Following a fundraising campaign this past fall, The Nature Trust of BC has completed the purchase of 235 hectares of wetland east of Prince George, putting the ecologically valuable property under the organization's protective wing.
Located about 100 kilometres east of the city and across the Fraser River from Sinclair Mills, the land is part of the 2,000-hectare Meteor Lake Wetlands, one of the three largest wetlands in the upper Fraser River.
"The land contains rare peatland ecosystems which absorb tremendous amounts of carbon. In addition to its climate benefits, the property provides habitat, breeding grounds, and food for threatened mammals, birds, and amphibians like the endangered White Sturgeon," Nature Trust said in a statement issued Monday.
In all, $75,000 was raised over the course of November and December 2022 to complete the purchase.
"As a result of the incredible generosity of the Prince George community and donors throughout the province, the Meteor Lake-Wetland Bog will be protected from purchase and development for generations to come," Nature Trust said.
According to the organization, peatlands are mainly found in Northern B.C. and, while they comprise three percent of the global land area they contain approximately 25 percent of global soil carbon - twice the amount absorbed by the world’s forests
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