THUNDER BAY — Susan Bryan of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club has been named a community champion by Ontario Nature for her work protecting wetlands.
The award was announced Tuesday on World Wetlands Day. Bryan was one of seven people across Ontario to receive the honour.
Bryan, the club’s nature reserves chair, said the recognition reflects the efforts of the entire organization, which works to protect wetlands before they are lost to development.
In Thunder Bay, the group has helped preserve dozens of wetland properties in the William Bog, south of the Harbour Expressway extension near the Parkdale subdivision. About 458 acres in the area are now protected from development.
Bryan said wetlands help cool the air, store water, reduce flooding and support wildlife, making them especially important as climate change increases extreme weather.
The award announcement came as the club finalized a deal to purchase about 347 acres of wetland in the Municipality of Shuniah, adding to land it has already protected in the McTavish Wetland.
