Community Vitality 2025 - Ontario Nature

 

Community Vitality 2025

Ontario Nature

Cross-cultural Collaboration to Enhance Climate Resiliency

This is a collaborative project between:

  • Chippewas of the Thames First Nation

  • Ontario Nature

Grant: $170,000 over 3 years

Grant Summary: Ontario Nature and Chippewas of the Thames First Nation will collaborate to improve climate resiliency, restore native habitat, educate the public and First Nations members on the environment, and foster cross-cultural knowledge sharing. This project enhances well-being by promoting stewardship and empowering individuals for a sustainable future.

Left to right: Campbell McKay, Taylor Deleary, Diamond McGahey (Chippewas of the Thames First Nation), Kayla Salive (Ontario Nature)

With a Community Vitality grant of $170,000 over 3 years, Ontario Nature and Chippewas of the Thames First Nation (COTTFN) are collaborating to protect and enhance biodiversity and improve the First Nation’s ability to mitigate climate change-related threats, such as flooding.

Located on the north bank of the Thames River and with unceded land of more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres), the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation’s land stewardship work has created a regional biodiversity hotspot, supporting many at-risk species within Carolinian forest and tallgrass prairie habitats. Biodiversity and native habitats play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by capturing and storing carbon dioxide, preventing it from escaping into the atmosphere.

“This project will not only enhance local ecosystems but also strengthen the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities through mutual learning and shared responsibility for the land,” said Smera Sukumar, Conservation Science and Stewardship Director, Ontario Nature.

The grant will help expand the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation’s successful Land Guardians program, which trains community members to carry out species-at-risk monitoring and habitat restoration. This will be achieved by hiring and training COTTFN land guardians to hold outreach events and participate in land-based activities. Education will focus on band members learning about species at risk stewardship. Outreach will include open houses, public education materials, and annual nature events tailored to the COTTFN community members.

The grant will also support the creation of a Cross-Cultural Collaborative Framework to guide partnerships between conservation organizations and First Nations. This framework will enable First Nations to assert their rights across traditional territories. Lessons learned and the framework will be shared across the region to serve as a model beyond the scope of this project.

“This project is a significant opportunity to strengthen cross-cultural collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups focused on protecting the local environment,” said Campbell McKay, Species At Risk Technician, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. “Enhancing the capacity of our Land Guardians program will improve habitat protection, climate change resiliency, and community members’ connection with the land.”

Full list of 2025 Community Vitality grant recipients:

 
Matthew Brewer