Protecting drinking water for the village of Riverside-Albert
Tucked in the rolling hills near the Bay of Fundy, the forest above Riverside-Albert does more than frame a picturesque village, it quietly sustains it. For generations, these woods have provided something essential and what may look like just another stretch of trees is, in fact, a meaningful conservation story in southeastern New Brunswick.
The forest here is Wabanaki (Acadian) forest-an ecosystem that once blanketed the Maritimes but is now exceedingly rare. Less than five per cent of these mature forests remain, making every surviving stand a treasure. The area provides significant habitat for wildlife, adds connectivity to a larger network of protected areas nearby, and offers a space for the community to connect with nature. However, perhaps most importantly, it protects freshwater reservoirs that supply the village’s drinking water. For nearly a century, residents have drawn fresh water from this landscape, water that first passes through the forest.
When the village faced losing secure control of its watershed due to an expiring lease in 2019, community leaders and the Nature Conservancy of Canada stepped in. Local leadership, conservation expertise, and shared commitment to nature came together in support of the land resulting in an agreement for its permanent protection.
This type of cooperative conservation action shows what’s possible when we work together and serves as a reminder that conservation can have many faces, approaches, and participants. Today, birds like the eastern wood-pewee, a species of Special Concern, flit through the understory, rare orchids bloom in hidden glades, and the forest in Riverside-Albert continues to do what it has always done: quietly support all the life around it for years to come.
Download the PDF information sheet.
