Submitted by Moira Parker,
Sources of Knowledge Board
The recent Sources of Knowledge Forum held on the weekend of April 28th-30th at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre proved to be a resounding success! We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all our generous donors including Parks Canada (in particular Sean Skinkle and Hunter Lemon for their outstanding audio-visual leadership), Caframo, the Municipality of the Northern Bruce Peninsula, Readers Haven Book Store, Men’s Breakfast, Community Foundation of Grey-Bruce, and our kind hosts who provided in-kind accommodations, Escarpment Heights, The Princess Hotel, Forest House and Northern Dreams B and B. We are grateful for Jace Weir’s invaluable contribution as MC on Saturday night, and we extend our sincere thanks to SON Elders Norma and Charlene for leading the opening and closing prayers every day of the Forum. We would also like to acknowledge Elder Marilyn Capreol for sharing the moccasin walk and concluding the event with a moving song accompanied by her drum and powerful voice.
We wish to extend our gratitude to the board members who played a key role in organizing the forum. We would like to specifically acknowledge the exceptional efforts of our chair Lindsey Griffith, and vice chair Brian McHattie, whose contributions were instrumental in making the forum possible. Additionally, we would like to express our appreciation for the invaluable support provided by our past chair Daryl Cowell, treasurer Sigrid Feser, and directors Glen Estill, Owen Glendon, Rob Klea, Lawrence Beagan, Marty Oblak, and Moira Parker.
The forum focused on important topics surrounding biodiversity. The film The Issue of Tissue, A Boreal Love Story by director Michael Zelniker, explored the importance of the boreal region in storing carbon (use recycled or bamboo versus toilet paper from the forest!). There were also discussions on the importance of protecting fellow species, with Nature Conservancy of Canada ecologist Esme Batten highlighting that the Peninsula is a biodiversity hotspot and Steve Hounsell with the Ontario Biodiversity Council discussing the upcoming release of their new provincial plan addressing the need to decrease our ecological footprint to counter the ongoing Sixth Mass Extinction of species.
Several panels were held, including a discussion on the importance of the Peninsula for bird migration, the bumpy recovery of fish species in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, and the partnership between Parks Canada and University of Guelph in restoring species at risk plant abundance in the National Park. Local organizations including the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, Peninsula Bruce Trail Club, Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory, and Bagida’waad Alliance also had the opportunity to discuss their current projects on the Peninsula.
Keynote speaker Janet Sumner spoke on the Saturday evening of the forum and discussed strategies and limitations in achieving Canada’s target of protecting 30% of lands and oceans by 2030.
A strong theme of First Nation leadership was evident throughout the event. SON Councillor and Elder Miptoon highlighted the importance of ‘walking together’ to protect biodiversity, local artist Mark Nadjiwon, unveiled his new print “Two-Eyed Seeing”. There were also calls for a conservation strategy for Mak’wa (black bear) on the Peninsula, and Dr. Robin Roth with the University of Guelph discussed the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership and Indigenous-led conservation leadership in protected areas across Canada.
On the final day of the forum, Jarmo Jalava, ecologist for the SON Environment Office, shared his experiences in protecting biodiversity on the Peninsula. Additionally, Shawn Corbiere, First Nation Knowledge Keeper and Indigenous Liaison Officer at Georgian Bay Islands National Park/Beausoleil Island National Historic Site, led a workshop titled “What can we do?” aimed at providing forum attendees with ideas on how they can individually contribute to the conservation of biodiversity at a local and national scale.
Audio recordings of all forum proceedings will be available on our website, allowing those who were unable to attend the opportunity to listen to the discussions. The success of the Sources of Knowledge Forum was the result of the collaborative efforts of many individuals and organizations who share a commitment to protecting and preserving the natural beauty of the Peninsula and beyond. We look forward to seeing you at the next SOK talk or forum!
