Parks Canada is implementing measures to safeguard a rare coastal plant found in Kouchibouguac National Park in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island National Park. This year, the purchase of official Parks Canada merchandise, such as shirts and tote bags, online will contribute to the conservation efforts for the Gulf of St. Lawrence beach pinweed at these two parks.
David Mazerolle, the ecosystem scientist at Kouchibouguac in eastern New Brunswick, highlighted that the global population of this plant has significantly declined due to climate change and severe winter storms. With milder winter temperatures leading to the loss of coastal ice, winter storms are increasingly impacting these ecosystems.
Parks Canada has been gathering seeds of the plant and collaborating with research partners at Acadia University to explore methods for germination, growth, and transplantation of the species into new habitats for its proliferation. This specific variety of beach pinweed is exclusive to eastern Canada, making its protection crucial.
The Gulf of St. Lawrence beach pinweed is a distinctive short shrub standing around 20 to 30 centimeters tall, found only on stable dune systems away from ocean waves in coastal regions. The majority of the plant population is situated in areas managed jointly by Parks Canada and Mi’kmaw First Nations, positioning Parks Canada to lead conservation efforts.
The decline in populations of the Gulf of St. Lawrence beach pinweed in recent years has raised concerns about the impact of climate change on its habitat. Protecting this species serves as a key indicator of climate change effects on coastal ecosystems and emphasizes the significance of coastal landscape conservation efforts.
Efforts to transplant and germinate the plants have shown early success, with ongoing initiatives to expand these efforts in both Kouchibouguac National Park and P.E.I. National Park. Through collaboration with Acadia, the aim is to establish self-sustaining populations of pinweed within the parks to ensure their long-term survival.
Lindsey Burke, a resource management officer at Prince Edward Island National Park, noted the decline of the species on the island due to climate change and coastal erosion, emphasizing the importance of protecting its specialized dune habitat. The hope is that through transplants and conservation work, the pinweed will thrive and contribute to the preservation of dune ecosystems in the parks.