Acadia University and the Nova Scotia Nature Trust have agreed to protect Bon Portage Island in Shelburne County.

The 121-hectare island is owned by Acadia and will remain university property, but the agreement will permanently protect its wildlife and their habitats.

Bon Portage Island is one of Nova Scotia's last remaining unspoiled islands and is an internationally-designated important bird area, according to the Nature Trust.

It's also one of the province's leading research and educational sites.

“Acadia’s mission and mandate recognize environmental literacy as one of the cornerstones of the Acadia experience. For many students that understanding comes from direct experiences in places like Bon Portage Island," said Tom Herman, vice president academic for Acadia, in a news release.

It's the first time in Canadian history that university land has been protected through such an agreement.

Last year, the Nature Trust and Acadia signed a memorandum of understanding to commit to ecological reviews of all Acadia’s land assets, and to work to protect the priority sites permanently.