At-risk frog species to be protected through land acquisition

A western chorus frog. (Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters)

The expansion of a protected woodland in Longueuil is being hailed as a victory for an at-risk amphibian.

Nature-Action Quebec (NAQ) says it has acquired 1,140 square metres of land in the Fonrouge woodland. When combined with the non-profit’s 17 other properties, the protected area spans 2.27 hectares.

A portion of that land serves as a critical habitat and breeding ground for the western chorus frog, a species designated as vulnerable in Quebec and threatened in Canada.

NAQ says the land is home to many other species and is considered one of the last natural environments in the borough of Vieux-Longueuil, on the South Shore of Montreal. 

The acquisition was made through a co-funding agreement between the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Quebec government.

“This property has many wetlands that we must conserve because they deliver a range of ecological benefits. Their preservation is especially important in light of their urban location. The positive effects are therefore even more significant,” said Benoit Charette, Quebec’s Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, in a release.

The newly acquired land will connect to other green spaces, creating a “green corridor” with the Roberval and Du Tremblay woodlands.