Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary

Last updated
Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary.JPG

The Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary is a limited-access wetlands area located on Vancouver Island west of Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada.

Contents

Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary, west, viewed at high tide in early fall Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary, west, viewed at high tide in early fall..JPG
Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary, west, viewed at high tide in early fall

History

The area was originally part of the Kinkade Farmstead (now a Federal Heritage site). Farmed in the late 19th century by settler Thomas Kinkade, the area was donated to the Federal Government in 1974 by Maureen and Sherwood Marshall and is now part of the Qualicum National Wildlife Area under supervision of Environment Canada. The sanctuary is named in honor of their respective families. The sanctuary is adjacent to the Little Qualicum River Estuary Regional Conservation Area, 4.5 hectares of beach and estuary habitat at the mouth of the Little Qualicum River.

Easterly view, Kinkade Farmstead structures visible Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary, east.JPG
Easterly view, Kinkade Farmstead structures visible
Westerly view Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary, west.JPG
Westerly view

Ecology

The wetland is a tidal marsh absorbing flow from both the outlet of the Little Qualicum River and the Strait of Georgia, supporting a complex ecosystem, including salmon spawning. Migratory waterfowl (including ducks, geese, and swans) rely on the area along with resident habitat users (including eagles, owls, egrets, deer, and otters). Because of the outflow of the river, pinnipeds are attracted to the area in the Strait of Georgia during spawning seasons. There are concerns about the health of the marsh habitats. Non-migrant Canada Geese overgraze, changing fresh and sea water levels and channel movement affect the tidal replenishment necessary to the marsh’s health.

Man-made diversions created to control flow and erosion Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary, diversions created to slow flow and stop erosion.JPG
Man-made diversions created to control flow and erosion

Access

There are no public trails into the sanctuary, though there are adequate viewing areas at the periphery of the property. Mount Cokely and Mount Arrowsmith are visible from the sanctuary.

Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary panoramic.JPG

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area</span> National Wildlife Area in Quebec, Canada

The Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area (NWA) located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the National Provincial Capital Region of Quebec, established on 28 April 1978. It is one of the critical habitats for the greater snow goose during migration. Flocks of tens of thousands of these birds stop over to feed on the bullrushes in the spring and fall. The tidal marsh was recognized as a wetland of international significance per the Ramsar Convention in 1981, the first North American site to receive that distinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zmudowski State Beach</span> State beach in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, California, United States

Zmudowski State Beach is located on Monterey Bay, in Moss Landing, Monterey County, northern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mullica River</span> River

The Mullica River is a 50.6-mile-long (81.4 km) river in southern New Jersey in the United States. The Mullica was once known as the Little Egg Harbor River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qualicum Beach</span> Town in British Columbia, Canada

Qualicum Beach is a town located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In the 2021 census, it had a population of 9,303. It is situated at the foot of Mount Arrowsmith, along the Strait of Georgia on Vancouver Island's northeastern coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge</span>

The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is a 9,870.35 acres (39.9439 km2) National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It is located in the central portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of the Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron and five miles (8 km) south of the city of Saginaw in the county's Spaulding and James townships. It was established in 1953 to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tidal marsh</span> Marsh subject to tidal change in water

A tidal marsh is a marsh found along rivers, coasts and estuaries which floods and drains by the tidal movement of the adjacent estuary, sea or ocean. Tidal marshes experience many overlapping persistent cycles, including diurnal and semi-diurnal tides, day-night temperature fluctuations, spring-neap tides, seasonal vegetation growth and decay, upland runoff, decadal climate variations, and centennial to millennial trends in sea level and climate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge</span> More than 40,000 acres of southern New Jersey Coastal Habitats and tidal wetlands

The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge located in southern and south-central New Jersey, along the Atlantic coast, north of Atlantic City, in Atlantic and Ocean counties. The refuge was created in 1984 out of two existing refuge parcels created to protect tidal wetland and shallow bay habitat for migratory water birds. The Barnegat Division is located in Ocean County on the inland side of Barnegat Bay. The Brigantine Division is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Atlantic City along the south bank of the mouth of the Mullica River. The two divisions are separated by approximately 20 miles (32 km). The refuge is located along most active flight paths of the Atlantic Flyway, making it an important link in the network of national wildlife refuges administered nationwide by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Forsythe Refuge is a part of the Hudson River/New York Bight Ecosystem and The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. The refuge is named for Edwin B. Forsythe, conservationist Congressman from New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suisun Marsh</span> Largest brackish water marsh on west coast of US

Located in northern California, the Suisun Marsh has been referred to as the largest brackish water marsh on west coast of the United States of America. The marsh land is part of the San Francisco Bay tidal estuary, and subject to tidal ebb and flood. The marsh is home to many species of birds and other wildlife, and is formed by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers between Martinez and Suisun City, California and several other smaller, local watersheds. Adjacent to Suisun Bay, the marsh is immediately west of the legally defined Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as well as part of the San Francisco Bay estuary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge</span>

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge is located in the fertile Willamette Valley of northwestern Oregon, 12 miles (19 km) south of Salem. The valley was once a rich mix of wildlife habitats. Valley wetlands were once extensive, with meandering stream channels and vast seasonal marshes. Today, the valley is a mix of farmland and growing cities, with few areas remaining for wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve</span>

The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, located in southeastern New Jersey, encompasses over 110,000 acres (450 km2) of terrestrial, wetland and aquatic habitats within the Mullica River-Great Bay Ecosystem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaksen National Wildlife Area</span> National Wildlife Area of Canada in Delta, British Columbia

The Alaksen National Wildlife Area is located on Westham Island in the city of Delta, British Columbia. It is an important stopover point for many species of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Bay (New Jersey)</span> Bay in New Jersey, U.S.

Great Bay is located in southern New Jersey's Atlantic Coastal Plain in Ocean and Atlantic Counties, about ten miles (16 km) north of Atlantic City and 87 mi (140 km) south of New York City. The Mullica River flows into the bay, and together they form the Mullica River - Great Bay estuary habitat. The bay is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Little Egg Inlet. Great Bay is considered one of the least-disturbed marine wetlands habitats in the northeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge</span>

The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a 9,125-acre (37 km2) National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along 50 miles (80 km) of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring raised public awareness of the effects of DDT on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Plain of the Koukdjuak</span>

The Great Plain of the Koukdjuak is located in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut within the Canadian Arctic. It is the namesake of the Koukdjuak River in western Baffin Island on the southeastern coast of Foxe Basin. It stretches from Cory Bay to Hantzsch Bay, and then inland.

The Delta National Wildlife Refuge is located 10 miles (16 km) east of Venice, Louisiana along the Mississippi River. The area formed when a breach in the natural levee of the Mississippi River occurred in 1862 approximately 100 miles (160 km) below New Orleans, Louisiana. The 48,000-acre (190 km2) refuge was purchased in 1935 with the primary purpose to provide sanctuary and habitat to wintering waterfowl. Access is by boat only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary</span> Migratory bird sanctuary in Delta, British Columbia, Canada

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is a protected area in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and is part of the Fraser River estuary, designated a site of Hemispheric Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldoyle Bay</span> Sea inlet and nature reserve north of Dublin, Ireland

Baldoyle Bay is a sea inlet on the east coast of Fingal in Ireland, in the historic County Dublin. It is situated between Portmarnock, at its head, and Baldoyle. It contains two small estuaries, those of the Sluice River and the Mayne River, and is sometimes called Baldoyle Estuary. The inlet is an important natural feature with protected status. It was once the site of a Viking longphort and later the fishing village of Baldoyle developed near its outlet to the sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qualicum National Wildlife Area</span> National Wildlife Area on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada

Qualicum National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The national wildlife area was established in 1977 by the Canadian Wildlife Service to protect critical habitat for migratory birds in the Nanaimo Lowland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitka Sedge State Natural Area</span> Natural area in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States

Sitka Sedge State Natural Area is an estuary and beach on the north coast of the U.S. state of Oregon in Tillamook County. Sitka Sedge consists of 357 acres (144 ha) of tidal marsh, mudflats, dunes, forested wetlands, and uplands at the south end of the Sand Lake estuary, north of Tierra Del Mar.

References

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Marshall-Stevenson Wildlife Sanctuary at Wikimedia Commons