#stewardship — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #stewardship, aggregated by home.social.
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As #EastAfrica’s oceans change, coastal women build new livelihoods
By ALLAN OLINGO, July 5, 2026 at 10:36 pm
MALINDI, #Kenya (AP) — "The unfinished restaurant is still little more than concrete walls and wooden beams. As her daughter sweeps away the last piles of sand, 54-year-old Nuru Mohammed directs women hanging fishing nets to serve as decor. In a few days, the beachside restaurant on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast will open, offering another way to earn a living.
" 'For us women, this is hope,' says Mohammed, who, for most of her life, was one of the few fisherwomen in Malindi, a town northeast of the port city of #Mombasa. 'It will help support many families that have depended on the ocean for decades.'
"Across East Africa’s coast, fisherfolk are increasingly turning to tourism, #EcosystemRestoration and other conservation-based businesses, reinventing their relationship with the sea as #ClimateChange, #overfishing and declining ocean health threaten their livelihoods.
"In Kenya, women are turning restored #MangroveForests into sources of income through #beekeeping and #ecotourism. In #Tanzania’s #Zanzibar archipelago, fishing communities are protecting #CoralReefs through locally managed closures. In #Mozambique, #SeaGrassRestoration is creating jobs while reviving marine habitats. Together, these efforts are redefining resilience, not as leaving the ocean behind, but as restoring it while building enduring livelihoods.
" 'Communities that depend on the ocean are also its best stewards,' said Andreane Martel, project director for a conservation program dubbed #ReSea. 'When local people, especially women, lead conservation, they protect #biodiversity while creating more resilient and inclusive livelihoods.' "
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/LTBNs#SolarPunkSunday #ClimateResilience #OceansAreLife #Stewardship
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As #EastAfrica’s oceans change, coastal women build new livelihoods
By ALLAN OLINGO, July 5, 2026 at 10:36 pm
MALINDI, #Kenya (AP) — "The unfinished restaurant is still little more than concrete walls and wooden beams. As her daughter sweeps away the last piles of sand, 54-year-old Nuru Mohammed directs women hanging fishing nets to serve as decor. In a few days, the beachside restaurant on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast will open, offering another way to earn a living.
" 'For us women, this is hope,' says Mohammed, who, for most of her life, was one of the few fisherwomen in Malindi, a town northeast of the port city of #Mombasa. 'It will help support many families that have depended on the ocean for decades.'
"Across East Africa’s coast, fisherfolk are increasingly turning to tourism, #EcosystemRestoration and other conservation-based businesses, reinventing their relationship with the sea as #ClimateChange, #overfishing and declining ocean health threaten their livelihoods.
"In Kenya, women are turning restored #MangroveForests into sources of income through #beekeeping and #ecotourism. In #Tanzania’s #Zanzibar archipelago, fishing communities are protecting #CoralReefs through locally managed closures. In #Mozambique, #SeaGrassRestoration is creating jobs while reviving marine habitats. Together, these efforts are redefining resilience, not as leaving the ocean behind, but as restoring it while building enduring livelihoods.
" 'Communities that depend on the ocean are also its best stewards,' said Andreane Martel, project director for a conservation program dubbed #ReSea. 'When local people, especially women, lead conservation, they protect #biodiversity while creating more resilient and inclusive livelihoods.' "
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/LTBNs#SolarPunkSunday #ClimateResilience #OceansAreLife #Stewardship
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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 -
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. -
#IndigenousKnowledge is crucial in the fight against #ClimateChange – here’s why
Explainers
July 31, 2024Summary
- Indigenous Peoples are custodians of unique knowledge and practices that emphasize the balance between humans and the natural world.
- Many Indigenous traditional practices offer effective climate solutions, such as sustainable agriculture systems and climate-resilient water management.
- By safeguarding key ecosystems that act as carbon sinks and protect #biodiversity, #IndigenousPeoples provide an environmental service to the rest of the world. However, they are frequently excluded from decision-making processes and their rights to lands and resources are not always respected.
- It is impossible to achieve the goals of the #ParisAgreement without full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and their free, prior and #InformedConsent.
- Governments must fully recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples, provide them with direct access to climate finance and capacity building, and integrate Indigenous knowledge into climate policy."#SolarPunkSunday #LandBack #Conservation #Biodiversity
#CommunityMonitoring #Stewardship
#TEK #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge -
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
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Study finds #landback returns of #IndigenousLands happening across country, can lead public planning
By Lindsey Gloede
Jun 17, 2026“People, individuals, families, churches, city, county and state governments, nonprofits are all engaged in returning land to Native tribes with centuries and millennia of being connected to that land. It’s centering 500 years of Native efforts to reclaim the land. It’s a story of healing and #restoration."
#SolarPunkSunday #LandIsLife #LandRestoration #LandConservation #LandPreservation #TraditionalUses #Stewardship #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #TraditionalStewards
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#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
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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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#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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#MosstodonMonday
This mossy covered fallen log hosts abundant plants life; as part of a biodiverse forest understory ecosystem. Nature wastes nothing. Fallen logs essentially feeds new ecological life. You can witness, respect & appreciate entire, sustainable, natural life cycles, within biodiverse forests. It's well worth paying close attention to 💚There's at least 4 different moss species, covering this natural life sustaining log. There's ferns, cleavers, purslane, wall lettuce, sorrel & trailing blackberry, all growing out of it.
#nature #Saanich #forest #trail #moss #plants #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #DisabledPhotographers #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WorldInMyEyes #photography #mosstodon #Green #NatureAppreciation
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A small, relatively unknown, Saanich community park. I discovered it over a decade ago. Jada found it about 2 years ago. She was surprised that I'm very familiar with this park because no one else she knows has been there before. We both love it because we see no other humans while visiting & exploring trails. I was telling her that you can find native sundew plants by lakeside & it's a good place to harvest fiddleheads & look for mushrooms. Told her about the beaver history of this tiny lake/wetlands spot too. The older huge beaver lodge was decimated a few years ago, due to human impact/road construction near their wood harvesting areas. The beavers weren't seen for awhile after that. They returned sometime over past 2 years & built a new beaver lodge - it's currently about 1/3 size of the previous lodge. No photos of it because we didn't go close to lakeside on our hike. Neither of us were into getting super muddy yesterday.
This park space features:
- multiple hiking trails from relatively easy to moderate levels
- diversity of native plants/wildflowers
- native amphibians are present; many frogs & turtles live there
- healthy biodiversity of insects & invertebrates
- birds diversity
- beavers habitat
- trees diversity
- wetlands & marshes
- fish bearing habitat
- mix of sunny & shady rest spots; no benches or tables but some larger, open spaces that are good for resting at
- community stewardshipSuper limited parking space. Only room for 2 cars on side of road, by the small park sign. Very easy to miss the sign if you're not paying close attention.
#nature #hiking #Saanich #CommunityPark #forest #trail #footpath #wetlands #ferns #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #lake #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #DisabledPhotographers #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WorldInMyEyes #photography #NatureLovers
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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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Heads up! April 4th 👉 #VictoriaBC & area folks! Fun #Spring #MigratoryBirds #birding event!
Come out & enjoy a lovely outdoors community connecting with nature event!
I'm going to be there with my Indigenous friend, Jada.Migratory Magnificence : #Camas Meadow Medley.
Join #SNEMITIYE Dominque James & #SpecialBirdService for a springtime Camas Meadow Medley at #CattlePoint and #UplandsPark.
Early April marks one of the most vibrant seasonal shifts on southern Vancouver Island. Camas meadows begin to wake, early wildflowers emerge, and the sharp metallic buzz of Rufous Hummingbirds returns to the landscape.
These small but fierce migrants travel thousands of kilometres each year, arriving along the coast just as nectar sources begin to bloom. Their presence signals the true beginning of spring.
Together we will explore the Garry oak ecosystem and coastal meadows of Uplands Park, learning how to notice hummingbird behaviour, listen for territorial calls, and observe feeding patterns among early blossoms.
This is not a fast-paced checklist focused walk. It’s an opportunity to slow down and tune into the rhythms of spring migration.
Open to all who agree to abide by the Cormorant's Creed. No birding experience required.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/migratory-magnificence
Friends of the Feather Ticket:
Free ticket to walk and waddle with us. You belong. Aimed at providing BIPOC &, or Queer folks, facing multiple barriers to outdoor education, recreation and stewardship, opportunities. You belong.Contributing Cormorant
$15
To help us sustain the work and offerings for our communities, we ask our first time walk attendies, allies and supporters to contribute. Supports SBS’s year-round programming rooted in joy, access, and learning. Open to all who can contribute. Thank you.#NatureWalk #Birdwatching #BirdLovers #OakBay #Saanich #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #CommunityEvent #NatureLovers #GarryOak #ecosystem #ecological #Meadows #Inclusive #BIPOCFriendly #Conservation #Stewardship #Wildlife #Avian #biodiversity
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#Africa - #Coexistence That's Built to Last
"For two decades, African People & Wildlife has partnered with communities across #Tanzania to protect wildlife, restore landscapes, and support sustainable livelihoods. See how this work has grown and where it’s going next.
Landscape Restoration and Connectivity
We lead collective efforts to restore and connect a flourishing mosaic of lands that benefits people, parks, and wildlife while building local #ClimateChange #resilience.
#HabitatLoss and #fragmentation pose one of the greatest threats to the future of Africa’s people and #wildlife. Without urgent action and collaborative partnerships, our most critical landscapes and their natural resources could be lost forever.
Support Local Corridors
We engage communities in the conservation of critical corridors for wildlife and livestock that link protected areas with communal and private lands.
Revitalize #DegradedPastures
The #overgrazing of local pastures can lead to #SoilErosion and inadequate food for wildlife and livestock. Together with local communities, we monitor and manage the long-term health of vital habitats that benefit people and wildlife.
Layer Programming to Maximize Impact
We overlap our rangeland management programming with the observed range of lions, leopards, and cheetahs to ensure the health and connectivity of vital big cat habitat. We also enhance the health of these pastures with an increased beehive presence through our Women's #Beekeeping Initiative.
Leverage Partnerships to Enhance Connectivity
We work with multiple partners – including government authorities – across large landscapes like the #Ngorongoro Conservation Area to identify shared goals and implement joint programming with local community members."
#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #ClimateChangeAdaptation #Stewardship #EnvironmentalStewardship #SoilRestoration
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#LewistonID library to lend outdoor activity kits thanks to new grant
By James Dawson
Published November 11, 2024"Library users in the Lewiston area will soon have the chance to try gold panning, #birdwatching and other outdoor activities free of charge.
The #LewistonCityLibrary recently won a grant from the National Forest Community Recreation Fund to put together outdoor activity kits its users can check out starting next month. The Idaho Capital Sun first reported this story.
'We’re excited to partner with the Lewiston City Library to support new ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with public lands, learn about conservation, and inspire them to take an active role in #stewardship,' said Angela Edwards, a partnership coordinator with the #NezPerceClearwater #NationalForests.
Kits include equipment needed for gold panning, birdwatching, #hiking and #camping. A #DutchOven will also be available for those wanting to experience cooking outdoors.
Those are on top of the fishing poles the library has loaned out for years, according to library director Lynn Johnson.
'It seemed like a good way for us to offer things for the public that are a little out of the ordinary,' Johnson said in a press release.
'Libraries are about opportunity. Whether you have limited means or lots of access and wealth, we want to help people of all means try something out,' she said.
These new outdoor activity kits will be available to check out by those with a Valnet library card, which includes a group of 48 school and public libraries in north central Idaho stretching from Elk City to Potlatch."
Source:
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2024-11-11/lewiston-library-outdoor-kits#Idaho #LibrariesRule! #libraryOfThings #BorrowDontBuy #OutdoorAdventureKits #SpendTimeInNature #BorrowingBeyondBooks #OutdoorLearning #NatureBasedLearning
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#LewistonID library to lend outdoor activity kits thanks to new grant
By James Dawson
Published November 11, 2024"Library users in the Lewiston area will soon have the chance to try gold panning, #birdwatching and other outdoor activities free of charge.
The #LewistonCityLibrary recently won a grant from the National Forest Community Recreation Fund to put together outdoor activity kits its users can check out starting next month. The Idaho Capital Sun first reported this story.
'We’re excited to partner with the Lewiston City Library to support new ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with public lands, learn about conservation, and inspire them to take an active role in #stewardship,' said Angela Edwards, a partnership coordinator with the #NezPerceClearwater #NationalForests.
Kits include equipment needed for gold panning, birdwatching, #hiking and #camping. A #DutchOven will also be available for those wanting to experience cooking outdoors.
Those are on top of the fishing poles the library has loaned out for years, according to library director Lynn Johnson.
'It seemed like a good way for us to offer things for the public that are a little out of the ordinary,' Johnson said in a press release.
'Libraries are about opportunity. Whether you have limited means or lots of access and wealth, we want to help people of all means try something out,' she said.
These new outdoor activity kits will be available to check out by those with a Valnet library card, which includes a group of 48 school and public libraries in north central Idaho stretching from Elk City to Potlatch."
Source:
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2024-11-11/lewiston-library-outdoor-kits#Idaho #LibrariesRule! #libraryOfThings #BorrowDontBuy #OutdoorAdventureKits #SpendTimeInNature #BorrowingBeyondBooks #OutdoorLearning #NatureBasedLearning
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#LewistonID library to lend outdoor activity kits thanks to new grant
By James Dawson
Published November 11, 2024"Library users in the Lewiston area will soon have the chance to try gold panning, #birdwatching and other outdoor activities free of charge.
The #LewistonCityLibrary recently won a grant from the National Forest Community Recreation Fund to put together outdoor activity kits its users can check out starting next month. The Idaho Capital Sun first reported this story.
'We’re excited to partner with the Lewiston City Library to support new ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with public lands, learn about conservation, and inspire them to take an active role in #stewardship,' said Angela Edwards, a partnership coordinator with the #NezPerceClearwater #NationalForests.
Kits include equipment needed for gold panning, birdwatching, #hiking and #camping. A #DutchOven will also be available for those wanting to experience cooking outdoors.
Those are on top of the fishing poles the library has loaned out for years, according to library director Lynn Johnson.
'It seemed like a good way for us to offer things for the public that are a little out of the ordinary,' Johnson said in a press release.
'Libraries are about opportunity. Whether you have limited means or lots of access and wealth, we want to help people of all means try something out,' she said.
These new outdoor activity kits will be available to check out by those with a Valnet library card, which includes a group of 48 school and public libraries in north central Idaho stretching from Elk City to Potlatch."
Source:
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2024-11-11/lewiston-library-outdoor-kits#Idaho #LibrariesRule! #libraryOfThings #BorrowDontBuy #OutdoorAdventureKits #SpendTimeInNature #BorrowingBeyondBooks #OutdoorLearning #NatureBasedLearning
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#LewistonID library to lend outdoor activity kits thanks to new grant
By James Dawson
Published November 11, 2024"Library users in the Lewiston area will soon have the chance to try gold panning, #birdwatching and other outdoor activities free of charge.
The #LewistonCityLibrary recently won a grant from the National Forest Community Recreation Fund to put together outdoor activity kits its users can check out starting next month. The Idaho Capital Sun first reported this story.
'We’re excited to partner with the Lewiston City Library to support new ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with public lands, learn about conservation, and inspire them to take an active role in #stewardship,' said Angela Edwards, a partnership coordinator with the #NezPerceClearwater #NationalForests.
Kits include equipment needed for gold panning, birdwatching, #hiking and #camping. A #DutchOven will also be available for those wanting to experience cooking outdoors.
Those are on top of the fishing poles the library has loaned out for years, according to library director Lynn Johnson.
'It seemed like a good way for us to offer things for the public that are a little out of the ordinary,' Johnson said in a press release.
'Libraries are about opportunity. Whether you have limited means or lots of access and wealth, we want to help people of all means try something out,' she said.
These new outdoor activity kits will be available to check out by those with a Valnet library card, which includes a group of 48 school and public libraries in north central Idaho stretching from Elk City to Potlatch."
Source:
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2024-11-11/lewiston-library-outdoor-kits#Idaho #LibrariesRule! #libraryOfThings #BorrowDontBuy #OutdoorAdventureKits #SpendTimeInNature #BorrowingBeyondBooks #OutdoorLearning #NatureBasedLearning
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#LewistonID library to lend outdoor activity kits thanks to new grant
By James Dawson
Published November 11, 2024"Library users in the Lewiston area will soon have the chance to try gold panning, #birdwatching and other outdoor activities free of charge.
The #LewistonCityLibrary recently won a grant from the National Forest Community Recreation Fund to put together outdoor activity kits its users can check out starting next month. The Idaho Capital Sun first reported this story.
'We’re excited to partner with the Lewiston City Library to support new ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with public lands, learn about conservation, and inspire them to take an active role in #stewardship,' said Angela Edwards, a partnership coordinator with the #NezPerceClearwater #NationalForests.
Kits include equipment needed for gold panning, birdwatching, #hiking and #camping. A #DutchOven will also be available for those wanting to experience cooking outdoors.
Those are on top of the fishing poles the library has loaned out for years, according to library director Lynn Johnson.
'It seemed like a good way for us to offer things for the public that are a little out of the ordinary,' Johnson said in a press release.
'Libraries are about opportunity. Whether you have limited means or lots of access and wealth, we want to help people of all means try something out,' she said.
These new outdoor activity kits will be available to check out by those with a Valnet library card, which includes a group of 48 school and public libraries in north central Idaho stretching from Elk City to Potlatch."
Source:
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2024-11-11/lewiston-library-outdoor-kits#Idaho #LibrariesRule! #libraryOfThings #BorrowDontBuy #OutdoorAdventureKits #SpendTimeInNature #BorrowingBeyondBooks #OutdoorLearning #NatureBasedLearning
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Please consider becoming a member!
The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.
https://www.coastalisc.com/become-a-member
#Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW
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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 -
#MDACF - #InvasiveInsects on the Horizon: #BoxTreeMoth and #SpottedLanternfly
February 25, 2026
"Two invasive insects are spreading in the United States. Neither is known to be established in Maine, although both are closing in around our borders. Please be aware of these insects and report any suspicious sightings to help our efforts to manage them.
Box Tree Moth
If you have #boxwood plantings, keep your eyes out for box tree moth. This invasive pest was first discovered in #NewYork in 2021 and has subsequently spread to at least 10 other states despite state and federal quarantines. It has also been confirmed in #NewBrunswick, Canada near the Maine border.
Boxwoods infested with box tree moth are characterized by leaf defoliation, the presence of silken threads, and girdling of twigs. A heavy infestation will lead to plant mortality.
Although adult moths are strong fliers, box tree moth mostly moves to new areas as eggs and overwintering caterpillars on boxwood plants. These life stages are easy to miss, so it's important to check your boxwoods carefully for signs of this new invasive insect. If you suspect you have box tree moth, immediately contact [email protected].
Spotted LanternflyThe spotted lanternfly (SLF) is a large planthopper that has been spreading around the eastern half of the United States since 2016, where it is now in 18 states. It is still not known to be established in Maine, although we periodically receive reports of adult lanternflies, generally observed at rest areas and in warehouses.
Originally from Asia, the spotted lanternfly "hitchhiked" to Pennsylvania as egg masses on stone tile imports. When the eggs hatched in the spring, the little planthopper nymphs found their way to some preferred host plants, like tree-of-heaven, maple, and grape. Planthoppers have straw-like mouthparts (stylets) that they insert into plants to suck out the juices. This type of feeding can severely weaken the plant and sometimes spread diseases. The spotted lanternfly sticks its stylet into the stem and bark of plants, extracting the sap and exuding honeydew," a sticky liquid that rains down on surfaces, promoting the growth of sooty mold.
The spotted lanternfly has caused plant mortality in states where its firmly established. Please familiarize yourself with the different life stages of this bug and report any sightings. Please send photos or collect the specimen and email us: [email protected]."
Source:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news.shtml?id=13343929
Box Tree Moth
(Cydalima perspectalis)Exotic Insect Pest Fact Sheet (via #CornellUniversity)
https://cals.cornell.edu/integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/box-tree-moth
#SolarPunkSunday #SaveTheTrees #Forestry #Stewardship #CitizenScience #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 -
The Case for Returning U.S. #PublicLands to #IndigenousPeople
by Joe Whittle, Mar 6, 2025
"Since the start of Trump’s second term, his administration has fired thousands of federal workers across multiple public lands agencies, including the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The effects of this are vast: It’s going to have a profoundly negative impact on the environment and the way millions of Americans enjoy public lands, cause immeasurable harm to America’s wildest places, and devastate the economies built around them.
"After serving 12 years as a backcountry wilderness ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, I'm convinced there is an alternative: the U.S. needs to return its public lands to Native Americans. In fact, I believe that might be the only way to save our parks and forests from corporate privatization and destruction, as well as preserve public access to them. If the U.S. won’t properly care for its public lands, why not return them to their original caretakers?
"This isn’t a new idea. #NativeAmericans argued that treaty law required
'abandoned' federal land to be returned to tribes during the occupation of #Alcatraz Island by the #AmericanIndianMovement in the 1960s. In more recent years, the #LandbackMovement has given rise to increased calls for the return of territorial land to #IndigenousNations, and the return of land management based in #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge—expertise gathered from thousands of years of having deep relationships with specific environments. There’s a strong legal argument that land return is constitutionally required as damages due for hundreds of treaty violations. However, there’s also a lot of data showing Indigenous land management is more ecologically sound than government or industrially managed land. For instance, #ProjectDrawdown, a global leader in science-based #ClimateChange solutions, estimates that returning 1,000 million hectares of land to Indigenous tenureship by 2050 would sequester over 12 gigatons of carbon dioxide."Read more:
https://time.com/7262838/us-public-lands-return-indigenous-people/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/QnF32#LandBack #AIM #StolenLand #StolenLands #NationalParks #TEK #ClimateCrisis #ClimateSolutions #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousPeoplesMonth #GiveItBack #Stewardship #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #AlcatrazIsland #Resistance #USPol #TrumpSucks #RespectTheTreaties
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This photo was sent to me via text.
It's from my friend, Jeff, whom I originally met off of Mastodon, back in 2022. We met in person in 2023 & exchanged plants🪴We've stayed friends over the years. We are working towards similar community building goals, in separate areas of the island. Ideally, would love to have a full food security, localized food systems 'spine', running West-East/South-North, across #VancouverIsland.
Jeff lives up island with his wife & kids. He also works in #nonprofit #FoodSecurity & #environmental #stewardship. He works for #Greenways #LandTrust in #CampbellRiver :
https://www.greenwaystrust.ca/projects/food-securityThis shows some of the work they've done at Maple Park Community Garden in partnership with #Strathcona Regional District. They acquired that land to steward/grow, earlier this year 💚👩🌾👨🌾👏
#GrowFood #CommunityBuilding #CommunityGarden #CommunityPark #CommunitySpaces #Greenspaces #VanIsle #GrowFoodNotLawns #FoodEquity #Gardens #Nonprofits #ClimateAction #CommunityWork #BritishColumbia #Canada #GrowPlants #Grassroots
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‘#Microforest’ takes root amid city streets of #ProvidenceRI, reflecting worldwide trend
“As more and more people see it, they’ll be inspired,” said Jeff Matteis of the Pearl Street Garden Collective. “It’s just like one little point, but it just radiates benefits out.”
By Edward Fitzpatrick, September 27, 2025
PROVIDENCE — "The asphalt grid of South Providence is lined with multifamily homes and concrete sidewalks. But along Pearl Street, one lot stands out.
"It’s lush and green, with nearly 270 trees packed into a 1,000-square-foot lot. Officially called the Pearl Street Garden, it contains a tiny forest in the middle of the urban jungle.
" 'Microforests' like this one are cropping up in places ranging from #ElizabethNJ to #CambridgeMA, to #Pakistan. South Providence has two, both along Pearl Street, created by #GroundworkRhodeIsland and the #PearlStreetGardenCollective. The goal is to combat climate change and bring cooling shade to urban areas that lack the leafy boulevards of wealthier neighborhoods.
" 'This isn’t habitat restoration on the scale that is needed in terms of the world,' said Jacq Hall, director of special projects at Groundwork Rhode Island, an environmental group that works to create healthier, more resilient urban communities in Rhode Island. 'But it is a really great way, especially in a city, for people to become very in close touch with biodiversity and why it’s important and why it’s also beautiful.'
"In May, more than 100 people came out to plant the microforest.
" 'There’s microforest momentum happening around the world right now,' said Jeff Matteis, cofounder of the Pearl Street Garden Collective, a group of artists, gardeners, and educators championing #ecological land #stewardship. 'I think as more and more people see it, they’ll be inspired.' "
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/ZSUcw -
Berry Mountain Climb: Working Woods, Living History
Me, the kids, and the FJ headed for the spine of Berry mountain. We weren't blazing new trails, but we were still exploring.https://adventureadjacent.com/2025/09/26/berry-mountain-climb-working-woods-living-history/
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Forests And Cycles Of Agrarian Sustenance - Time-To-Event Analysis Of Ecosystem Provisioning Services And Seasonal Food Insecurity [Sub-Saharan Africa]
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https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2025.2484490 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #Ghana #MoleNationalPark #Larabanga #Kananto #Kabampe #Grupe #Jang #ecosystem #savanna #Africa #SubSaharanAfrica #food #farming #agriculture #foodsecurity #water #hydrology #weather #climate #watersecurity #rainfall #precipitation #forest #Agrarian #services #seasonal #foodinsecurity #risk #hazard #vegetation #rights #humanrights #forestmanagement #commonland #enclosures #agronomic #stewardship #spatiotemporal #spatialanalysis #income #cost #economics #planning #policy #governance #community -
Getting to know our food, and how being good stewards of the land can help us eat better
by Katharine A. Jameson, Vermont Country magazine
03/01/2024Excerpt: "Learning from the land
"Chief Stevens points out that it’s all in one’s perspective. He gives the example of #dandelions. 'You might look at them as a weed but I might look at them as a food source,' he explains, noting the wine and greens for which they’re used.
"When Europeans arrived in what they later named Vermont, they saw the lush #ForestGardens Natives had fostered, but didn’t recognize that it had been cultivated. 'The sophistication of the agriculture system was so high that people couldn’t see it at all. It just looked like abundant wild lands, but really they were so abundant because of our deep connection and long-term #stewardship of them,' #Abenaki tribal member, #JohnHunt describes in a new, short film posted to YouTube about Abenaki food systems.
"What can we learn from these growth practices? Professor Tiana Baca of Sterling College explains in this film: 'Nature doesn’t grow in #monocrops.' She notes that Native people’s lush gardens maximized yields by #CompanionPlanting crops like the #ThreeSisters. 'The three sisters is a companion planting group of corn, beans and squash. They’re plants that grow together and support each other. The corn is growing up, it’s providing this living trellis. The beans use that to climb on. The beans are then fixing nitrogen and supporting the growth of the corn and then the squash plant kind of sprawls out and creates this living mulch. All of them working together makes all of them produce better.'
"Respect runs deep in the Abenaki tradition. From the elders and ancestors from whom they learn to the food and animals they consume, they bless the animals they dispatch with tobacco and hold sacred the chain of custody of each of their seeds.
" 'We have to have some foresight about it. Treating the land with respect and not looking at it always through our need, but as a collective community need. In the old days we used to look at community more than individual needs.' Stevens discusses the Native mentality that land, contrary to the European way, is to be shared by all creatures, not owned.
" 'There is hope,' Chief Stevens says. 'There is a way to reconnect and change the outcomes of what is happening. But the only way to do that is to put the effort, time and resources into connecting with us, the native people and others to try to remember that historical knowledge of connection to our land, our animals and our wild food sources. The forests and the wild foods sustained our people for thousands of years. Why would we not think it wouldn’t do that now?'
"The Chief set out a few things we can all do to help save the planet."
https://vermontcountry.com/2024/03/01/abenaki-food-systems-native-stewardship/
#NativeAmericanHistory #NativeAmericanFood #FoodSovereignty #FoodForests #Stewardship #RelationshipToPlace #SolarpunkSunday #KnowWhereYourFoodComesFrom
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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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Meanwhile, here in #Maine...
Students explore nature and sustainability with #MaineLocalLivingSchool
Kingfield Elementary School students participated in an immersive day of place-based learning, guided by the Maine Local Living School, which focuses on practical skills and ecological #stewardship, and Arbor Mountain Tree Service, exploring #sustainable forestry, acorn ecology, and bridge construction.
By Rebecca Richard, December 5, 2024
KINGFIELD — "There was a whirlwind of activity last month at Kingfield Elementary School [KES] as students immersed themselves in a day of place-based learning with Maine Local Living School and Arbor Mountain Tree Service. Tailored for each grade level, the lessons highlighted ecological connections, sustainable practices and community engagement through hands-on projects.
"The Maine Local Living School, dedicated to teaching practical skills and fostering ecological stewardship, partnered with Arbor Mountain Tree Service to guide students in exploring sustainable forestry, acorn ecology and hands-on bridge construction.
"Kindergarten and first grade students worked with Chris Knapp of Maine Local Living School to explore the seasonal abundance of acorns. 'This fall was a tremendous acorn harvest,' Knapp said, explaining how the lessons tied to the season. Students acted out the germination process of an acorn and identified oak leaves using compare-and-contrast exercises.
"Knapp also emphasized the cultural significance of acorns. 'We honored the long history of peoples for whom acorn has been and is a staple crop,' he said. The day ended with students playing a food web game, simulating predator and prey roles while gathering acorns and enjoying freshly baked acorn biscuits.
"Second and fourth grade students collaborated with Knapp on constructing a community footbridge to cross a stream in the biodiversity field at the front of the school. “The footbridge project reflects Maine Local Living School’s and KES’s shared goals to engage in project-based learning,” Knapp said.
"The students began by identifying cedar trees, prized for their rot-resistant properties and thinned over 20 saplings from a dense stand. 'Students were asked to consider which trees were the best candidates for the future forest based on crown health, upright habit, and space,' Knapp explained."
Original article:
https://www.sunjournal.com/2024/12/05/students-explore-nature-and-sustainability-with-maine-local-living-school/#SolarPunkSunday #NatureBasedLearning #TEK #KingfieldMaine #ForestEcology #MaineSchools #SustainableForestry #Acorns #ArborMountainTreeService #Sustainability #FoodForests #Biodiversity #ProtectTheForests
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Trekking through tribal lands as the #PenobscotNation plans to reacquire 30,000 acres
[Many] see the land return as an opportunity to reconsider what conservation looks like. Studies have found that #Indigenous-managed lands have #biodiversity levels equal to or greater than protected lands, and conservationists have become increasingly interested in what is known as #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge.
Story by Nate Hathaway
3/17/2024"The Trust for Public Land [#TPL] is working with the Penobscot Nation to return 30,000 acres near #MountKatahdin to the tribe, which would solidify #Wabanaki #sovereignty over land their ancestors have stewarded for generations.
"The parcel would create a contiguous stretch of conserved land from existing Penobscot Nation holdings near the East Branch of the #PenobscotRiver all the way to #Jackman and #MooseheadLake, combining to form 1.2 million acres.
"The land — which is being called #Wasehtek, a Penobscot word that corresponds to the #EastBranch of the Penobscot River — was owned by Conservation Resources, a #timber investment management organization. In December 2022, the Trust for Public Land announced it had purchased the property for approximately $29 million.
"The land is currently accessed by a limited network of logging roads, which vary in quality. With over 53 miles of rivers and streams, and a diverse population of game species, the land offers substantial fishing and hunting opportunities.
"This move in northern #Maine fits into a nationwide effort to return ancestral lands to #Native tribes. The federal Land Buy-Back Program for #TribalNations, a decade-long initiative that concluded in December [2023], restored nearly 3 million acres to tribal ownership and paid over $1.69 billion to individuals."
#LandBack #Stewardship #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalOwners #WabanakiConfederacy #IndigenousPeoplesDay
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From 2020: Restoration of #LandStewardship
#SunlightMediaCollective, October 14, 2020
"A significant return of land #stewardship to the #PenobscotNation celebrates their history and cultural #resilience and serves to inspire similar land stewardship returns during and beyond this important moment of historical reckoning. On October 30th, 2020, in the Ancestral territory of the Penobscot Nation, #ChiefKirkFrancis and the Penobscot people received 735 acres of #LandBack in what is currently known as #WilliamsburgTownship. The land is located between two parcels of land already in Penobscot stewardship, to the West of the #PleasantRiver and the town of #Brownsville. This is a broad landscape of #RiverEcosystem and critical #AtlanticSalmon habitat that connects the #PenobscotRiver to #Katahdin."
Video link:
https://www.sunlightmediacollective.org/restoration-of-land-stewardship/ -
#WabanakiStudies should be taught at all #MaineSchools
OpEd by Hope Carroll, December 26, 2023
"#Wabanaki history is ingrained across #Maine and has deep rooted cultural relationships with major natural landmarks that many of us see everyday. However, there is a concerning gap surrounding the important aspects of our state’s rich Wabanaki history and what little many students learn about it in Maine schools.
"Wabanaki studies need to be consistently incorporated into all Maine school districts. According to a 2022 report done by the #AbbeMuseum, the #MaineACLU, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission and the #WabanakiAlliance, the Wabanaki studies law passed by Maine in 2001 is not appropriately enforced across the state.
"The law 'requires schools to teach Maine K–12 students about Wabanaki territories, economic systems, cultural systems, governments, and political systems, as well as the Wabanaki tribes’ relationships with local, state, national, and international governments,' the report says.
"The Portland public school system recently incorporated a Wabanaki studies program into its curriculum. This will hopefully be a good example for other districts across Maine and encourage them to do the same.
"Teaching Wabanaki studies will help children gain a better understanding of the state. In time, this can help them develop a closer relationship with the #land and our responsibility to ensure that it is cared for and treated with respect.
"'Through #traditional stories representing the terrestrial and aquatic systems, important [Wabanaki] values are imparted that safeguard culturally significant resources from overuse and ensure the persistence of the people and culture,' says Natalie Michelle, interdisciplinary studies and research assistant of native environmental studies in climate change at the University of Maine.
"It is more important than ever that we look to native science as we face irreversible damage to our climate. We must prioritize implementing these ideals early into the educational careers of children so they go on to practice them throughout their lives.
"Western science and education has taught the ideals of dominance over nature for centuries. This is reflected in practices that have contributed to the #extinction of animals, rises in #NaturalDisasters, food and water shortages and the numerous other effects of #ClimateChange. Instead of connecting with #nature, we are often taught to distance ourselves from the #NaturalWorld. We are taught to use vague and nonspecific naming tools like 'it' to refer to any non-human being.
"'We use it to distance ourselves, to set others outside our circle of moral consideration, creating #hierarchies of difference that justify our actions — so we don’t feel,' says Robin Kimmerer, professor of environmental and forest biology at the State University of New York College of #EnvironmentalScience and #Forestry.
"Kimmerer talks of alternatives to using 'it' to put ourselves on the same level as other living beings, recognizing them as relatives by calling them by their name. But she says that this can be difficult for many of her students because they were not taught these alternatives until now.
"In my experience growing up in Maine and going to school, I never encountered a class focused on Wabanaki studies until college. I am grateful to have this opportunity now. But it has been difficult for me to implement these new ideals into my thinking toward the land around me because they seem so foreign.
"Using the word 'foreign' seems wrong when describing ideals that have been used in Maine since long before any of us were here. But Maine schools and communities have an opportunity to change this.
"Children who grow up in this state have the right and responsibility to know the history of the land around them. They have the right and responsibility to understand the negative implications of #colonization and #ForcedRemoval of the #WabanakiTribes and how despite horrible #historical events, the Wabanaki people have endured and developed their own #sovereign structures.
"In order to create more inclusive classrooms that incorporate all aspects of our state history and work towards building respectful relationships with Maine land, other communities should follow the exciting example being set in #PortlandMaine."
#WabanakiConfederacy #LandBack #IndigenousPeoples
#IndigenousSovereignty #ClimateCrisis #LandStewards
#Stewardship #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews