Stewardship Association of Municipalities

Burgeo

SAM Member Since: July 2010

Coastal Stewardship

The Town of Burgeo, located on the south coast of Newfoundland, has a rich history of nearly 500 years. Before Europeans came to the area, indigenous peoples such as Dorset Eskimos and Beothuck Indians frequented the many bays of the local archipelago and adjacent mainland. The 1790s saw the first influx of permanet settlers who made a living fishing the inshore waters mainly for cod. In the early years Burgeo was in essence several smaller pocket communities that were growing and it was inevitable that they would merge and become one. The Town of Burgeo was officially incorporated in 1950.

Coastal Stewardship Zone

Burgeo and its surrounding coastal area represents one of the premier habitats for Common Eider in Newfoundland which utilize the beaches, rocky cliffs, shoals and offshore islands at various times throughout the year for breeding, nesting, molting, staging and overwintering. The Town of Burgeo is also a very significant site provincially for the endangered Piping Plover. The Burgeo area includes a total of 11 beaches that have been deemed suitable Piping Plover habitat. Burgeo, through the commitment of its residents, has already been the focus of habitat enhancement efforts in the area including installing Eider nest shelters, planting upland vegetation, and live-release of young. In addition, Burgeo has been the focus of stewardship efforts related to Piping Plover which include beach monitoring and educational interpretation.