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Stories from the Wabanaki forest of the Maritimes, the Spice Forests of Zanzibar, and the mangrove forests of Mozambique.
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Stories from the Wabanaki forest of the Maritimes, the Spice Forests of Zanzibar, and the mangrove forests of Mozambique.
Sign Me UpAs part of our community, you likely know the beauty of the Wabanaki Forest. Perhaps you’ve even walked through the woods to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of life that are part of this unique ecosystem. Yet, most of the forests in this region are not the forests that generations before enjoyed. In… Read more »
Announced in April of 2021, the initial phase of the Common Ground project began an exploratory partnership between Community Forests International, the Nova Scotia Family Forest Network, and the Ulnooweg Development Group. What started as an effort to empower nature-based climate action throughout communities in the Maritimes quickly expanded into partnerships and increased solidarity among… Read more »
Forests are rich in biodiversity. They are home to an incredible variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms. According to this analysis by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, forests contain approximately 80% of the world’s amphibian species, 75% of bird species, and 68% of mammal species. Protecting forests is critical for… Read more »
The recent United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) has reminded the conservation community about the need to place Indigenous and local knowledge at the heart of biodiversity efforts, including protecting and restoring forests. Forests are beautifully diverse ecosystems, containing 60,000 different tree species, 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species, and 68% of the world’s… Read more »
Suzanne Greenlaw is combining Wabanaki ecological knowledge and Western scientific knowledge to improve access to culturally significant plants. In creating Below the Canopy, our new podcast, we’ve had the privilege and opportunity to connect with a roster of inspiring guests, including none other than Suzanne Greenlaw, a citizen of the Hulton Band of Maliseet Indians… Read more »
The Common Ground Project has introduced Community Forests International to some remarkable people over the last 18 months. One of these people is Jocelyn Marshall, who works as Indigenous Relations Advisory in special projects at Ulnooweg. Jocelyn is a knowledge keeper and Band Council member from Potlotek First Nation, who grew up surrounded by her… Read more »
On just five acres of land, Jesse Saindon is growing a unique mix of native hardwood trees, including bur oak: an ecologically and culturally significant tree species. In September, Community Forests International launched Below the Canopy, a podcast that explores the relationships between people and forests—with a focus on the Wabanaki forest. Our host, Megan… Read more »
Just over two years ago, Community Forests launched the VIUNGO Project in Zanzibar. Translating to “ingredients” or “spice” in Swahili, VIUNGO is a four-year collaborative effort between local and international organizations in the region. Together, we are working to support small-scale farmers, empower women and youth, and boost economic growth and opportunity—key ingredients in a… Read more »
What do we mean when we talk about forest conservation? At Community Forests International, our approach has always been to put community and climate at the forefront. Community: building relations for solutions. While the well-being of all communities is at the core of our work, we increasingly aim to centre those most impacted by the… Read more »
In celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day 2022, we invite you to watch our short film, The Borer and the Basket, directed by Mi’kmaq filmmaker Desmond Simon. Through the traditional Indigenous craft of basket making, this film outlines the spiritual, ecological, and cultural practices at risk from the spread of the emerald ash borer, an… Read more »
Community Forests International is firmly against spraying glyphosate on forestland and we ask you, our community, to voice your opposition. Glyphosate is used to suppress hardwood tree species that compete with industry-favoured softwood species. It is one of several forest management practices that is limiting our forest composition—eliminating the diversity that is critical to the… Read more »
There’s a small island in the Indian Ocean, in the Zanzibar Archipelago, that is home to vibrant communities, lush mangrove forests, and a rich history of spice farming. Community Forests International has worked in partnership with the people of Pemba Island for 15 years to support community-led projects that range from tree planting and agroforestry… Read more »
Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reductions Plan is here – but where does it leave our forests? On Tuesday, March 29, the Government of Canada released its 2030 Emissions Reductions Plan (ERP), announced as a “comprehensive roadmap” for greenhouse gas emission reductions. Community Forests International applauds the ambitious commitments to empower communities to take climate action, most… Read more »
We are excited to announce that Community Forests International has successfully secured nearly 500 acres of forest in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to protect for long-term community and climate benefits! This newly protected property marks the first expansion into the province for Community Forests International’s active conservation work, and we look forward to caring for… Read more »
A Resource Guide to Support Environmental Organizations in Decolonization Work In Canada, climate and environmental justice cannot be separated from Indigenous reconciliation. That is why Community Forests International is continually learning ways to centre Indigenous justice within our work to protect and restore the forest of the Wabanaki-Maritime region — all while working to inspire… Read more »
In solidarity with the Wolastoqey Nation of New Brunswick. New Brunswick is a province defined by beautiful forests and rivers that support an abundance of life. For thousands of years before settlers arrived, long before the province of New Brunswick existed, the Wolastoqey Nation thrived in reciprocity with the forests of the Wolastoq watershed. Today,… Read more »
At the 2021 Climate Change Conference (COP26), dozens of world leaders pledged to end global deforestation by 2030. But what does this mean for the Wabanaki forest in the Maritimes? With a deforestation rate of 0.02%, deforestation seems to be of little concern in Canada. Yet this hides a more complex truth: that under business-as-usual, Canada’s forests… Read more »
Community Forests International is delighted to present the Maritime Forest Accord, a new resource and storytelling hub dedicated to uplifting the vibrant community of people committed to forest stewardship in this region. We hope this platform will serve as a central resource hub for people and groups who care about the special forest in this… Read more »
Community Forests International’s Environmental Justice intern Mia Tran had the opportunity to interview award-winning environmental justice activist, Tina Oh, to talk about what the movement means to her and what she sees for its future. Tina Oh is a migrant justice organizer with No One is Illegal – Halifax/Kjipuktuk (NOII-Hfx) and a masters’ candidate in… Read more »
The Wabanaki forest—also referred to as the Acadian forest—roughly spans Wabanakik, a region that encompasses the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and parts of New England. This unique forest type is an eco-region transition zone, boasting tree species found in both the boreal forest, to the north, and the… Read more »
You may have noticed that over the past year, we have begun to refer to the forest in the Maritimes as the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest, or simply the Wabanaki Forest. You may be wondering where this name comes from or why we’ve made this change. In Canada, climate justice cannot be separated from Indigenous reconciliation and… Read more »
In Canada and across the globe, there is increasing recognition of Indigenous leadership as essential to both the environmental movement and the interconnected demands for Truth and Reconciliation. In this second blog of the Environmental Justice series, we explore further the connection between environmental justice, forests, and reconciliation. Patterns of Injustice The costs of environmental… Read more »
Expanding Our Roots At the end of 2020, we announced that Community Forests was going to expand our reach to Mozambique. Last month a small team from Community Forests Pemba travelled to Mozambique as expert advisors to help build climate-adaptive livelihoods and community-led mangrove restoration. This is the first of many collaborations for Community Forests.… Read more »
Environmental issues affect all of us — but not all of us equally. Marginalized groups and communities face disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis — while being the least responsible for its causes. Yet for as long as environmental harms and impacts have been made, environmental activists and communities have fought back. Today, that movement is… Read more »
On September 30th we come together to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities. Reconciliation is a complex process. It means Indigenous history education for all. It means food and land security, clean drinking water, and basic human rights… Read more »
Community Forests International is very excited to join the Coalition for Environmental Rights. The Coalition is a diverse group of organizations and partners working towards environmental justice in Canada and to secure the right to a healthy environment, including clean air, water and soil, and a safe and stable climate. What are Environmental Rights? The… Read more »
One year ago, Community Forests launched the VIUNGO Project in Zanzibar. Translating to “ingredients” in Swahili, VIUNGO is a four-year collaborative effort between local and international organizations in the region. Together, we are working to support small-scale farmers, empower women and youth, and boost economic growth and opportunity – key ingredients in a recipe for… Read more »
Community Forests International’s new report, Forests and Floods: Natural Infrastructure for a Green Recovery, highlights the important role that forests could play in reducing flood-risk in New Brunswick and similarly impacted regions in Canada. The report is part of a larger organization initiative—and a wider movement in the sector—to establish a clear economic case for… Read more »
Community Forests International is excited to announce the launch of the Common Ground project. A collaborative initiative between Community Forests International, The Ulnooweg Development Group, and The Nova Scotia Family Forest Centre, the Common Ground project seeks to mobilize citizen climate action in the rural Maritime region on the unceded territory of Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik… Read more »
The climate crisis affects us all — but not all of us equally. Marginalized and underprivileged individuals, groups, and communities face disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis — while being the least responsible for its causes. These struggles are often compounded by unequal access to the resources needed for urgent adaptation and mitigation efforts. Some… Read more »
Community Forests International is helping family forest owners lead nature-based solutions to climate change. There are more than 80,000 family forests across the Maritimes Provinces. Stewarding these forests for carbon storage could make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation, but family forest owners in the region face challenges pursuing ecological forest management. This is… Read more »
You may be wondering how Community Forests International came to work in Atlantic Canada and in Zanzibar, Tanzania — two very distinct regions. Let’s take a look! In 2006, Mbarouk Mussa Omar — a community leader and climate activist on Pemba Island, Zanzibar — befriended a young Canadian tree-planter, Jeff Schnurr, who was traveling in… Read more »
Translating to “ingredients” in Swahili, the VIUNGO Project is a four-year collaborative effort between local and international organizations in Zanzibar. Community Forests and our partners are working to support small-scale farmers, empower women and youth, and boost economic growth and opportunity – key ingredients in a recipe for resilience! In celebration of International Women’s Day,… Read more »
Tree planters are Community Forests’ roots. Back in 2006, co-founder Mbarouk Mussa Omar approached a young group of Canadian tree planters to discuss how to make tree planting a source of environmental and economic sustainability for communities of Pemba Island, Zanzibar. As Mbarouk said, “We started with an idea and then worked each and every… Read more »
At the end of 2020, Community Forests International was excited to announce the anticipated launch of the VIUNGO Project in Zanzibar. Translating to “ingredients” in Swahili, VIUNGO is a four-year collaborative effort between local and international organizations in the region. Community Forests and our partners are working to support small-scale farmers, empower women and youth,… Read more »
The Chignecto Isthmus is the narrow strip of land bridging Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. As the only transportation corridor between Nova Scotia and mainland Canada, the isthmus is vitally important for local communities and nature alike. Unfortunately, the region faces many threats–from natural habitat fragmentation to risk of flooding exacerbated by rising sea levels.… Read more »
Climate change is causing more frequent and extreme storms. For much of Canada, this will likely mean more flooding. Flood damages in Canada exceeded $1.8 billion between 2009 and 2017. Here in New Brunswick, the province has been forced to access federal disaster relief funding more than any other jurisdiction in Canada. Recent data shows… Read more »
Healthy Acadian forests provide essential ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water regulation, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Today, however, less than 5% of the Acadian forest remains in a pre-colonial condition. This is due to long-term intensive land-use and forestry practices that favour single-aged, softwood-dominated forests. We need to protect healthy forests for the immediate… Read more »
In March, we visited Caledonia, Nova Scotia, to understand the challenges facing small private woodlot owners in the region Making a living off of the land is a rewarding, but challenging commitment. Small private woodlot owners, of which there are approximately 80,000 in Canada’s Maritime Provinces, face both new and persisting challenges in managing their forests.… Read more »
At Community Forests International, we talk a lot about the importance about sustainable forest management. But what does “sustainable management” actually mean? Here in the the Maritime Provinces, the forestry industry has a long history of managing forests for a narrow set of goals, mostly to do with producing timber, which is then processed to… Read more »
As we wrapped up a video meeting with the Zanzibar team this morning, my colleague Omar chimed in with a question that’s been in the back of everyone’s mind: “I want to ask, what is our real plan for this planting season? Because of course so many people are still depending on us.” Omar is… Read more »
Community Forests International has acquired a 115-acre forest in Waterford, New Brunswick, about 15 kilometers from Sussex. The Sackville-based charity has now protected more than 1,170 acres of old forest in New Brunswick. The forest was donated to Community Forests International by Elizabeth (Betty) Lucas, née Buchanan. The forest belonged to her family since 1855,… Read more »
Our team has received some thoughtful notes of solidarity from colleagues and partners around the world these last few days, and it’s really heartened us. We wanted to share some of our own thoughts in hopes they might help you all get through these stressful times. Like many of you, we are trying to process… Read more »
Anne and Daimen were recently invited onto the Femme Wonk podcast Katie Davey podcast to discuss the interplay between gender inequality and climate change vulnerability with host Katie Davey, drawing from our work in Zanzibar. “Without women being able to participate fully in income-diversifying activities and learning skills that will help them build resilience, whole… Read more »
Climate Change in the Acadian Forest Here in New Brunswick, we live amid a unique forest type known as the Acadian Forest. This forest type covers all of the Maritime provinces and northeastern US, and is a mix of cold-loving (boreal) species like spruces, poplar, grey and white birch, and balsam fir, and more southerly… Read more »
A Canadian architecture studio’s decision to become carbon neutral has resulted in the preservation of more than 1000 acres of endangered forest in the Maritimes — a legacy set to grow. In 2011, DIALOG became one of the first companies in Canada to offset carbon using forest renewal and restoration. The architecture firm has recently… Read more »
In the spring of 2015, I put out a call for help. Our small team at Community Forests International was starting a new initiative — a spice agroforestry project on Pemba island, Zanzibar — and I knew we couldn’t do it alone. What happened next has taught me a lot about the process of innovation.… Read more »
Salume Khamis walks up a path between two small adobe houses; one is partially converted into a small store selling dried goods and a few household items. She smiles broadly and greets her teacher, Siti Makame. When Salume first met Siti two years ago, she had a no personal income and a small garden that… Read more »
How can we protect nature? This is a longstanding question in the conservation sector, maybe even the question of conservation. But I’d like to see it reversed. How can nature protect us? Turning this traditional line of thinking around offers a new perspective on our relationship with the natural world, and reveals some hope when… Read more »
I’ll be honest, the first few times I heard the words social innovation, I tuned it out. These days social is so often pasted onto fundamentally bad things to make them seem less bad and innovation is forever used to make ordinary things sound new and exciting. I translated social innovation into the worst of… Read more »
Update: March 3, 2021 We’ve just received news from Zanzibar that the climate-smart school will be officially inaugurated at the end of this month! The Zanzibar islands are one of the poorest regions in the world and are increasingly at risk of the effects of global climate change. Climate change is causing sea levels to… Read more »