Agricultural Biodiversity

We currently have funding to conduct biodiversity-enhancing activities on agricultural lands. 2024, 2025, & 2026 opportunities include:

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• Planting shelterbelts and hedgerows

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• Planting shrubs and/or trees along waterways and ponds

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• Installation of fencing to exclude livestock from waterways and wetlands and provision alternative watering sources (e.g. nose pumps)

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• Other activities that promote biodiversity may be eligible, please contact us if you have ideas​

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Up to 100% of costs for materials and labour may be eligible, depending on the property, scale of work to be completed, and type of activity to be undertaken. To be eligible for this funding, properties must fit the following criteria:​

 

1. be actively farming or part of an active farm operation;​

2. be in southwest Nova Scotia (Annapolis, Kings*, Digby, Queens, or Lunenburg Counties)​

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*Only a portion of Kings County is in the eligible region, contact us for details

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Click to learn more & apply!

We have a number of volunteer programs that help us gather data about species-at-risk using habitats on agricultural lands. This includes monitoring for breeding birds in forested wetlands, grassland breeding birds, and wood turtles. 

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To learn about current species-at-risk monitoring volunteer opportunities, e-mail us today. 

Agricultural landscapes can support an abundance of biodiversity, with some species, such as the at-risk Barn Swallow, being directly linked to farms. Farmers are important stewards of these agricultural ecosystems, with the health of their livestock and crops intertwined with the health of the surrounding ecosystems. 

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The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables created the Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation (ABC) Plan Program to help farmers become more aware of the biodiversity on their farms and the various ways they are supporting biodiversity.  

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ABC plans involve having a technician complete an on-farm Ecological Resource Assessment involving the mapping out of the various existing wildlife habitats on the farm. At the end of the assessment, landowners receive a comprehensive tailored plan for their property identifying the various ways the farm supports biodiversity, along with recommendations on ways to further enhance biodiversity on the farm. The plan also identifies potential funding sources and partnerships that could assist in implementing additional practices or landscape features that are recommended.  

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This program is free, and implementation of any of the recommendations is on a voluntary basis at the landowner’s discretion. So far, over 160 farms in Nova Scotia have participated.

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E-mail our program leader to sign-up or learn more