Successful partnerships

The success of this conservation initiative depends on the participation of all involved: conservation organizations, land trusts, governments, regional county municipalities (MRCs), municipal authorities, landowners, other users and the general public. Since its creation, ACA has acted as the catalyst in implementing a global conservation strategy on a landscape scale, as well as developing conservation strategies targeted for different sectors of the territory where ACA partners are active.

Partners in Quebec

From its inception, Appalachian Corridor joined forces with Nature Conservancy Canada, the largest private organization dedicated to conservation in Canada and in Quebec. This partnership rallied important financial collaborators around major acquisitions in the Sutton Mountains massif, which is at the heart of this natural corridor.

Click here to find out where affiliate conservation organizations are located.

Nature Conservancy Canada

Nature Conservancy Canada is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Canadian biodiversity through direct actions on the ground to protect natural environments of great ecological importance and sites of rare beauty or significant educational value. Since 1962, Nature Conservancy Canada has protected close to 1000 properties, or almost 2 million acres of land, across the country. Dating back from the early 1970s, the Québec region of NCC has conserved over 80 sites covering close to 16,000 acres.
Website: www.conservationdelanature.ca

Ruiter Valley Land Trust

One of Quebec's first Land Trust, the Ruiter Valley Land Trust (RVLT) is actively engaged in the protection of plant and wildlife habitats in the Ruiter Valley, which is located in the Sutton Mountains. Since its creation in 1987, this trust has established a 550-acre conservation area, which it aims to enlarge through the establishment of conservation servitudes. The RVLT has created more than 20 kilometres of hiking trails and offers a range of educational activities to its members.
Website: valleeruiter.org
email: info@valleeruiter.org

Mount Pinnacle Land Trust

Incorporated in 1991, the Mount Pinnacle Land Trust (MPLT) has three main objectives: to maintain in perpetuity the ecological integrity of all wooded and non-wooded lands in the region; to preserve the region's rural character and allow sustainable public enjoyment of the area through environmental stewardship; and to promote educational and scientific activities. Since its creation, this trust has acquired pieces of land on Mount Pinnacle, where it has developed nature hiking trails with interpretation panels. Steps are now being taken to negotiate additional conservation servitudes with landowners.
Website: www.montpinacle.ca

Alderbrooke Marsh Land Trust

Since 1992, the Alderbrooke Marsh Land Trust (AMLT) has worked to protect all wetlands in the Sutton and Missisquoi river watersheds, a highly significant ecological area that harbours, among other species, an exceptional variety of birds. The Trust's long-term objective is the sustainable management of the entire watershed. Parts of the Alderbrooke Marsh lands have been protected by the Trust using various conservation tools such as land acquisition, conservation servitudes, and leasing.
Address: CP 2142, Sutton, Quebec, J0E 2K0
Website: maraisalderbrooke.webs.com

Memphremagog Wetlands Foundation

The Memphremagog Wetlands Foundation is dedicated to the conservation and protection in perpetuity of all the wetlands around Lake Memphremagog. The organization's goal is to protect at least 810 ha (2000 acres) of land in this lake's watershed. The organization also promotes educational and recreational activities that respect the wildlife habitats found in these wetlands.

Parc d’environnement naturel de Sutton

Parc d'environnement naturel de Sutton was founded in 1979 to create a regional park in the Sutton Mountains. The project of this non-profit organization was recognized by the Quebec parks policy in 1993. The organization also maintains back country huts and over 70 kilometres of hiking and interpretation trails. In addition to offering popular educational activities to the public, it promotes environmental research in the region and works to protect biodiversity and the habitats of endangered and threatened species.
Website : www.parcsutton.com

Les Sentiers de l'Estrie

Since 1976, the Sentiers de l'Estrie has been integrating its mission of promoting hiking into the larger context of the protection and enhancement of nature in the Appalachians of the Eastern Townships. The group's activities focus on two areas: the management of a 160-kilometer hiking trail that crosses the Appalachian Corridor with the cooperation of landowners allowing access to private forests, and the organization of activities that foster ecological awareness and environmental education among the population while encouraging and guiding the practice of various leisure activities in forested habitats. The Sentiers de l'Estrie also offers a variety of services to its 1500 members: a monthly newsletter, guided activities and volunteer committees.
Website: www.lessentiersdelestrie.qc.ca

Mount Echo Conservation Association

The Mount Echo Conservation Association (MECA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to conserve the natural ecological heritage of the Mount Echo sector. The members of MECA, mostly landowners living in the sector, aim to protect natural areas by obtaining conservation servitudes negotiated individually with private landowners, and the implementation of conservation plans.

Brome Lake Land Foundation

The main purpose of the Brome Lake Land Foundation (BLLF) is the protection of wetlands and forests, and the wildlife and flora that depend on these areas. The BLLF works to ensure the conservation of wetlands in the Brome Lake watershed through land acquisition or by promoting appropriate zoning. Good water quality is essential for fish habitat, community water supplies and recreation, and is one of today's most important environmental issues. The BLLF focuses on the protection of wetlands and streams that filter and feed the waters of Brome Lake.

La Société de conservation du corridor naturel de la rivière au Saumon

The Société de conservation du corridor naturel de la rivière au Saumon (SCCNRS) covers an area of 290 km2 situated in the Eastern Townships, north of Mount-Orford National Park. Created in 2000, this project aims to conserve natural areas of high ecological value, in particular the habitats of species at risk present in the Salmon River watershed. To achieve this objective, the SCCNRS encourages voluntary conservation by landowners to protect habitats of interest on their land.
Website: www.sccnrs.ca

Association de conservation de la nature de Stukely-Sud

The Association de conservation de la nature de Stukely-Sud (ACNSS) is a not-for-profit association, the primary objective of which is to protect the ecological heritage of South Stukely. ACNSS works toward the protection of natural areas, particularly habitats for wildlife and wild plants of all kinds, which will become part of a local network of protected areas linked to the Appalachian Corridor, through public education and awareness activities and assistance to landowners who wish to protect their properties.

Société de protection foncière du lac Montjoie

The Société de protection foncière du Lac Montjoie, has very recently become ACA’s latest affiliate member. This organization created in 2003, has gained a high membership amongst its community and targets the protection of natural areas on its territory, which encompasses the Montjoie Lake watershed located in St-Denis-de-Brompton in the Eastern Townships. The Society owns a Natural Reserve recognized by the Ministère du développement durable, de l'environnement et des parcs (MDDEP).

Conservation des vallons de la Serpentine

Conservation des vallons de la Serpentine is a recently created conservation organization whose mission is to protect the Serpentine Brook watershed located in the foothills of Mount Gagnon and Mount Place and encompassing the municipalities of East Bolton, Eastman and Austin in the Eastern Townships. Founded in the spring of 2006, the organization targets the protection of 32 square kilometers of forested land on its territory. It will be sensitizing people in the region to a range of conservation issues through conferences and workshops, as well as supporting landowners interested in land conservation.