Grassy Place, Newfoundland and Labrador (Photo by NCC)

An oasis to be conserved

Picture yourself soaring like a bird over the flat-topped mountains of Newfoundland's west coast. The tops of the mountains are yellows, browns and greys, and they're completely treeless…barren. And then the mountain drops away, sheer down into this brilliant green valley and your eyes take a minute to adjust, it's that spectacular. It's the Grassy Place.

Grassy Place at a glance

The Grassy Place is a virtually pristine habitat at the headwaters of Robinsons River in southwest Newfoundland, 25 kilometres from Stephenville Crossing. This breathtaking 3,879-acre (1,570-hectare) gem is hidden in the Long Range Mountains; the most northerly extension of the Appalachian Mountains in North America.

The Grassy Place is the largest project the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has ever undertaken in Atlantic Canada. It contains the most extensive example of natural grasslands and is the largest wetland of its type in the province. The area is important to outdoor enthusiasts such as paddlers, birders, hikers and nature photographers.

Conservation values

• Long identified as an area of ecological significance and contains the most extensive example of natural grassland in Newfoundland and Labrador;
• Valley slopes are covered by virgin forest;
• This pristine environment is home to the threatened Newfoundland marten, of which there are only 900 in the world;
• Important refuge for the La Poile herd of woodland caribou and huge waterfowl populations of Canada geese, black ducks, green-winged teal and mergansers;
• At least one rare plant, Farwell's water-milfoil (a submerged aquatic), has also been found on the property. There are fewer than five known occurrences of this plant on the Island of Newfoundland. Other arctic-alpine flora may exist at the highest elevations on the property.