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#stewardship — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #stewardship, aggregated by home.social.

  1. I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;

    buttondown.com/blog/what-is-ac

    This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.

    (1/?)

    #stewardship

  2. I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;

    buttondown.com/blog/what-is-ac

    This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.

    (1/?)

    #stewardship

  3. I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;

    buttondown.com/blog/what-is-ac

    This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.

    (1/?)

    #stewardship

  4. I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;

    buttondown.com/blog/what-is-ac

    This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.

    (1/?)

    #stewardship

  5. RE: mastodon.nl/@voedselboskaboute

    This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

    #nature #biodiversity #Environment #activism #stewardship

  6. RE: mastodon.nl/@voedselboskaboute

    This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

  7. RE: mastodon.nl/@voedselboskaboute

    This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

    #nature #biodiversity #Environment #activism #stewardship

  8. RE: mastodon.nl/@voedselboskaboute

    This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

    #nature #biodiversity #Environment #activism #stewardship

  9. RE: mastodon.nl/@voedselboskaboute

    This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

    #nature #biodiversity #Environment #activism #stewardship

  10. Twenty-five critical areas for #biodiversity nationally recognized in #NovaScotia

    "#KBA [ #KeyBiodiversityArea] designation does not create legal protection. However, it does provide the evidence base to drive advocacy for protection where it’s needed most, as well as data to guide land-use planning and regional #stewardship."

    Peter Soroye, 6/29/2026

    Notable quotes:
    “In 2025, 10 #PipingPlover pairs produced 24 fledglings within the #MiddleOhio to #PortJoli KBA - an incredible success, which demonstrates the area’s importance to this species at risk. We're thrilled to see so many valuable habitats recognized; from across the #WabanakiAcadian forests to the ocean.” – Sue Abbott, Associate Director – Atlantic Programs, Birds Canada

    "Canada's #biosphere regions are places where science, communities, and #FirstNations combine their knowledge to care for the living world. The identification of 79 Key Biodiversity Areas across our Canadian biosphere regions, including the 25 announced today in Nova Scotia, illustrates what this network achieves in practice: contributing to Canada's biodiversity commitments and to the targets of the Force of Nature Strategy. Each designation is a collective victory that confirms the value of managing our territories by mobilizing all available knowledge, at every scale.” - Kate Potter, Executive Director, Canadian Biosphere Regions Association."

    Learn more:
    wcscanada.org/newsroom/news/tw

    #SolarPunkSunday #CriticalHabitats #ProtectNature #Miqmak #Canada #Stewardship #EndangeredSpecial #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

  11. #OntarioGreenbelt is a Refuge for Species at Risk

    #Toronto, May 22, 2026 – "On World #Biodiversity Day, a new report published by #OntarioNature demonstrates the critical role that the Greenbelt plays as a safe haven for some of Ontario’s most vulnerable species.

    "The report – Species at Risk in the Greenbelt: Successes, Challenges and Opportunities – shows that since 2004, the number of species at risk living in the Greenbelt has increased by 68%, rising from 72 to 121 species. That growth far outpaces provincial trends, confirming the Greenbelt’s critical importance for biodiversity in southern Ontario.

    "The 121 at-risk species that inhabit the Greenbelt represent 42% of the total species at risk in Ontario – including rare birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and plants. Some, like the hooded warbler, are showing signs of recovery thanks to protected habitats and coordinated conservation efforts. Others, like redside dace and Jefferson salamander, are struggling as habitat fragmentation and pollution harm breeding and feeding grounds. The habitats the Greenbelt provides for the hooded warbler, redside dace, Jefferson salamander and many other species not only sustain this diversity of life but play an essential role in human health by ensuring the flow of clean water, filtering the air and providing a natural buffer against flooding.

    " 'The Greenbelt shows us what’s possible when nature is given space to breathe,' said Ontario Nature’s Acting Conservation Science and #Stewardship Director, Jenna Quinn. 'But we can’t expect it to do all the work on its own. Species at risk need action to ensure their recovery.'

    "According to Ontario Nature’s Conservation Policy and Campaigns Director, Tony Morris: 'The #Greenbelt isn’t just a buffer against #UrbanSprawl, it’s a refuge for a diversity of life. Greenbelt #forests, #wetlands and #rivers are vital strongholds for many species that have lost habitats elsewhere in southern Ontario.'

    "The Greenbelt is a cherished public policy that celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025. On this #WorldBiodiversityDay, we reflect on the importance of the variety of life on Earth and encourage actions to protect it. The Greenbelt’s role in protecting habitats and vulnerable species is more important than ever. Collectively, we must do everything we can to protect, strengthen and expand the Greenbelt to keep Ontario self-reliant, secure and ready to meet future challenges."

    Learn more:
    ontarionature.org/news-release

    #SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors
    #PreserveTheForest #ReconnectNature #Canada #Biodiversity #ProtectNature #Interconnectedness #NatureCorridors #EndangeredSpecies #HabitRestoration

  12. So, many years ago, my colleagues at the #WildernessSchool had permission to pick blueberries at the #BlueberryBarrens at #CrystalSpringFarms, and also foraged in the surrounding areas. It's a lovely place and I'm so glad that it's being preserved -- despite all the development in #Maine!

    Summer Four Season Walk at Crystal Spring Farm

    Tuesday, July 21, 2026
    3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

    Crystal Spring Farm
    277 Pleasant Hill Road
    #BrunswickME, 04011 United States

    Pre-registration required. Suggested donation $5-$20.

    "Come walk the trails at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick as we get to know #NativePlants in summer.

    Four season walks are a popular series and a staff favorite: each year, we pick a new location, and then take the same walk, once per season. We will all engage in observing and asking questions of our surroundings, and identify the varied plants, shrubs, trees, ferns, and wildlife along the trail. Each season brings something new and spectacular to look at. The goal of these walks is to foster relationships with place through relationships with plants, and encourage further #stewardship of our community spaces. Crystal Spring is home to a lovely blueberry barren #ecosystem that we look forward to visiting together. Thank you to #BrunswickTopshamLandTrust for hosting us!"

    FMI and to register:
    wildseedproject.net/events/sum

    #SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #MidcoastMaine #SpendTimeInNature #LandTrust #PreservedLand #ObserveNature #PlantIdentification #NativePlants

  13. Reconnecting the Wild #Midwest

    Explore how #TNC is rebuilding connections between habitats to help #MidwestWildlife—and people—thrive in a changing climate

    Published March 02, 2026

    "Wildlife needs room to roam, and the Midwest is full of amazing habitats—such as forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers—that aren’t connected, leaving wildlife stuck and struggling. That's why TNC is linking forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers across the Midwest so wildlife can move, adapt and thrive.

    "What Is a Wildlife Corridor? Why Are They Important?

    "#Habitat Crridors can be interconnected land-based environments, such as #forests and #prairies, as well as #rivers and other freshwater passages that allow aquatic species to move freely. These healthy, #biodiverse areas are beneficial for people too, as they can help reduce flood risk to communities and provide more recreational opportunities in nature.

    "However, the Midwest region is highly fragmented. #Habitats are subdivided across different landowners, and many are highly degraded.

    "To address this, TNC serves as our own type of corridor, coordinating protection and #stewardship efforts across properties owned by many different partners. Through these collaborations, we help secure funding to connect science with #conservation on the ground and in the water.

    "Our work includes large-scale #HabitatRestoration projects that create and improve pathways, like our #CoastalRepair efforts in #SanduskyBay, #DamRemoval efforts in Southern #Indiana and our prescribed fire work in Southern #Illinois."

    Learn more:
    nature.org/en-us/about-us/wher

    #SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
    #Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation

  14. Small creeks are essential life feeders in forests. This small creek is a part of our local watershed. It is small, yet mighty with it's life-source; sustaining life for many cedar trees & the plants that grow on forest understory. Creeks need protection as much as big rivers do 💧🌲💧

    #nature #hiking #Saanich #waterway #cedar #trees #watershed #creek #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #ecology #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WaterIsLife #NatureEducation

  15. #SilentSunday

    A small, relatively unknown, Saanich community park. I discovered it over a decade ago. Jada found it about 2 years ago. She was surprised that I'm very familiar with this park because no one else she knows has been there before. We both love it because we see no other humans while visiting & exploring trails. I was telling her that you can find native sundew plants by lakeside & it's a good place to harvest fiddleheads & look for mushrooms. Told her about the beaver history of this tiny lake/wetlands spot too. The older huge beaver lodge was decimated a few years ago, due to human impact/road construction near their wood harvesting areas. The beavers weren't seen for awhile after that. They returned sometime over past 2 years & built a new beaver lodge - it's currently about 1/3 size of the previous lodge. No photos of it because we didn't go close to lakeside on our hike. Neither of us were into getting super muddy yesterday.

    This park space features:
    - multiple hiking trails from relatively easy to moderate levels
    - diversity of native plants/wildflowers
    - native amphibians are present; many frogs & turtles live there
    - healthy biodiversity of insects & invertebrates
    - birds diversity
    - beavers habitat
    - trees diversity
    - wetlands & marshes
    - fish bearing habitat
    - mix of sunny & shady rest spots; no benches or tables but some larger, open spaces that are good for resting at
    - community stewardship

    Super limited parking space. Only room for 2 cars on side of road, by the small park sign. Very easy to miss the sign if you're not paying close attention.

    #nature #hiking #Saanich #CommunityPark #forest #trail #footpath #wetlands #ferns #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #lake #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #DisabledPhotographers #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WorldInMyEyes #photography #NatureLovers

  16. Why this tribe is buying up hundreds of acres of farmland — and flooding it

    A new levee built by the #StillaguamishTribe separates farmland from newly restored #wetlands

    by John Ryan, May 3, 2026

    "Tribal officials say their habitat projects will help people as well as #salmon the next time floodwaters rise.

    "With restored #floodplains, more of the #StillaguamishRiver's destructive surges can spread out and dissipate before causing harm.

    "The Stillaguamish Tribe built a new levee last year, farther back from the river, before removing the old levee.

    " 'By giving the river more space, we are reducing the damage and the expense to society to maintain infrastructure. It's cheaper to maintain if you stay further away,' Griffith says."

    Read more:
    npr.org/2026/05/03/nx-s1-58060

    #SolarPunkSunday #WetlandRestoration #Stewardship #NativeAmericans #Rewilding #RestoringNature #MarshRestoration #AdapatingToClimateChange #RestoringHabitat #WildlifeHabitat #WetlandRestoration #WashingtonState

  17. #OgunquitME - #Stewardship #Workday: #BeachPlumFarm

    Wednesday, May 6, 2026
    9:00 am

    Beach Plum Farm
    610 Main St, Ogunquit, ME 03907

    "Beach Plum Farm is the last remaining #SaltWaterFarm in Ogunquit, home to #CommunityGardens, and the office of Great Works Regional #LandTrust.

    Join #GWRLT for a Stewardship Workday on Wednesday, May 6th, 9am to noon at Beach Plum Farm, Ogunquit. We will be removing invasive species and a spring cleanup. Let us know if you can help out by registering below."

    FMI and to register:
    gwrlt.org/event/stewardship-2/

    #SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #InvasivePlants #SpringCleanup #EnvironmentalStewardship #LandTrusts #GreatWorksRegionalLandTrust

  18. #FalmouthME - #FamilyFun at #GilslandFarm – Early Spring Session

    "Young children and their grown-ups are invited to spend an hour exploring #nature together through stories, songs, art, and play. Each week will include outdoor activities and adventures designed to foster a connection to nature, encourage #stewardship, and provide an introduction to group learning settings."

    Weekly on Wednesdays
    March 4 to April 15 (7 weeks)
    9:30-10:30 am OR 10:45-11:45 am
    $96/member child, $120/nonmember child

    Ages 2-5, siblings under 2 free

    Advanced registration is encouraged!

    Drop ins may be available upon request. Please email [email protected] by 5:00 the day before the program to check availability.

    FMI and to register:
    maineaudubon.org/events/family

    #SolarPunkSunday #MaineAudubon #MaineEvents #NatureBasedLearning #SpendTimeInNature #LessScreenTimeMoreGreenTime

  19. Please consider becoming a member!

    The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.

    coastalisc.com/become-a-member

    #Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW

  20. #MDACF - #BrowntailMoth in #Maine - Spotlight

    February 27, 2026

    "BrowntailMoth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea L.) populations decreased in some areas in 2025, but are still elevated in others. Check trees this winter to see whether your community may be impacted by browntail moth this spring. If you find winter webs, take action to make a difference!

    Browntail Moth (#BTM) is an invasive insect of forest and human health concern that feeds on #oak, #apple, #cherry, #crabapple, #elm, #birch, #poplar, #shadbush, and #rugosa rose bushes in Maine. BTM caterpillars have irritating hairs that break off their bodies and settle in the environment, causing an #ItchyRash for humans that come in contact with the hairs.

    In the winter, look for palm-sized BTM winter webs at the tips of trees to see if you may be dealing with BTM caterpillars in the spring and summer. Actions to take in the winter and spring:

    - Scout for and remove winter webs with hand snips or an extendable pole pruner in areas you can safely reach. Destroy webs in a contained fire or soak the webs in a bucket of soapy water for a few days before disposing.
    - Find professional help if you can't reach and remove winter webs. Licensed arborists, pesticide applicators, and FAA-certified drone operators may be able to help you remove webs or treat your infested trees to reduce BTM populations.
    - Insecticide treatments in mid-April to mid-May may also be effective at reducing populations.

    In mid-April, BTM caterpillars will emerge from their winter webs and begin feeding on the buds and leaves of their host trees until late June. Actions to take in late spring and summer:

    - Learn how to identify the browntail caterpillar and avoid areas where these caterpillars have been.
    - Change clothes and shower after working in infested areas to wash away irritating hairs and prevent the rash.
    - Keep outdoor lights off in July to dissuade BTM adult moths from flying near your dooryard and laying eggs in nearby trees."

    Source:
    maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news

    #SolarPunkSunday #SaveTheTrees #NaturalPestSolutions #Forestry #Stewardship #InvasiveSpecies #InvasiveSpeciesWeek #Maine #NewEngland #EasternCanada #Massachusetts #MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry

  21. This photo was sent to me via text.
    It's from my friend, Jeff, whom I originally met off of Mastodon, back in 2022. We met in person in 2023 & exchanged plants🪴We've stayed friends over the years. We are working towards similar community building goals, in separate areas of the island. Ideally, would love to have a full food security, localized food systems 'spine', running West-East/South-North, across #VancouverIsland.
    Jeff lives up island with his wife & kids. He also works in #nonprofit #FoodSecurity & #environmental #stewardship. He works for #Greenways #LandTrust in #CampbellRiver :
    greenwaystrust.ca/projects/foo

    This shows some of the work they've done at Maple Park Community Garden in partnership with #Strathcona Regional District. They acquired that land to steward/grow, earlier this year 💚👩‍🌾👨‍🌾👏

    #GrowFood #CommunityBuilding #CommunityGarden #CommunityPark #CommunitySpaces #Greenspaces #VanIsle #GrowFoodNotLawns #FoodEquity #Gardens #Nonprofits #ClimateAction #CommunityWork #BritishColumbia #Canada #GrowPlants #Grassroots

  22. #Maine - #Agricultural #ConservationEasements

    "The primary purpose of an Agricultural Conservation Easement is to protect the agricultural soils, agricultural viability, and agricultural productivity of a property in perpetuity by limiting non-agricultural uses of the property.

    What is it?

    "It is a voluntary, legally recorded permanent deed restriction place on the property. The easement or 'development right' may be donated or sold (or a combination of the two) usually to a land trust which then holds (and manages) the easement. Land protected from development with an easement remains in private ownership.

    Agricultural easements help farmers balance goals of:

    - generating revenue for farming or retirement;
    - making their land more affordable to future farmers;
    - keeping their farmland in farming;
    - maintaining a treasured legacy of #SustainableFarm #stewardship.

    "Agricultural conservation easements are private transactions, entered into for perpetuity, and thus harder to undo compared to other land protection land use strategies.

    "The process can take some time to negotiate and carry out. The cost of buying easements on a significant scale can be prohibitive. It is also important that the 'holder' of the easements has the capacity to ensure that the agricultural land is managed as intended.

    "You can contact your local #LandTrust or the statewide #MaineFarmlandTrust when considering easements as a farm viability and farmland protection tool."

    Read more (via #GrowSmartMaine):
    growsmartmaine.org/agricultura

    Learn more about Maine Farmland Trust:
    mainefarmlandtrust.org/farmlan

    #FarmsForMainesFuture #SaveTheFarms #Sprawl #LandPreservation #SolarPunkSunday #Farmland #FoodSecurity #MaineFarms #GrowLocal #EatLocal

  23. Returning land to tribes is a step towards justice and #sustainability, say #Wabanaki, #EnvironmentalActivists

    by Emily Weyrauch, December 1, 2020

    "Last month, the Elliotsville Foundation gave back 735 acres to the #PenobscotNation, a parcel of land that connects two Penobscot-held land plots. While this return of land is a significant milestone in terms of the work of conservation groups in Maine, it also reflects a larger shift in thinking about land ownership, from property and caretaking toward #IndigenousStewardship.

    "Before European settlers arrived, the land in Maine was stewarded by the Wabanaki people—a confederacy of five nations including Penobscot, #Passamaquoddy, #Maliseet, #Mikmaq and #Abenaki.

    "Early treaties between Indigenous tribes and settlers were signed, but not upheld. Early Maine court cases set the precedent for #LandTheft. The state legally prohibited treaty obligations from being published in its constitution. Ever since the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, the state government has significantly limited tribes’ sovereignty and access to ancestral lands. Now, the Maine legislature is preparing to take up a bill that would make 22 law changes to the 1980 act to promote Wabanaki sovereignty and correct the impacts of the 40-year-old piece of legislation that placed Wabanaki people in a separate category from other federally-recognized tribes.

    "Currently, a vast majority—90 percent—of land in Maine is privately owned, unlike in states like Nevada, Utah and Idaho, where the vast majority of land is owned by the U.S. government. Less than one percent of Maine land is owned by #Wabanaki people.

    "To many Indigenous people, the legacy of white-led conservation groups in Maine and nationwide represents a failure of true environmental stewardship.

    "'Across the country, land conservation groups and land trusts participated in depopulating, cutting off Indigenous access to certain lands and resources,' said Dr. Darren Ranco, associate professor of Anthropology and coordinator of Native American Research at the University of Maine.

    "Dr. Ranco said that the history of environmental protection in the U.S. starts in the 19th century and focuses on two movements: conservation and preservation.

    " 'On the one hand, you have people saying, ‘You want to use the public lands wisely’ — and that often led to extreme forms of exploitation through oil and gas contracts. The other side of it was, ‘Let’s just keep it wild and preserve it as-is, as a wild space,' " said Dr. Ranco, who is a member of the Penobscot Nation. 'Ironically, both of those approaches in the 19th century sought to displace Indigenous people.'

    " 'A lot of the [conservation] practices in the past actually marginalized native people, and didn’t allow for their voice to be heard, and discouraged their voices,' said Suzanne Greenlaw, a #Maliseet forestry scientist and PhD student at the University of Maine.

    " 'The native approach is very much in the center—we do harvest, but we harvest in a sustainable way that actually forms a relationship with the resource,” said Greenlaw, who conducts research on the sustainable harvesting of sweetgrass by Indigenous people.

    "In fact, the way that Indigenous people understand land is markedly different from western ideas of ownership.

    " 'The idea of private property puts us in this framing where the land, the water, and the air, and the animals, and everything else—all our relations—are meant to serve us, they are things below us, things to dominate and control and take ownership over,' said Lokotah Sanborn, a Penobscot activist.

    " 'For us, it would be absurd to say ‘I own my grandmother,’ or ‘I own my cousin,’ or ‘I own my brother.’ You don’t talk about things like that. And so when we’re talking about land ownership, it’s that same idea —these are our relations, these are things that hold a lot of significance to us,' said Sanborn.

    "While the planet’s Indigenous people make up less than five percent of the global population, they manage 25 percent of its land and support 80 percent of global biodiversity, research shows.

    " 'We’ve been led down this path toward climate catastrophe and the extinction of millions of species, all to drive #ExtractiveIndustries,' said Sanborn. 'If we wish to reverse these things, we need to give land back into the hands of Indigenous peoples and to respect our ability to protect those lands,' said Sanborn.

    "This growing recognition of Wabanaki #stewardship is part of the mission of First Light, a group that serves to connect Wabanaki people with conservation organizations who seek to expand Wabanaki access to land. Currently, 50 organizations are participating, including #MaineAudubon and #TheNatureConservancy.

    "Lucas St. Clair, president of the Elliotsville Foundation, participated in First Light’s year-long educational program before fulfilling a request by #JohnBanks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation, to return the 735-acre property to the Penobscot Nation. This comes four years after the foundation gave 87,500 acres of land to the federal government for the establishment of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. St. Clair said the foundation currently holds 35,000 acres of land.

    " 'In the grand scheme of things, this is not a lot of land,' said St. Clair, about the foundation’s recent transfer of 735 acres. 'It was more about justice, relationship-building and awareness.'

    " 'You see this move toward Indigenous knowledge and practices of management and conservation that have existed for hundreds of years, and this possibility with land conservation groups and Wabanaki people having a more central role in understanding and managing the lands is coming to the fore,' said Dr. Ranco.

    "And while organizations undergo the learning and transformational processes that precede giving back land, and as the legislature and courts are taking up questions of Wabanaki sovereignty and stewardship, people are working on the ground everyday to re-imagine relationships with land.

    "Alivia Moore, a Penobscot community organizer with the #EasternWoodlands #Rematriation collective, said that a crucial part of the work of expanding Indigenous access to land in Maine is recognizing and restoring the history of matriarchal Indigenous societies.

    " 'To restore land to Indigenous #matriarchies is to make sure that everybody has what they need on and from the earth. There’s enough for everyone,' said Moore

    "With #EasternWoodlandsRematriation, Indigenous people are growing their connections to #RegenerativeFoodSystems. Whereas cultural use agreements are more formal ways Indigenous people can access resources from the private land of people and organizations, Moore said other relationships can form and strengthen even informally.

    "Years ago, a white farmer offered land to Indigenous women to use for farming to restore their connection to the land. That has been an ongoing relationship that became one of mutual exchange of information and resources, shared learning and shared meals, said Moore.

    "The movement to give land back to Indigenous stewardship is not confined to a single organization, legal battle, or project. For Indigenous people—and a growing number of environmental organizations—it is a step toward justice and a sustainable future.

    "'Land back is not just about righting past wrongs. The point of land back is that it’s the future, if we wish to adequately address and avoid further global devastation from climate change,' said Sanborn."

    mainebeacon.com/returning-land

    #LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay

  24. #WabanakiStudies should be taught at all #MaineSchools

    OpEd by Hope Carroll, December 26, 2023

    "#Wabanaki history is ingrained across #Maine and has deep rooted cultural relationships with major natural landmarks that many of us see everyday. However, there is a concerning gap surrounding the important aspects of our state’s rich Wabanaki history and what little many students learn about it in Maine schools.

    "Wabanaki studies need to be consistently incorporated into all Maine school districts. According to a 2022 report done by the #AbbeMuseum, the #MaineACLU, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission and the #WabanakiAlliance, the Wabanaki studies law passed by Maine in 2001 is not appropriately enforced across the state.

    "The law 'requires schools to teach Maine K–12 students about Wabanaki territories, economic systems, cultural systems, governments, and political systems, as well as the Wabanaki tribes’ relationships with local, state, national, and international governments,' the report says.

    "The Portland public school system recently incorporated a Wabanaki studies program into its curriculum. This will hopefully be a good example for other districts across Maine and encourage them to do the same.

    "Teaching Wabanaki studies will help children gain a better understanding of the state. In time, this can help them develop a closer relationship with the #land and our responsibility to ensure that it is cared for and treated with respect.

    "'Through #traditional stories representing the terrestrial and aquatic systems, important [Wabanaki] values are imparted that safeguard culturally significant resources from overuse and ensure the persistence of the people and culture,' says Natalie Michelle, interdisciplinary studies and research assistant of native environmental studies in climate change at the University of Maine.

    "It is more important than ever that we look to native science as we face irreversible damage to our climate. We must prioritize implementing these ideals early into the educational careers of children so they go on to practice them throughout their lives.

    "Western science and education has taught the ideals of dominance over nature for centuries. This is reflected in practices that have contributed to the #extinction of animals, rises in #NaturalDisasters, food and water shortages and the numerous other effects of #ClimateChange. Instead of connecting with #nature, we are often taught to distance ourselves from the #NaturalWorld. We are taught to use vague and nonspecific naming tools like 'it' to refer to any non-human being.

    "'We use it to distance ourselves, to set others outside our circle of moral consideration, creating #hierarchies of difference that justify our actions — so we don’t feel,' says Robin Kimmerer, professor of environmental and forest biology at the State University of New York College of #EnvironmentalScience and #Forestry.

    "Kimmerer talks of alternatives to using 'it' to put ourselves on the same level as other living beings, recognizing them as relatives by calling them by their name. But she says that this can be difficult for many of her students because they were not taught these alternatives until now.

    "In my experience growing up in Maine and going to school, I never encountered a class focused on Wabanaki studies until college. I am grateful to have this opportunity now. But it has been difficult for me to implement these new ideals into my thinking toward the land around me because they seem so foreign.

    "Using the word 'foreign' seems wrong when describing ideals that have been used in Maine since long before any of us were here. But Maine schools and communities have an opportunity to change this.

    "Children who grow up in this state have the right and responsibility to know the history of the land around them. They have the right and responsibility to understand the negative implications of #colonization and #ForcedRemoval of the #WabanakiTribes and how despite horrible #historical events, the Wabanaki people have endured and developed their own #sovereign structures.

    "In order to create more inclusive classrooms that incorporate all aspects of our state history and work towards building respectful relationships with Maine land, other communities should follow the exciting example being set in #PortlandMaine."

    Source:
    bangordailynews.com/2023/12/26

    #WabanakiConfederacy #LandBack #IndigenousPeoples
    #IndigenousSovereignty #ClimateCrisis #LandStewards
    #Stewardship #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews

  25. The #Tonawanda #Seneca Nation’s Fight to Protect the #BigWoods and stop STAMP

    By Margaret Wooster (WNY Environmental Alliance) with Sarah Howard (Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation + Allies of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation) June 16, 2023

    "One of Western #NewYork’s greatest treasures is a 20,000-acre #wetland-#grassland complex located mainly in the Town of Alabama, and locally known as 'Alabama Swamp.' It is also known as the Sixth Great Lake, a glacial lake now largely underground but surfacing in the plentiful streams and pools that make this watery landscape essential to the many reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds who live or pass through, especially during spring migration.

    "This area is also home to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, a federally recognized Nation and part of the #HaudenosauneeConfederacy. The extraordinary #biodiversity of this area is in large part a testament to their ongoing #stewardship and reciprocal relationship with the more-than-human beings who also call this place home.

    "But now, this place, and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation itself, faces an existential threat to their well-being. The #GeneseeCounty Economic Development Center (#GCEDC) has purchased 1,260 acres of habitat and farmland to build a Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (#STAMP) adjacent to the Nation’s territory. The site is also located within a few miles of multiple state and federally protected areas, including the #Iroquois National #Wildlife Refuge and the John White Wildlife Management Area.

    "The STAMP plan capitalizes on federal and state subsidies for #microchip fabrication. To date, however, its only tenant is Plug Power, a #HydrogenFuelCell manufacturer whose product will have to be trucked many miles to market, undermining its justification as 'green power.'

    "Two other possible developers – semiconductor producer #EdwardsVacuum and the warehouse developer #ScannellProject – would pave or build over the site’s northern 600-plus acres and bring an extra 140 #cars and #diesel trucks per hour up the narrow country road that leads to the refuge and through the Nation.

    "However, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and their allies, including other local residents and numerous environmental organizations, are fighting back against this industrial development. In February [2023], the GCEDC applied for a 'Full Campus Incidental Take Permit' that would allow them to remove habitat for #endangered and threatened #wildlife species known to occupy the site, including the #ShortEaredOwl and the #NorthernHarrierHawk. In response to the hundreds of letters it received from the public about this permit, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) required the GCEDC to hold a public hearing, which took place on May 11 in the town of Basom.

    "More than 185 people attended the hearing. All 49 who spoke were opposed to the permit and the majority expressed opposition to the entire STAMP project. Speaking in opposition were numerous members of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, including titleholders, as well as allies from groups including the Buffalo Niagara #Waterkeeper, #SierraClub, #SaveOntarioShores, SUNY ESF, University of Rochester, Western New York Environmental Alliance and the #CleanAirCoalition of Western New York. In the words of Tonawanda Seneca Nation Sub-Chief Scott Logan (Bear Clan), 'If this permit were to be granted, it would be an immense injustice to #MotherEarth. And as a #Haudenosaunee person, and all the Haudenosaunee People in here, that is our birthright. It is our, what we are here for, is to protect the earth. And the STAMP Project goes a hundred percent against what we are — what we’re all about.'

    "The STAMP site is located immediately adjacent to the Nation’s present-day reservation boundaries. Indeed, the most intensive manufacturing will be located along the project’s border with the Nation. However, as their Council of Chiefs has repeatedly stated in public comment letters and letters to agencies responsible for granting permits sought by the developers, the project’s approval process has continuously and egregiously undermined the Nation’s #sovereignty. In violation of their status as a federally recognized #TribalNation, the Tonawanda Band of Seneca’s Council of Chiefs – their traditional governance structure – has not been afforded a robust consultation process in decision-making about the project. Instead, opportunities for consultation have been perfunctory at best, and have focused almost exclusively on mitigation.

    "In their official letter to the NYDEC regarding the proposed Part 182 Take Permit (mentioned above), the Nation’s Council of Chiefs wrote that, 'The Tonawanda Seneca Nation opposes this habitat destruction and would directly be impacted by it. The permit would allow for unmitigated incidental take on Nation lands when, inevitably, increased human presence, noise, excavation, light and traffic would disturb these species and turn them away… We do not want our Territory, people or future generations to be burdened by the negative impacts of these projects. This is a human rights issue for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Haudenosaunee, who would bear a disproportionate burden from the industrialization of the land at STAMP.'

    "The Council of Chiefs has demanded that a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be carried out to assess the possible impacts on the Nation, its culture and its environment; to date there has been no such study and the 2012 STAMP EIS (which did not analyze impacts on the nation) is badly outdated."

    globaljusticeecology.org/tonaw

    #ForestDefenders #SenecaNation #FirstNations #NativeAmericanRights #CulturalGenocide #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #HydrogenPower

  26. The location & boundaries of #MPAs are being determined by #conservation priorities identified through intensive #consultation with #MarineScientists , #FirstNations #stewardship #leaders & other experts. Similar to the GBR, long-term funding will promote #responsible #EconomicDevelopment in the #GreatBearSea & support #sustainable fisheries, #ecotourism & community-led conservation projects to ensure effective #marine stewardship into the future.

    theglobeandmail.com/amp/canada

    #BritishColumbia #PNW