Background
Nova Scotia is home to some very unusual plants. One of them is the thread-leaved sundew, which is one of a small group of species included in the province's rare coastal plain flora. A number of the plants in this group, such as the water-pennywort, pink coreopsis, and Plymouth gentian, grow nowhere else in Canada. Most are found around bogs and along gently sloping sand and gravel freshwater shores near the east coast. Other plants of these coastal plain species are the buttonbush, white fringed orchis, common meadow-beauty, swamp-milkweed, Long's bulrush, and golden crest.
Thread-leaved sundew is listed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. When developers seek to disrupt land within tenuous physical proximity to a species on this list, the provincial government can - and should - order an environmental assessment review before allowing any action to take place. An environmental assessment review looks at wetlands, soil, plants, and wildlife that could be threatened by developments. Often a public presentation is held so that people can voice their opinions. In some cases, a project may be cancelled if a review shows that wildlife could be harmed.
Procedure
If you know a shoreline where any of these rare species grow, spread the word. Prepare and distribute a fact sheet to alert landowners and lake users about the importance of their shoreline habitats.
Include the following suggestions:
• Learn to recognize these plants at a glance.
• Walk carefully along exposed shorelines and around wetlands.
• Keep all-terrain vehicles away from shorelines and wetlands.
• Do not rake shorelines or bulldoze to create artificial beaches.
• Instead of traditional docks, urge other landowners to build ones that cause less environmental damage.
• Do not add materials like rocks or sand to shorelines to create land docks.