Our Work
Our vision is to keep at least half of Canada’s public land and water wild — forever. We focus on protecting large tracts of land, oceans and freshwater so that the species within them can survive and thrive.
Land
Nova Scotia protected areas plan
The Nova Scotia government has a long-standing commitment to establish numerous protected areas across the province. This plan was supposed to be fully implemented by 2015, yet there are still nearly 200 promised protected areas awaiting legal protection. [Learn More]
Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes
Located only a few kilometres from downtown Halifax, Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes is an ecological gem that is very close to many people. Most of the public lands that occur here are protected now, but the Halifax Regional Municipality still needs to purchase and protect adjacent private lands for a wilderness park. [Learn More]
Katewe’katik
Located in southwestern Nova Scotia, not too far from Kejimkujik National Park, is Katewe’katik Wilderness Area. These lands are incredibly significant for the Mi’kmaq people and for the protection of rare and endangered species. We are pleased to be a partner in this important Indigenous-led conservation initiative. [Learn More]
Owls Head Provincial Park Reserve
Owls Head has been a provincial park reserve since the 1970’s, yet the Nova Scotia government quietly delisted its protected status in 2019 and signed an agreement to sell-off these coastal public lands to a private developer. Don’t let the government get away with it. [Learn More]
Sackville River – Lewis Lake
The community of Upper Sackville has been waiting over a decade for the public lands at Sackville River – Lewis Lake to receive legal protection by the Nova Scotia government. We are pleased to partner with the Sackville Rivers Association on this important conservation work to establish a protected wilderness area. [Learn More]
Ocean
MPA Network Plan
The federal government has a long-standing commitment to establish a network of marine protected areas within the Maritimes Region. The Plan was released publicly in April 2024. [Learn More]
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a globally significant ecosystem, containing the world’s highest tides and important habitat for whales and migratory shorebirds. Salt marshes found along the coastline offer protection against storm surges and act as a carbon sink, removing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Unfortunately, despite its ecological significance and the important role it plays for coastal communities, very little of the Bay of Fundy is actually protected. This leaves it vulnerable to industrial disturbances. [Learn More]
Fundian Channel – Browns Bank
Fundian Channel – Browns Bank is an ecologically significant area located off the coast of southwestern Nova Scotia. It contains important concentrations of cold-water corals and rare species. As an “Area of Interest” for a future marine protected area, CPAWS-NS is working with the federal government and other stakeholders to ensure that this site is strongly protected. [Learn More]