#stewardship — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #stewardship, aggregated by home.social.
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RE: https://mastodon.nl/@voedselboskabouters/117241675723155622
This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
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RE: https://mastodon.nl/@voedselboskabouters/117241675723155622
This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
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It seems that for trusteeship, as described by Ghandi, to work going into the future. A key part of education has to be teaching of ethics, virtue and morals. And a key virtue to my mind and heart is mutual respect which will lead to the destruction of separability and othering.
A part of that development of mutual respect, which has to apply to ourselves as well, might be seen in this quote from Neil Postman sociologist and author of the book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (1985)
"Children enter school as question marks and leave as periods."
Forty years ago, the question remains "When will we ever learn?" in reply I would say we never stop.
#education #stewardship -
Space junk punched a new hole in the moon. It’s not ours to abuse
"The space industry treats the sky as a place to dump what it no longer wants. We must develop a new model of accountability...Stewardship asks what we owe a place. Ownership asks what we can extract from it before anyone stops us."
"It’s the same hubris a mining company has about a river, or a fleet has about a fishery, right up until the fish are gone. We are simply exporting the same appetite further out, because the moon, unlike the ocean or the atmosphere, has no way to fight back."
"This is the same posture empires have always taken toward frontiers they didn’t build and don’t have to live inside the consequences of. Plant a flag, extract the value, leave the mess for whoever comes next, and call the mess someone else’s problem, or better yet, call it nobody’s problem, because there was never an owner to complain. People love to own the profits without owning the consequences of them left in their wake."
"Ownership was never really the problem. Nobody owned the lands where Native Americans thrived either. The problem is that we are acting out ownership’s oldest habits, extraction without accounting, expansion without consequence, on a body we all agreed, on paper, to hold in common." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/31/space-junk-moon-hole
#stewardship #accountability #extractivism #mindset #frontier #expansion #harm #technology #SpaceIndustry #JunkSpace #abandonment #dumping #entitlement #moon #OuterSpaceTreaty #FirstNationsPeoples -
In #Guatemala, #Indigenous women build #ClimateResilience with old and new farming methods
#AncestralKnowledge combined with #climatesmart techniques is boosting #FoodSecurity and increasing family incomes in the #LakeAtitlán region
Adam Wentworth, July 2, 2026
Excerpt: "The impacts of #ClimateChange on Indigenous communities can often lead to further #environmental damage as farmers are forced to rely on unsustainable practices, such as cutting down trees to clear more land. This can accelerate water scarcity, soil erosion and ultimately food insecurity.
"An ongoing adaptation project led by Natün has sought to reverse these impacts, working with local people to combine modern climate-smart agriculture and ancestral knowledge. The approach involves the use of #DroughtResistant crops, organic pest management and #SoilConservation techniques. This is increasingly recognised as an effective way to strengthen climate resilience.
" 'Our approach is based on soil analysis and the use of locally resilient, endemic tree species, significantly increasing survival rates and ensuring sustainable water availability despite changing rainfall patterns,' Wason explained."
#SolarPunkSunday #NaturalPestControl #ClimateChangeGardening #SoilHealth #IndigenousKnowledge #TEK #Stewardship #OrganicFarming #Mayan #NewTechnology #NahualateRiverBasin #AgriculturalResilience #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge
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#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:
https://ontarionature.org/news-release/greenbelt-is-a-refuge-for-species-at-risk/#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors
#PreserveTheForest #ReconnectNature #Canada #Biodiversity #ProtectNature #Interconnectedness #NatureCorridors #EndangeredSpecies #HabitRestoration -
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:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/midwest/stories-in-the-midwest/wildlife-corridors/#SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
#Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation -
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:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/midwest/stories-in-the-midwest/wildlife-corridors/#SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
#Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation -
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:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/midwest/stories-in-the-midwest/wildlife-corridors/#SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
#Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation -
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:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/midwest/stories-in-the-midwest/wildlife-corridors/#SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
#Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation -
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:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/midwest/stories-in-the-midwest/wildlife-corridors/#SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
#Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation -
If Acts Happened Today, Would We Call It Communism?
For many, "communism" has become less a political philosophy and more a conversation stopper. But is every effort to use our shared resources to care for the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable really communism? This article examines the difference between political labels and biblical principles, comparing the teachings of the early Church with today's political rhetoric. -
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
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#Signs by the nature house & along boardwalk at #SwanLakeNatureSanctuary.
#ConservingWater - #MicroIrrigation
#NativePlantGarden - #PreservingHabitats
#WesternPaintedTurtle - citizens' monitoring & reporting information.#Saanich #VictoriaBC #NatureEducation #LearnAboutNature #WildlifeConservation #CommunityEducation #nonprofit #NatureConservation #stewardship #ProtectNature #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #VisitAndLearn #NaturePark #BirdsEstuary #NoDogsAllowed #WaterConservation
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#SwanLakeNatureSanctuary - the #NatureHouse. This is where I worked out of in my late 20s, as a nature interpreter/educator for public school field trips for a few months. I taught out of the nature house, an outdoor gazebo & on the central dock at the nature sanctuary.
There's been several upgrades to the nature house & to the nature sanctuary, since the early 2000s.https://www.swanlake.bc.ca/the-nature-house-2
#Saanich #VictoriaBC #NatureEducation #LearnAboutNature #Naturalists #architecture #CommunityEducation #nonprofit #NatureConservation #stewardship #ProtectNature #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #VisitAndLearn
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Scenes from #SwanLakeNatureSanctuary 💚💙💚
#NatureSanctuary #Wetlands #Marshlands #Estuary #Nature #UrbanPark #Ecological #biodiversity #Saanich #Wsanec #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #PNW #lake #stewardship #nonprofit #GetOutside #NatureWalk #boardwalk #Spring #ecosystem #watershed #waterway
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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:
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/03/nx-s1-5806062/washington-tribe-restore-wetlands-fish#SolarPunkSunday #WetlandRestoration #Stewardship #NativeAmericans #Rewilding #RestoringNature #MarshRestoration #AdapatingToClimateChange #RestoringHabitat #WildlifeHabitat #WetlandRestoration #WashingtonState
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We've added two wooden/wicker chairs by lower raised garden beds & near our berries grow zone. A lovely spot to take a rest break.
#WellandCommunityOrchard #nonprofit #RestSpot #CommunityOrchard #OrchardPark #Stewardship #FoodSecurity #FoodSystems #ViewRoyal #YYJ #Saanich #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #PhotoDocumentation #GrowFruit #FruitTrees #FoodEquity #CultivatingCommunities #LifecyclesProjectSociety #Spring #TakeABreak #HaveASeat
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Building #Resilience in Your #Garden for Challenges
April 17, 2024 by Hellen James
"Gardening can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. From unpredictable weather patterns to pests and diseases, maintaining a thriving garden requires resilience. In this article, we’ll explore practical strategies to build resilience in your garden, ensuring it can withstand whatever challenges come its way.
Takeaways
1. Choose resilient plant varieties suited to your climate and soil conditions.
2. Improve soil health with #compost, #WormCastings, and cover crops to support plant resilience.
3. Implement water-efficient strategies such as #DripIrrigation and #rainwater harvesting to conserve water.
4. Utilize #NaturalPestControl methods like introducing beneficial insects and #CompanionPlanting.
5. Adapt to changing climate conditions by incorporating climate-resilient gardening practices.
6. Plan and prepare for each season to optimize plant growth and resilience.
7. Foster #biodiversity through companion planting and native plant selections to enhance garden resilience.
8. Create microclimates to tailor growing conditions to the specific needs of your plants.
9. #Mulch to suppress weeds, regulate soil temperature, and retain moisture for improved resilience.
10. Embrace #SustainableGardening practices to build long-term #resilience and environmental #stewardship.Full article:
https://unifiedgarden.com/building-resilience-in-your-garden-for-challenges/#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningChallenges #ClimateChangeGardening #EnvironmentalStewardship #RainwaterHarvesting #BuildingResiliency #FoodSecurity
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#Peaceful #tranquility 💚 #W̱MÍYEŦEN #Nature #Sanctuary.
#Wsanec #CoastSalish -> wh-my-eh-then: Place of the Deer🦌🙏
#Nature #MonochromeMonday #FavePlaces #NatureConservation #Lake #monochrome #BWphoto #landscape #ecosystem #ecological #stewardship #environmental #Saanich #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #biodiversity
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This is potentially a game-changer when it comes to dealing with #Knotweed (which just laughs at #Glyphosate)!
#MeshTech: A New Strategy for Managing Knotweed
February 24, 2026
"Knotweed (#Reynoutria spp.) is a severely invasive plant originating from Eastern Asia. Introduced to the East Coast in the late 1800s as an ornamental, knotweed has since become ubiquitous across North America, reaching over 40 US states and 8 Canadian provinces. Knotweed has proven extremely detrimental to a wide variety of ecosystems in which it has established. Forming tall, dense thickets, knotweed shades out native plants, preventing them from growing. Additionally, knotweed is #allelopathic, meaning it releases organic compounds into the soil that inhibits the growth of native plant species.
Knotweed also increases erosion along streams and riverbanks. By shading out native groundcover species and reducing the diverse root reinforcement provided by native species in riparian zones, riverbanks lose considerably more soil when infested with stands of knotweed (Hammer 2019, Matte et al. 2021). This erosion can increase turbidity of waterways, potentially affecting fish and other aquatic species (Henley et al. 2000). The reduction of native plants in riparian zones paired with winter dieback of knotweed stems also leaves riverbanks extremely vulnerable to winter and early spring flooding. This degradation of the riparian area creates a feedback loop in which floods carry knotweed propagules downstream, where they can colonize and increase erosion in new areas (Colleran et al. 2020).
Historically, management of knotweed has been extremely time-and-resource intensive. Large populations require years of consistent treatment, often combining mechanical and chemical approaches to be effective. This commitment to diligent, multi-year mechanical treatment can be discouraging and can lead many to abandon treatment plans before completion. However, a new knotweed management technique could reduce labor inputs.
Developed by Dr. Eric Donnelly, the MeshTech management technique has produced promising results at managing the growth and spread of knotweed while dramatically reducing labor inputs. This method involves cutting knotweed stems down to the soil level and laying -inch galvanized steel hardware fencing over the cut stems. When knotweed resprouts, it grows through the openings in the fencing. As stems mature and thicken, the metal fencing will begin to cut into the stems.
The knotweed will continue to grow through the fencing, effectively girdling itself at its base. This method aims to impact knotweed's nutrient pathways while also damaging the structural integrity of the plant. Alone, this method cannot eradicate knotweed populations. However, the MeshTech method can potentially reduce the health and vigor of knotweed, thus reducing the amount of cutting required in a growing season and the rate of spread in an area.
At the #PleasantHillPreserve in #ScarboroughME, the #ScarboroughLandTrust (#SLT) has begun implementing the MeshTech method to manage a portion of their knotweed infestation. An effort led by SLTs #Stewardship Director Sami Wolf and Nathan Hjort, owner of Absolutely Complete Property Services, initial results indicate that the hardware fencing is proving successful. The knotweed forced to grow through the hardware fencing at Pleasant Hill Preserve showed clear signs of strain. Stems demonstrated significantly stunted growth and had even begun flowering early, an indication that a plant is under stress. While knotweed struggled to grow through the -inch holes, #NativeFlora had begun to sprout up through the hardware fencing. Other knotweed management practices, such as #tarping or mowing, often discourage the growth of native species in a management area. Over time, the presence of native flora could provide an extra level of #BioticResistance that could help slow the growth of knotweed and help kickstart #NativeRevegetation efforts. Eventually, supplemental plantings of native woody species can take place by cutting openings in the fence to allow for these larger species to grow. The fence can also be easily staked down, preventing knotweed or moving water from moving it out of place.
It is important to note that knotweed is a resilient plant and there is no single management action alone that will completely eliminate a population. The most effective knotweed management strategies use creative combinations of multiple approaches. Knotweed is a rhizomatous species, meaning it has an extensive, underground nutrient storage system made up of horizontal rhizomes that store nutrients. Draining this underground nutrient storage is the key to effectively managing an infestation. Consistent cutting of knotweed forces the plant to exhaust its below ground resources. By combining a cutting regimen with the MeshTech method, land managers could potentially see a significant reduction in their management timeline.
The effectiveness of this method provides promising implications for the future of knotweed management in Maine. Paired with consistent management, the MeshTech method could provide Maine with another tool to mitigate the spread of knotweed and reduce our reliance on chemical treatments."
Source:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news.shtml?id=13343931#SolarPunkSunday #NaturalSolutions #NoHerbicides #HerbicideAlternatives #JapaneseKnotweed #LandTrusts #Rewilding #NativePlantSpecies #RestoringNativePlantSpecies #InvasiveSpecies #InvasiveSpeciesWeek
#MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry -
Note - #AsianLadyBeetles, another #InvasiveSpecies, actually feeds on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid! A reason to shoo the beetles outside if they are in your house!
#Maine [and #NewEngland] - Help Track a #Hemlock Pest
February 26, 2026
"#HemlockWoollyAdelgid (#HWA) is an #aphid-like invasive insect that feeds on and can kill hemlock trees in Maine. To find HWA, look:
- On hemlock trees. In North America, HWA is found only on hemlock trees.
- On the undersides of hemlock twigs. At this time of year, HWA is covered in white tufts of wax and is easy to see. Look for discrete 'woolly' masses.
At fallen twigs on top of the snow, as this will give you a picture of what is happening high in the crown. Unless you are in an area where HWA is commonly found (such as southern coastal towns), please let us know if you find it.Unless you are in an area where HWA is commonly found (such as southern coastal towns), please let us know if you find it. "
Wikipedia: "Accidentally introduced to North America from Japan, HWA was first found in the eastern United States near Richmond, #Virginia, in 1951. The pest is now found from northern #Georgia to coastal# Maine and southwestern Nova Scotia as well as areas of western #Michigan near the eastern #LakeMichigan shoreline. As of 2015, HWA has affected 90% of the geographic range of #EasternHemlock in North America."
Read more [includes photos for identification]:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news.shtml?id=13343953#SolarPunkSunday #HemlockTrees #SaveTheTrees #Forestry
#Stewardship #InvasiveSpecies
#InvasiveSpeciesWeek #NaturalPestControl
#NewEngland #EasternCanada
#Massachusetts #EasternSeaboard #MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry -
#Wheelbarrows & folks OK working with them are absolutely essential to year-round #community #OrchardCare #stewardship work!
https://lifecyclesproject.ca/our-projects/welland-community-orchard/
#LifecyclesProject #FoodSystems #Nonprofit #FoodSecurity #fruitTrees #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #CommunitySharing #CommunityBuilding #Volunteers #FoodSharing #Teamwork #WorkParty #mulch #ViewRoyal #VolunteerWithLifecycles #CultivatingCommunities
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#Wabanaki group restoring 245-acre farm in #SwanvilleME as food hub
#Niweskok, a Wabanaki-led #FoodSovereignty organization, recently bought the farm to aid its work reinvigorating traditional crops and land management.by Gillian Graham, May 8, 2025
"A Wabanaki-led food sovereignty organization recently acquired a 245-acre farm in Swanville, marking the return of Wabanaki stewardship to ancestral lands in the Penobscot Bay region.
"Niweskok: From the #StarsToSeeds, a collaboration of Wabanaki #FoodAndMedicine providers, has focused for years on reinvigorating #TraditionalCrops and #LandManagement strategies, distributing #TraditionalFoods and hosting workshops. But they did not have a permanent land base until buying the farm." 'Now, with this land, we have permanency of place — and the ability to continue this work for generations to come,' said #AliviaMoore, a #PenobscotNation citizen and Niweskok co-director.
"Niweskok (which translates to 'dried seeds for planting' in the Penobscot language) raised more than $1.8 million in just three months to buy the farm, which had been used to raise cattle and board horses. The group continues to raise money toward its $3 million capital campaign goal.
"Acquiring the land in January was a major step toward restoring the #PenobscotBay region as a Wabanaki food hub and allows Indigenous communities to reconnect with #TraditionalFoodways, #medicines and #ecological #stewardship. Niweskok sees the land as an intergenerational center where Wabanaki values of care, reciprocity and sustainability can flourish.
Moore said the land will allow Niweskok to go much deeper in its food production work. The group’s plans for the land include educational programming, #SeedSaving, #WildHarvesting and cultural camps."Moore said the land itself would determine the name of the farm. The farm was selected because it is close to the ocean and Penobscot territory.
'Penobscot people have been, through the process of #colonization and #genocide, thoroughly removed from coastal access,' Moore said. 'So for us to truly have healthful economies, healthful social structures and political systems, we need to be able to engage in our coastal ecology.'"The land, with access to the #GooseRiver, includes agricultural #fields, 140 acres of #forest, #wetlands and ponds. There are miles of riding trails through the woods, which Niweskok staff will map and decide which to maintain and whether more are needed for waterway access.
"Niweskok staff members have been preparing the soil for future planting and harvesting. Moore has been working on a 1-acre welcome garden that includes #perennials, #FruitTrees, #SweetGrass, #blueberries and other plants. Last week, she planted 70 #asparagus seedlings and 35 #rhubarb plants.
"Plans also are underway to spruce up a #farmstand where Niweskok will share #FreeProduce with neighbors.
"Moore has also been focused on working to restore the forests as #FoodForests — a process that will take years — and has started selective cutting to support existing #hazelnut groves and #BlackCherries.
"Niweskok will also create outdoor classrooms for community members to engage with the land, including demonstrations on plantings and #agroforestry techniques.
" 'An outdoor kitchen is one of our high-priority areas because so much of our time and how we want to support our community is being with our foods and outside as much as possible,' Moore said. 'Cooking over open fire is not only a way we want to engage with folks, but an important, culturally significant and really beautiful way to be together.'"Niweskok this month was awarded the #EspyHeritageAward from the #MaineCoastHeritageTrust, an annual award that recognizes those who make outstanding contributions to #LandConservation while inspiring others. It was the first time the award was given to an #Indigenous-led group.
"Angela Twitchell, director of partnerships and public policy for Maine Coast Heritage Trust, said Niweskok’s work to restore the Penobscot Bay region as a Wabanaki food hub is 'an inspiring example of how land conservation is evolving.'
"For decades starting in the 1950s, land conservation was centered on ecological and species protection and protecting lands from people and development. It has since evolved to center its work in community, Twitchell said.
" '(Niweskok’s) work embodies resilience and a deep commitment to healing and nourishing both the land and the community,' she said. 'The collaborative work between #LandTrusts and Niweskok stands as a model to be replicated.'
"Moore said the award acknowledges the leadership of Niweskok, and added that other incredible Wabanaki-led land work is happening in the region. Moore hopes the award indicates that Maine conservation groups will continue to find ways to support Wabanaki leadership in conservation.
"Having the land has been a 'beautiful invitation' for the #NonWabanaki community 'to support Wabanaki food sovereignty and be in support of our leadership in care of the land,' Moore said."Archived version:
https://archive.md/Ii0au#WabanakiConfederacy
#MaineFirstNations #LandBack #FoodSecurity #FoodSovereignty #sovereignty #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #Decolonize #SolarPunkSunday #LandStewards #stewardship #NatureEducation #Foraging #Maine #IndigenousPeoplesDay -
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."
#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay
-
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."
#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay
-
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."
#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay
-
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."
#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay
-
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."
#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay
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#ThrowbackThursday
4 years ago, I first met this gentle giant.
It's one of the only older Western red #cedar #trees left at #W̱MÍYEŦEN #NatureSanctuary. Most of the land had been logged more than once before it was acquired for conservation & rewilding. This is a 2nd growth cedar & it is over 150 yrs old.The W̱MÍYEŦEN #Nature Sanctuary is a 42 acre protected forest and riparian area that supports biodiversity while preserving ecosystems and wildlife habitat. The tranquil natural environment, inspires an awareness of nature as teacher and essential ally.
https://wmiyetennaturesanctuary.com/
I'm a member of this local, biodiverse nature sanctuary. They mainly rely on memberships & public donations. They work with #Indigenous leaders/educators/naturalists from #Wsanec First Nations. The name was changed from the former Mary Lake Sanctuary to W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary to respect that the property is on native lands.
#Forests #TreeLovers #TreeHugger #CedarTreeOfLife #YYJ #Saanich #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #DisabledHiker #Environmentalist #NatureConservation #Stewardship
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Belated #SilentSunday
Riparian areas are important for our biodiverse ecosystems. They need protection.
#freshwater #DistrictOfHighlands #Wsanec #VancouverIsland #vanisle #PNW #PacificNorthwest #NatureSanctuary #ProtectedArea #conservation #stewardship #lake #WaterIsLife
