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Ecological Reserves
For more information on these and other Ecological Reserves in Newfoundland and Labrador, please visit the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador website.
Hare Bay Islands Ecological Reserve
The protection of eider duck nesting areas is one of the reasons this reserve was set aside. Gilliant, Spring and Brent Islands have for centuries provided the ducks with the tall grass they need to provide protection for their young from the elements and from predators. The ducks are now considered endangered in Hare Bay so the ecological reserve will play a big role in stabilizing duck populations into the future.Watt's Point Ecological Reserve
This area, located north of Eddies Cove East, is home to the calcareous barrens, where a number of very rare wildflowers are found. These barrens are characterized by a high degree of botanical diversity and the rare species are usually found in small populations growing is exposed gravels that are high in ph. These species are thought to be descendants of western North American plants that have been isolated for thousands of years since the last continental glaciation.Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve
This reserve, located near the community of Raleigh, boasts several plants unique to Newfoundland, including the Newfoundland orchid, Fernald's Braya, and the Burnt Cape cinquefoil, its only known site in the world. Burnt Cape is also the only Newfoundland site for the Arctic dwarf hawk's beard. The reserve is part of the Strait of belle isle Barrens, one of nine eco-regions in the province.Table Point Ecological Reserve
Table Point, located just north of Bellburns, is home to one of the best known deposits of fossils from the Middle Ordovician period, which dates back some 470 million years. The fossils found there and diverse and well-preserved. And therefore of particular interest to students of North American paleontology. Table Point Ecological Reserve encompasses about one square km of coastline about three km north of Bellburns.
