#stewardship — Public Fediverse posts

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."

Read more:
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/07/02/in-guatemala-indigenous-women-build-climate-resilience-with-old-and-new-farming-methods/

#SolarPunkSunday #NaturalPestControl #ClimateChangeGardening #SoilHealth #IndigenousKnowledge #TEK #Stewardship #OrganicFarming #Mayan #NewTechnology #NahualateRiverBasin #AgriculturalResilience #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

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:
https://wildseedproject.net/events/summer-four-season-walk-at-crystal-spring-farm

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

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?

https://polymathchristian.wordpress.com/2026/07/12/if-acts-happened-today-would-we-call-it-communism-4/

I found this via @supersquirrel !

#IndigenousLands are crucial for #ClimateMitigation and #resilience.

Research shows their health is a direct result of #IndigenousStewardship.

"As the impacts of #ClimateChange continue to escalate, a growing number of climate scientists and policymakers cite Indigenous lands as a model for their rich #biodiversity and effective carbon storage. But that recognition has not always translated into space for Indigenous leaders in climate negotiations, access to #ClimateResilience funding, or enforcement of #HumanRights standards.

"That has been the case for decades. But the problems do not stop there. New research shows that approach overlooks the key role that Indigenous knowledge and culture can play in mitigating climate change. It also reveals a dangerous misconception that has taken hold in global climate discussions: the idea that Indigenous lands are so rich because they are remote or sparsely populated.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. The health of Indigenous lands and their ability to store vast quantities of carbon stem from the stewardship of the people who inhabit them.

"That’s the finding of research from Conservation International, which shows that traditional knowledge, community protocol, and Indigenous culture play a direct role in protecting forests, wildlife, and the environment. Sushma Shrestha, who is #Indigenous #Newar from #Nepal and the study’s lead author, said the research comes at a critical time.

" 'All of humanity relies on everything that #IndigenousPeoples have to contribute and offer in terms of their lands, in terms of carbon storage, in terms of biodiversity conservation,' she said.

"The study, released as a narrative report and a peer-reviewed study, explores how #IndigenousKnowledge and practices benefit the planet. It also found that all 43 of the surveyed communities are experiencing drought, extreme weather, and other adverse impacts from climate change. More than half are affected by #ExtractiveIndustries like #mining and #logging.

"Researchers interviewed 49 Indigenous leaders from six continents about how they steward their land, which ranged from the Amazon rainforest to East African savannas and Pacific Islands. They found that traditional management practices like avoiding #overfishing, maintaining sacred spaces, watching for fires and other threats, and direct resistance against extraction contribute to the remarkable health of Indigenous territory. Ninety-six percent of respondents said they had land set aside for special uses, like spiritual practices, that also benefit the environment by protecting those spaces and ecosystems. Shrestha stressed that although each Indigenous community is distinct, there are shared lessons the entire world can learn from.

" 'It’s a time where all hands need to be on deck,' Shrestha said. 'And collectively, actions need to be taken, and indigenous peoples have been doing this on their own for a very long time.'

"The study builds on years of research that shows, among other things, that the world’s healthiest forests are on Indigenous lands and conservation efforts are more effective when they incorporate Indigenous autonomy and decision-making at every step."

Read more [includes some really good links to articles]:
https://sopuli.xyz/post/47753605

#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPunk #LandBack #CommunityMonitoring #Stewardship #TEK #IndigenousSolarPunk #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

#BreakingNews! 🚨 #LandBack in #Maine!

Land returned to #MikmaqNation will double tribe’s territory

Nearly 3,400 acres have been returned to the Aroostook County-based tribe.

by Reuben M. Schafir, June 22, 2026

"The #Mikmaq Nation is expanding. The tribe on Friday obtained title to #MesgilgMaqamigew, a nearly 3,400-acre parcel near #BridgewaterME. The land return is so large it will more than double the tribe’s holdings.

" 'For decades the Mi’kmaq citizens have seen their traditional hunting and gathering grounds disappear to development or private ownership not allowing access,' Chief #SheilaMcCormack said in a news release. 'This property will give our people a place for outdoor recreation, a place to teach our children how to hunt and fish, and a place we can pass down the traditions of our ancestors before they are forgotten.'

"Of the four #Wabanaki tribes, the Mi’kmaq Nation received federal recognition last, in 1991. It and the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians hold far less land in Maine than the #PassamaquoddyTribe and #PenobscotNation, which each have more than 150,000 acres.

"#TheConservationFund negotiated a below-market value sale and purchased the parcel last year from #forestry company #HCHayne, then held it on behalf of the tribe. The organization worked with an alliance of tribes known as the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship, and #FirstLight, a group of non-native, land-based organizations, to secure $1.9 million for project.

" 'Indigenous land return projects are a cornerstone of our conservation efforts,' Tom Duffus, Northeast representative for The Conservation Fund, said in a statement. 'I’m thrilled that this special place is once again managed by the Mi’kmaq Nation, whose citizens have stewarded this landscape since time immemorial.'

"Mesgilg Maqamigew means 'big land,' a name chosen in recognition of the significance to the tribe of a parcel so large, contiguous and lush with resources.

"The property contains #forests, #wetlands and more than three miles of #NorthWhitneyBrook, a stream with a thriving #BrookTrout population, according to Mi’kmaq Environmental Health Director Shannon Hill.

"The tribe has already located #fiddleheads there, and Hill said they plan to use the land for #hunting, #fishing, gathering and timber. Snowmobile and ATV trails are available for public use.

"#RichardSilliboy, a basket maker and former Mi’kmaq vice chief who sits on the commission, is hopeful the parcel has #BrownAsh for weaving — but expects, at least, 'some decent fishing.'

"#MesgilgMaqamigew is the sixth to be completed in a series of projects spearheaded by the commission that are collectively known as the tributary land returns. The tributary returns comprise 52,000 acres in 11 discrete projects involving all five tribal governments in Maine at an estimated cost of $52 million."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/22/land-returned-to-mikmaq-nation-will-double-tribes-territory/

Archived version:
https://archive.md/Bkbl0

#WabanakiAlliance #Dawnland #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #LandConservation #NativeAmericanNews #IndigenousNews #MaineSettlementAct #NativeAmericans #Indigenous #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LandStewardship #Stewardship #SolarPunkSunday

#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

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

#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:
https://gwrlt.org/event/stewardship-2/

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

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

#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

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

#Maine - #EmeraldAshBorer - Watch for #Woodpecker Activity

#MDACF - February 26, 2026

"Emerald ash borer (#AgrilusPlanipennis) has been detected in new towns in Maine. Watch for woodpecker activity and report trees that have signs of emerald ash borer.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive wood-boring beetle that attacks and kills native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), resulting in significant cultural, ecological, and economic impacts.

In winter, woodpeckers knock off tree bark in search for food (including EAB larvae), which may help us identify trees with EAB from a distance:

- Light patches of missing bark on stems of ash trees
- Dark chips of ash bark littering the snow
- "S" shaped tunnels underneath the ash bark

Check for these signs while on a snowshoe track, swooshing down slopes, or even sitting down for a meal at your local Chinese restaurant (it happened!). We are actively monitoring for EAB statewide and could use your help checking ash trees.

Stay Informed

Although EAB has caused destruction of ash ecosystems across North America, including here in Maine, there is hope for these trees. In our area, groups like Ash Protection Collaboration Across #Wabanakik (#APCAW) and Sustaining Ash Partners Network (#SAPNe) are building collaborative efforts towards keeping ash in our forests. Join SAP-Ne to learn how to preserve and propagate ash seed and about efforts towards maintaining the genetic diversity of ash in our region."

Learn more:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news.shtml?id=13343928

#SolarPunkSunday #SaveTheTrees #Forestry #Stewardship #CitizenScience #InvasiveSpecies #InvasiveSpeciesWeek #NewEngland #ProtectTheSacred
#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

Stewarding the Digital Commons

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://sein.com.au/articles/stewarding-the-digital-commons/

Today was an excellent day. I worked in the morning. Went on a lovely nature walk with Mom, after work. 10/10 day 🥰
I #volunteer at this park too - with invasive species removal.

#nature #WalkInThePark #Winter #Saanich #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #PNW #GetOutside #VolunteersNeeded #Colquitz #VictoriaBC #stewardship #rewilding #InvasiveSpeciesRemoval #PleaseVolunteer #PeopleWithDisabilities

Berry Mountain Climb: Working Woods, Living History

https://adventureadjacent.com/2025/09/26/berry-mountain-climb-working-woods-living-history/

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."

https://mainebeacon.com/returning-land-to-tribes-is-a-step-towards-justice-and-sustainability-say-wabanaki-environmental-activists/

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

The Interagency Working Group On Ocean And Coastal Mapping Announces The Release Of The Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol
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https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/updates/the-interagency-working-group-on-ocean-and-coastal-mapping-announces-the-release-of-the-standard-ocean-mapping-protocol/ <-- shared article
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #hydrospatial #hydrography #marine #StandardOceanMappingProtocol #IWGOCM #SOMP #OceanMappingProtocol #NOMEC #coast #coastal #seafloor #datacollection #protocols #collection #processing #publishing #stewardship #ocean #archives #repositories #databases

#IslandTrustConservancy received $660,000 #funding boost to address #biodiversity loss in the #IslandTrust area.
The money from #FederalGovernment via #Environment & #ClimateChange #Canada will ensure the #conservancy ’s #SpeciesAtRiskProgram can continue over next 3 years.

https://www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/community/islands-conservancy-receives-funding-to-address-biodiversity-loss/

#VancouverIsland #vanisle #GulfIslands #BritishColumbia #BritishColumbia #conservation #environmental #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #GoodNews #Nature #guardianship #stewardship #Nonprofit #Ecology