate solution, which will help limit global warming. Indeed, peatlands are carbon sinks essential for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere.
The conservation of this property was made possible, in part, thanks to the Protect Habitats – Part I Protection program of the Quebec Wildlife Foundation. Remember that this Foundation program aims to support initiatives to protect habitats of high wildlife value through the conclusion of conservation agreements with legal significance with private land owners.
Finally, this project was also carried out with the financial support of the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada.
