Canadian company donates 1,800 hectares to protect Gander Lake habitats

A Canadian forestry company has donated more than 1,800 hectares of forest, wetlands and freshwater shoreline in central Newfoundland and Labrador to support a major conservation initiative around Gander Lake. The donation from Domtar will allow the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to protect four parcels of land along the Southwest Gander River and Gander Lake, near Glenwood and Appleton. The project aims to improve wildlife movement across connected natural habitats while safeguarding important ecosystems in a region where relatively little land is formally protected.Domtar's 1,800-hectare donation strengthens conservation around Gander LakeThe Nature Conservancy of Canada announced the initiative on October 1, 2025, describing it as the largest land donation it had received during its 54 years of conservation work in Atlantic Canada. According to the organisation's announcement, the donation covers more than 1,800 hectares, equivalent to approximately 4,400 acres, of boreal forest, freshwater shoreline and wetlands.The land is spread across 4 large parcels situated along the Southwest Gander River and Gander Lake. These properties are close to the communities of Glenwood and Appleton, placing the conservation initiative within an important landscape of central Newfoundland.Domtar's contribution will enable NCC to conserve the land rather than leave its long-term protection dependent on future decisions about its use.