The Nature Conservancy of Canada is a step closer to completing a large coastal conservation project near St. John’s after a grant of $43,000 by the federal government.

The 243-acre Freshwater Bay property, valued at $2.2-million, was donated by the Crosbie Group Ltd. to the Conservancy for both conservation and recreation.

The organization is looking for financial support from local businesses and community members to raise the final $150,000 in private donations required for the establishment, management and stewardship of the Freshwater Bay Nature Reserve.

That is a popular destination for hikers and birders, with a section of the East Coast Trail running through it on the route to Cape Spear.