More Canadians are choosing to donate land to support conservation efforts across the country.

Andrew Holland, a national media relations director with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), said many families donate land they have inherited or can no longer manage.

He said the properties often include forests, wetlands, shorelines and other natural areas that provide important habitat for wildlife.

“To date, there’s been over $1.3 billion worth of land donated in Canada through this program,” Holland said.

“So over 2,000 projects have happened since 1995.”

Holland said more people are learning about the federal Ecological Gifts Program, which provides tax incentives for landowners who donate ecologically significant property.

He said the program has helped protect areas that reduce the impacts of flooding, erosion and wildfires.

“People want to do more around land protection,” Holland said.

“They see that protecting a bit more land helps prevent erosion of our coastline areas… wildfires are happening more frequently.”

Holland said some families choose to donate land in memory of loved ones, while others want to ensure the property is preserved for future generations.

He said land donations also reduce the cost of conservation work for organizations like NCC, which would otherwise need to raise funds to purchase the land.