Stories from the Wabanaki forest of the Maritimes, the Spice Forests of Zanzibar, and the mangrove forests of Mozambique.
Sign Me UpAs climates in the Wabanaki Forest Region become generally warmer and wetter, so too do growing conditions for tree species. Many family forest owners in the region are worried about their forests’ resilience to these changes. That’s where we come in.
Through active, adaptive management, our shared forests can thrive in a changing climate.
Discover how to make a positive impact on the land for future generations with our comprehensive guide. Whether you're a new forestland owner, a long-time woodlot owner, or simply someone who enjoys spending time in nature, our guide will inspire you to develop a deeper connection with the land. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn how to protect and preserve our forests for years to come.
In collaboration with the New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners and others, we have created a series of tools and resources to support forestry professionals and forest owners to manage their woodlots in a way that adapts to the rapidly changing climate and prioritizes long-term, resilient forests.
This short video series follows climate researchers, ecologists, and forest professionals as they share the projected changes to the Wabanaki Forest, which tree species are at risk, and discuss how to manage three typical forest stand types in the region.
In the wake of widespread damage caused by Tropical Storm Fiona in the Maritimes, we collaborated with our partners from the Nova Scotia Family Forest Network to provide support to the wider community of private woodland stewards. If Fiona caused damage to your woodlot, there are several things you should consider as you respond.
Increase the resilience of your forest with our climate-adaptive silviculture guide.
Just what is a stem exclusion stage? Or the difference between a double- and multi-cohort stand? The following resource offers definitions and explanations of some of the terminology used.
Need more support developing your forests’ climate-adaptive silvicultural systems? These additional resources are here to help you improve a stand’s climate change resilience and carbon storage.
In 2019, we introduced the first edition of new silviculture prescription guidelines that consider climate change impacts on current silviculture practices. You can watch the presentations from the workshop here.
Interested in tree planting projects, but not sure which make the most climate impact? This is a guide to restoring our planet with forests, not just trees.
A guide to planning and implementing restoration-focused tree planting projects with public funding from the 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program in Atlantic Canada and the Wabanaki Forest.
At Community Forests International, we understand that the colonial land governance systems must change to recognize and uphold Indigenous rights if we are to successfully protect and restore the forests and other natural ecosystems. We are working towards amplifying Indigenous rights and strengthening understanding and allyship between Indigenous and settler forestry practitioners around issues of forest care and climate action.
This podcast explores the relationships between people and the forests they care for, with a particular focus on the Wabanaki Forest. Intensive forest management since colonization has degraded what was once a diverse and resilient forest while creating challenges for the communities that are most reliant on forests for their livelihoods. In this podcast, host and forest ecologist Megan de Graaf speaks to experts from the region to understand how we got here and how we might start to restore the forest to its former abundance. The series paints a hopeful vision for forests in the region, offering lessons for forest stewardship across Turtle Island.
Join Cecelia Brooks from St. Mary’s First Nation, New Brunswick, and her son Anthony Bardwell, as they share their story of finding medicine from and on the land. Watch their traditional medicine harvest, listen to the challenge of accessing lands, and find hope from one settler landowner who passes on the knowledge from his own ancestors.
The ash trees of the Wabanaki Forest bear spiritual, ceremonial, and economic importance to Indigenous people in the area, but the emerald ash borer ― an invasive beetle species ― is currently decimating these trees and threatening a way of life. This film weaves personal stories with the latest research, following the basket makers and experts who are trying to preserve the forest before it’s too late.
How do you measure the value of a forest? Enter Robinson Conservation Forest, a naturally diverse Wabanaki forest in the Wolastoq watershed in central New Brunswick, on the east coast of Canada / Turtle Island. This special forest and the people connected to it push us to see beyond the timber value of a forest—to see the forest beyond the trees.
The changing climate affects both the forests and traditions that have relied on the forests for millennia. In this short film, Mi’kmaw Elder Todd G. Labrador and his daughter Melissa Labrador explain the increasing importance of sharing traditional ecological skills and knowledge — and take us on a journey to see the traditional harvest and making of muskwi products.
Land Back is one of the most tangible actions settlers can take within the process of reconciliation. Through the story of Windhorse Farm, this short film shows the importance of Land Back and the profound beauty this form of healing provides.
Browse the full playlist of Common Ground films and educational shorts.
By taking informed actions we are acknowledging and living up to our responsibilities. It is our hope that the following Resource Guide to Support Environmental Organizations in Decolonization Work can support individuals and organizations to learn and practice meaningful Indigenous allyship in their work and beyond.
Two years into the collaborative work of Common Ground, today you can read more about how to embody the principles of Common Ground in action and see all that the Common Ground project has accomplished to date.
Read more about the connections between climate and racial justice, Indigenous leadership, and inclusive forestry.
Community Forests International is working to protect the remaining Wabanaki forests, restore climate change-resilient species, and adapt these forests for long-term community and climate benefits. Through sharing our learnings and resources, we hope to inspire and support others to do the same.
Forests play a vital role in reducing flood risk in New Brunswick and across Canada. Our latest report helps to establish a clear economic case for protecting forests for the valuable ecosystem services they provide.
The 2018 report examines the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest Region’s risks from climate change and the need for climate-adaptive silviculture and widespread forest conservation.
Today, the forests that we dwell in and that surround our towns and cities could be one of the most powerful carbon solutions to climate change. This report outlines the potential of forest carbon offsetting and for greater private forest protection and restoration across the Maritime provinces.
Prepared by Megan de Graaf, MSc., this report outlines the Common Practice Scenario of Private Land Forestry in Canada’s Maritime Provinces.
Three key areas should be improved better to equip forest stewards in the Wabanaki forest region to plan and implement climate adaptation actions. Let’s take a look.
En collaboration avec le sylviculteur Gareth Davies et la Fédération des propriétaires de boisés du Nouveau-Brunswick, nous avons créé une série d'outils et de ressources pour aider les professionnels de la foresterie à gérer les forêts en accordant la priorité aux forêts résilientes aux changements climatiques. Découvrez les ressources développées à ce jour :
Un guide pour tous ceux et celles qui veulent se rapprocher de la forêt et en prendre soin. Obtenez votre guide !
Les gardiens de la forêt se heurtent à plusieurs obstacles lorsqu’ils mettent en œuvre un aménagement adapté au climat. Voyons ce que nous pouvons faire ensemble.
Les possibilités de crédits de carbone forestier pour les gardiens de la forêt commencent à faire leur apparition dans les Maritimes. Ici son 5 façons de se préparer aux marchés de crédits de carbone.
Augmentez la résilience de votre forêt grâce à notre guide de sylviculture adaptative aux changements climatiques, livré en collaboration avec le sylviculteur Gareth Davies. Consultez la dernière édition de l’arbre décisionnel sylvicole, du document d’accompagnement et du glossaire.
Un rapport de 2018 de Megan de Graaf, MScF, examinant les risques liés aux changements climatiques dans la région forestière acadienne et la nécessité d’une sylviculture adaptée au climat et d’une conservation généralisée des forêts. Le rapport est disponible ici.
Vous êtes intéressé par des projets de plantation d’arbres, mais vous ne savez pas lesquels ont le plus d’impact sur le climat? Ceci est un guide pour restaurer notre planète avec des forêts, pas seulement des arbres.
Préparé par Megan de Graaf, M.Sc.F. La foresterie sur les terres privées des provinces Maritimes du Canada: un scénario des pratiques courantes.
Ls leçons du projet Common Ground 2021-2022: disponible ici.
Si Fiona a causé des dommages à votre lot boisé, plusieurs avenues vous sont ouvertes pour y réagir, ici.