Bennery Lake Nature Reserve protects mixed conifer-deciduous forest and several fens and treed bogs between Oakfield and Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

It supports a population of Michaux's dwarf birch, a rare species of birch that usually does not exceed 60 cm in height. It grows on the margins of about a dozen wetlands in Nova Scotia.

About half of the nature reserve overlaps with the Bennery Lake Watershed Protected Water Area, the water supply for Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Aerotech Business Park. The Protected Water Area designation regulates activities such as swimming, fishing, vehicle use, fires, forestry, and other land uses. Nature reserve designation of a portion of the water supply area complements Halifax Water's efforts to manage this watershed for drinking water. For more information on the Bennery Lake Watershed Protected Water Area please contact Halifax Water.