Michipicoten Island (Northeast) Nature Reserve. Photo © Mike Bryan

Michipicoten Island

Michipicoten Island Nature Reserve

In February, 2019, Thunder Bay Field Naturalists completed the purchase of two parcels of land (537 acres) on Michipicoten Island. The new reserve lands include rugged upland areas with mature mixed forest, and Lake Superior shoreline. Michipicoten Island Provincial Park abuts the new properties on all sides. The two parcels are remote undisturbed wilderness and we plan to keep them that way. Michipicoten Island has been an important refuge for Woodland Caribou on the Lake Superior north shore. By protecting this land in a natural state we hope to keep the area as suitable habitat for the caribou in the future. The island is also home to a number of nesting Peregrine Falcons, as well as arctic plant species.

We are pleased to have the help of the Michipicoten First Nation in monitoring and caring for these sites. Volunteers from the First Nation will work with TBFN volunteers this summer to complete a baseline natural history inventory of the two properties.

Many thanks to the many generous private donors who supported these purchases. TBFN was able to undertake this project with the financial support of Environment and Climate Change Canada. Funding was provided through the Canada Nature Fund, a $500 million investment to support the efforts of non-federal partners whose commitment is critical to achieving success in nature Conservation.