Lyal Island © Thomas Emptage
Permanent Protection
We acquire additional properties to strategically expand our nature reserve system and protect critical habitat. Your gift of land or the funds to manage and expand the system will protect species at risk, provincially imperiled habitats and globally-recognized sites.
Our nature reserves were either purchased by us or donated by people who love nature. They are all cared for by people who value nature and owned forever by members of Ontario Nature.
Aphrodite fritillary butterfly, Kinghurst Forest Nature Reserve © Jerry Asling
Protect Your Land
A title transfer allows you to protect your property now, or arrange to do so in the future, by donating or selling the property to a conservation organization, such as Ontario Nature. Learn More.
A conservation easement (also known as a covenant) allows you to permanently protect your property without giving up ownership. It is a legal agreement between you and a conservation organization, like Ontario Nature. Learn More.
Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program helps landowners protect their property and receive tax benefits under the Income Tax Act. Learn More.
You can leave a legacy for nature through a gift of land. Many of our nature reserves were special gifts from people who wanted to protect a special piece of nature that they owned. Learn More.
Spring forest, Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve © Eric Davis
1. Title Transfer
You may wish to protect your land for the future by transferring the title to your property now or arranging to do so later. Donating or selling your land will ensure its long-term protection, and does not necessarily entail your loss of access to that land while you or your family is alive. In fact, there are ways to structure a donation that allow you to receive a life income from your land.
Lyal Island Nature Reserve © Smera Sukumar
Options available to donate or sell a property, include:
- Donate or sell your land to an organization with a conservation mandate such as Ontario Nature.
- Reserve a “life interest” when you give or sell the land, meaning that you or a family member can continue to live on the property.
- Transfer your land with a charitable gift annuity or unitrust, which would allow you to receive regular annuity payments from recipient charity.
- Sell or donate the land, and then lease all or a portion of it back for a certain period of time.
- Make a charitable gift through a bequest in your Will, to fund land acquisitions.
- Establish a private trust to define what the property is used for.
- Grant a “right of first refusal” so Ontario Nature or another conservation group has the first chance to buy the property, if and when you decide to sell
A birthday hike, Sydenham River Nature Reserve © Heather Bowman
If you are considering a gift of land, the group that you are donating a property to will likely ask you to consider an additional gift of stewardship funds. Gifts of land come with additional costs such as appraisals, surveys, severances, legal fees, habitat restoration costs and management costs.
Selling or donating land may involve large tax liabilities. To counteract this, Ontario Nature and other charitable organizations can issue an income tax receipt for donated land that you can use as a tax credit to reduce your annual taxes.
Saugeen Alvar Nature Reserve © Noah Cole
2. Conservation Easement
In legal terms, a conservation easement is registered on title, remaining in force if the land is sold or transferred to a new owner. The terms and conditions of a conservation easement are negotiated between the landowner and the conservation organization holding the easement. Easements are tailor-made and can be designed to protect an entire property, or only those features cherished by the landowner. The role of the conservation organization is to monitor the management of the easement property to ensure that the agreed restrictions are being honoured. Easements are intended to help landowners protect important features of your land forever.
Ontario Nature will enter into an easement with a landowner in areas surrounding one of our nature reserves, or in limited cases where no other conservation organization is active.
Spotted salamander, Lost Bay Nature Reserve © Smera Sukumar
3. Ecological Gifts
Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program helps landowners protect their property and receive tax benefits under the Income Tax Act. Landowners who donate or enter into a conservation easement agreement may be eligible to receive a tax receipt through the Ecological Gifts Program. To participate in the program a property must meet certain ecological standards. This program provides added tax incentives to the landowner.
To find out more visit the Ecological Gifts Program website.
Spring peeper, Kinghurst Nature Reserve © Gabe Camozzi
4. Gift of Land
You can leave a legacy for nature that will forever by donating land. Many of our nature reserves were gifts from people who wanted to protect a special piece of nature they owned. Our nature reserve system was established from properties given to Ontario Nature to safeguard forever, and by properties purchased with funds from bequests, grants and individual donations.
Ontario Nature conducts science-based assessments prior to accepting gifts of land to ensure the properties align with our strategic priorities. Currently, we are accepting gifts in the following regions:
- Adjacent to our nature reserves.
- In our priority regions: Sydenham River Watershed, Frontenac Arch, and Saugeen-Bruce and Grey Counties (see map).
- Exceptional cases where no other land trust is active in the area.
Baptist Harbour Nature Reserve © Smera Sukumar
Find out how you can contribute to our Nature Reserve Program by contacting our Conservation Science and Stewardship Director, Smera, at 1-800-440-2366 ext. 229.
ON Nature Magazine
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© Lena Morrison