On Wednesday, the Massawippi Conservation Trust was honoured to receive a new donation of land from the Municipality of the Village of North Hatley, the third such donation since the Trust’s inception.
From left to right: Philippe Di Pietrantonio (Coordinator from Appalachian Corridor Association), Margot Graham Heyerhoff (Trustee), Yvonne Bouchard, her daughter Manon Dubé, and Normand Brière (Trustee).
Mme Yvonne Bouchard decided to protect, in perpetuity, the land she and her late husband Bertand Dubé bought, to honor his memory and love of the land. The servitude was signed this week. Mme Dubé has entrusted the Massawippi Conservation Trust with the servitude to protect the 200 acres of land in the Coaticook MRC. An ecological study of the land counted an inventory of 168 different species of flora and 59 species of fauna, including the Pickerel Frog, the little brown Myotis Bat, and the Northern Painted Turtle, which are all listed as species at risk. The process took nearly 2 years to complete. Conservation takes time and patience, and we thank Madame Bouchard and her family for their strong beliefs in the benefits of conservation.
Appalachian Corridor Press release (Jan 2026)
AN 86.46-HECTARE EASEMENT BY THE MASSAWIPPI CONSERVATION TRUST IN COATICOOK
The 86.46-hectare conservation easement granted by Mrs. Bouchard to the Massawippi Conservation Trust is one of the most significant recent additions to the region’s network of protected areas. This large property is home to a dozen species in precarious situations, making it a site of major interest for biodiversity. Motivated by a desire to protect the ecological integrity of her land, Ms. Bouchard took steps to ensure the perpetual conservation of her entire property. The value of her donation to the project is $275,000.
