Committed to the conservation, enhancement and stewardship of habitat across Newfoundland and Labrador

The Town of Gander is located within the central NL ecoregion, which covers the north-central part of the island of Newfoundland. This ecoregion is heavily forested with peatlands occurring commonly throughout. Several productive wetlands exist within the Town's boundaries - these wetlands are inhabited and utilized by a large number of wildlife, including waterfowl and songbirds.

 

The Town of Gander designated 5 Conservation Areas (CAs) within their municipal planning boundaries, totaling 873 acres of conserved wildlife habitat: Northwest Bog, Cobb's Pond, Whitman's Pond, Peyton's Pond and the constructed wetland in the community of Benton. These areas are identified as having important nesting and brood-rearing habitat for a large number of waterfowl species. Some common wildlife species observed in the area include American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris), Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), beaver (Castor canadensis), mink (Mustela vison), river otter (Lontra canadensis), and muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus).

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The Northwest Bog CA (104 acres) is located in the western region of the town's planning boundaries. It is an important staging area for Canada Geese during spring and fall migration. The Cobb's Pond CA (225 acres) is located south of Northwest Bog in the southern region of the town's boundaries. This CA contains adequate nesting, feeding and brood rearing habitat for a number of waterfowl species. The area continues to be a highly productive area for many wildlife species, and Cobb's Pond is a Municipal Park that contains a popular walking trail for many residents and visitors. The Whitman's Pond CA (477 acres) is located in the northeast region of the town, and contains Whitman's Pond as well as several of the small ponds in the surrounding area. This CA contains ideal nesting, staging and brood raising habitat because of its rich supply of aquatic invertebrates and plants and adequate cover to protect birds from predators and harsh weather conditions. As well, an old growth forest surrounds the pond with a moss-covered understory. The Peyton's Pond CA (42 acres) is located in the eastern region of the town, south of Whitman's Pond, and encompasses Peyton’s Pond, as well as the upland habitat south of the pond. The shallow water pond is surrounded predominantly by a Cattail (Typha latifolia) marsh and it has a rich supply of aquatic invertebrates and plants, making the site exceptional for nesting, staging and brood-rearing for numerous waterfowl species, including American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) and American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus). The Benton CA (25 acres) is located in the community of Benton, but within the municipal planning boundaries of the Town of Gander. It is a constructed wetland put in place to provide tertiary treatment for the effluent from the secondary sewage treatment facility.