Long Point–the world’s longest freshwater sand spit–in the heart of Carolinian Canada, offers our human visitors beautiful beaches, woodland and wetland trails, bird-watching and sustainable tourism activities. The Long Point Biosphere Reserve is home to the greatest number of plant and animal species in all of Canada. Long Point is an example of a Great Lakes coastal ecosystem – a unique blend of habitats including beaches, sand dunes, plains, freshwater marshes, cold water creeks, and Carolinian forests. It is a world-renowned refuge and stopover for migratory birds in fall and spring.
Biosphere Reserves are vital ecosystems, internationally recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Biosphere Reserves (only 18 in Canada) work to fulfill three basic functions:
Conservation — of landscapes, ecosystems, species biodiversity and genetic variation
Development — of a social, cultural and ecologically-sustainable economy
Facilitation — of research, monitoring and education related to local and global conservation.