Île Perrot

(Cadastral map of site also available: 68 K)

Wet forest on Île Perrot. Photo: Joël Bonin, NCC

Besides a mesic sugar maple forest and a silver maple stand in the floodplain, this site features a wet mixed forest with a few permanent and temporary ponds. The ponds contain breeding and feeding areas that are suitable for many terrestrial amphibian species and for snakes. The mesic forest habitat has a rocky substrate with many cracks and crevices that provide shelter for hibernating amphibians and snakes.

Among the species found at the site, some of the noteworthy ones are eastern redback salamanders, northern spring peepers, eastern grey treefrogs, green frogs and garter snakes, along with painted turtles and snapping turtles. A more rigorous wildlife survey might turn up several other species as well. This site is also valuable owing to the presence of the Northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon), a species likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada obtained nine purchase options for an equivalent number of lots and subsequently transferred the options to McGill University’s Foundation of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, under a conservation agreement signed between the two organizations. The site will be designated a "nature reserve" and, in addition to preserving flora and fauna, will be used for environmental studies undertaken by McGill students, including those attending McDonald College. A conservation easement granted in favour of a landowner who financed the project also secures the perpetual protection of this nature reserve covering 51.40 hectares.