Environmental Education
Restoring Connectivity: The Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River Ecological Corridor Project
Picture a vast stretch of Algoma’s wilderness—towering forests, winding rivers, and hidden wetlands. Now, imagine a black bear or moose navigating this landscape, only to be stopped by a busy highway, a fenced-off development, or a sprawling urban center. For countless species, these barriers impact habitat connectivity, making the difference between survival and decline.
Habitat connectivity refers to the degree to which natural landscapes remain linked, allowing wildlife to move freely between different habitat areas. As human activities fragment ecosystems—through urban expansion, highways, agriculture, and industrial development—many species are left isolated, unable to migrate, find food, or maintain genetic diversity. Without connectivity, species become more vulnerable to environmental changes, disease, and population decline. This is where ecological corridors come into play.
Ecological corridors (also known as eco-corridors) are essential tools for restoring habitat connectivity. These corridors act as natural bridges, linking fragmented landscapes and providing lifelines for wildlife. By allowing species to move between habitat patches, corridors support biodiversity, ensure healthy ecosystems, and help species adapt to climate change.
"Ecological corridors deliver many benefits beyond biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. They contribute to sustainable livelihoods for local communities, they increase opportunities for people to connect with nature, and they promote human-wildlife coexistence." Parks Canada.
Maintaining this connectivity ultimately plays an integral role in Canada’s goal of protecting biodiversity. As part of its 30x30 conservation commitment, the Canadian Government aims to protect 30% of its land and inland waters, as well as 30% of its marine and coastal areas, by 2030.
For these protected areas to truly be effective, Parks Canada established the National Program for Ecological Corridors, a nationwide initiative focused on identifying conservation gaps in priority areas and ensuring that critical wildlife pathways remain intact through agency collaboration.
Much to our excitement, late last year Parks Canada identified the Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River area as a National Priority Area for Ecological Corridors (NPAEC) due to its crucial role in landscape connectivity within the Great Lakes Basin.
This priority area is centered on the St. Marys River, which links Lake Superior to Lake Huron and serves as a major wildlife corridor in this ecologically rich region. Extending from Lake Wenebegon in the north to the United States border in the south, this area acts as a natural connection between Algoma Headwaters Provincial Park to the west and Mississagi River Provincial Park to the east.
Located in a transition zone between boreal and deciduous forests, this landscape features 2.5-billion-year-old Precambrian rock, shallow lakes, rock-lined channels, old-growth white pine forests, and significant wetlands. These diverse habitats support large mammals like black bears, wolves, moose, and white-tailed deer, as well as smaller species like beavers, muskrats, mink, and the threatened wood turtle. The area also overlaps with a Key Biodiversity Area and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, further underscoring its ecological significance.
As it stands, the lands surrounding Sault Ste. Marie are a critical pinch point for wildlife moving between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. However, the city itself acts as a major barrier to this movement. Connectivity mapping has shown that while high movement potential exists in forested habitats away from urban areas, increased urbanization, recreation activities, forestry, energy production, and infrastructure development continue to threaten connectivity.
Pollution and river alteration along the St. Marys River, as well as the fragmentation caused by highways, railways, and roads (including the Trans-Canada Highway), have further reduced habitat availability. Climate models indicate that this area contains a crucial but narrow north-south climate corridor, making it especially important for species that need to shift their range northward in response to climate change.
In response to these challenges, we are proud to be part of the Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River Ecological Corridor Project, alongside partners Ontario Nature, Garden River First Nation, and the City of Sault Ste. Marie.
The project focuses on three key objectives:
- Mapping the ecological corridor to guide future conservation planning.
- Conducting field research to fill knowledge gaps and better understand wildlife movement patterns.
- Developing governance and management strategies to ensure long-term conservation success.
By combining research, traditional ecological knowledge, and local expertise, we hope that through this project we will contribute to a conservation strategy that balances ecological needs with regional land-use priorities.
As we take this step forward, we would like to remind individuals that they too, can get involved:
- Support conservation organizations and Indigenous communities such as land trusts (Algoma Highlands Conservancy), First Nations groups (Garden River First Nation), Ontario Nature, Parks Canada, and the A2A Collaborative, which work to protect and restore ecological corridors.
- Advocate for wildlife-friendly infrastructure in your community, such as wildlife crossings, protected green spaces, and habitat restoration projects.
- Plant native vegetation in your yard or local green spaces to create mini-corridors for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds.
- Stay informed and spread awareness—the more people understand the importance of ecological corridors, the more likely they are to support conservation efforts.
With smaller-scale, individual led operations and initiatives like the Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River Ecological Corridor Project, we have the opportunity to make a collective impact on wildlife and land conservation. By working together—we can help keep Ontario’s natural world connected.
Stay tuned for more updated on the Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River Ecological Corridor Project!
