The most striking feature of the wetlands here is the extensive intertidal mudflats on both sides of the Bay. At Grande Anse and at Daniel’s Flats they
extend seaward for over 2 km at low tide. The flats consist of fine silts that have been built up over time through deposition from muddy tidal waters.
These extensive areas and their associated invertebrate fauna are critical feeding grounds for migrant sandpipers and plovers during late summer and
early autumn.
The particular policies that are in place came about by a direct collaborative effort of the former Town of Sackville with various conservation groups
located in the area that have a vested interest in the Waterfowl Park and the surrounding Tantramar Marsh and other wetlands (groups such as The
Canadian Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited Canada). The municipality itself controls the functioning and use of the Ramsar Site regarding
maintenance, education, and continued conservation efforts.
The Waterfowl Park Advisory Board was created to help the municipality manage and properly use the Ramsar Site and the board is strategically
comprised of members of key stakeholders in the area including, but not limited to: municipal staff, municipal council, The Canadian Wildlife Service,
Ducks Unlimited, Birds Canada, Mount Allison University, the Tantramar Outdoor Club, NatureNB and other conservation and climate-oriented NGOs.
Most of the protected wetland areas within our municipal boundaries are controlled and maintained by government and non-government organizations
with the exception of the Ramsar Site of the Waterfowl Park which is within the purview of the municipality with policies and process in place for its
continued use and protection.
The municipality has a tourism manager that oversees the promotion and highlight of the Ramsar Site and its impact on the municipality and the
surrounding area through internal consultation and key performance indicators (KPIs).
The municipality of Tantramar has a robust water and wastewater treatment facility and regularly works with other conservation groups on compiling
water testing data in wetlands, lakes and water courses throughout the municipality.
The tourist information centre at the entrance to the Ramsar Site is used to educate and inform visitors both local and abroad about the Waterfowl Park,
the surrounding wetlands and the importance of them in many aspects of our existence within the Bay of Fundy tidal system.
The Tantramar Wetlands Centre has been operating out of our local high school for 25 years offering a first of its kind education experience to school aged
kids about the importance and continued conservation efforts of wetlands. Children from across Atlantic Canada and beyond get firsthand experience
working and researching wetlands on the edges of the Ramsar Site within the municipality.
