DZCIB team is collecting impact stories from our partners and we have some great results to share. One of the big wins of this project is that we are working across a complex landscape with diverse landowners for diverse benefits and diverse ecosystems. Here are some highlights.
From November 2019 to June 2021, the Phase 1 Deshkan Ziibi Conservation Impact Bond (DZCIB) has supported 35 habitat improvement projects in the Deshkan Ziibi (Thames River) region and traditional territories of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation resulting in numerous ecological, sociocultural, and economic impacts. Some additional projects are being completed in 2021, with slight delays due to the pandemic.
DZCIB Habitat Growers currently include:
- Chippewas of the Thames
- Thames Talbot Land Trust
- Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority
- Reforest London
- Camp Kee-Mo-Kee
- The Living Center
- City of London
Impact Highlights: Connecting Healthy Habitat
- 59 hectares (146 acres) improved
- 43.7 ha woodland
- 4.9 ha wetland
- 10.4 ha prairie
- 500 pollinator gardens (in progress)
- Habitat improvement activities include:
- SAVE – Improving habitat quality on protected areas
- STEWARD – Invasive species removal; Land-based learning
- SEED – 21,372+ native plants planted for reforestation, wetland restoration, prairie restoration, native plant gardens
- LEAD - Improve habitat quality, quantity and commitment for Species at Risk, pollinators and Canadians (pay-for-success benefits)
Habitat Grower Stories
Camp Kee-Mo-Kee
In Summer of 2020, 10 volunteers planted almost 500 native plants at Camp Kee-Mo-Kee.
Reforest London
In the Fall of 2020, Reforest completed naturalization projects with volunteers at seven City of London parks, with 15 organizations contributing to the plantings as volunteer groups, sponsors, or both. In total, with the help of over 290 volunteers, planted 1,745 new native trees and shrubs in these parks, helping to improve wildlife habitat, biodiversity, ecological resilience and ecosystem services for years to come.
Here is one of 7 web stories and testimonials, Fox Hollow Ravine:
https://reforestlondon.ca/fox-hollow-ravine-fall-2020
“At first, I was given the information from a settlement worker and trying to attend volunteering alone. However my three kids got interested in the tree planting so they joined me two times. And that made me feel more excited and when I got there, there were already so many people for tree planting and that was a good challenge for my kids. They were very proud to see the trees they planted for the future.”
- Lily Roh (Fox Hollow Ravine)
Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority
LTVCA acts as a connector to various landowners and has provided this map to illustrate their impact through 90 acres, 35000 seedlings for reforestation, as well as prairie and wetland restoration with a matched $130,000 resources towards the project.
Thames Talbot Land Trust
Using the Steward, Seed, Save and Lead approach, TTLT completed a holistic approach to healthy landscapes:
SAVE - All work improved land secured for conservation and owned by the private land trust. Habitat quality improvements can help to 'count' these sites towards Canada Target 1 / UN protected area goals.
STEWARD – Habitat improvement at Hawk Cliff Woods by removing invasive species from 22 acres of meadow habitat.
SEED – Habitat creation at Bebensee Tract of 2 acres with Native meadow habitat planted, climate-adapted project completed.
– Habitat creation at Joany’s Woods with invasive species removed on 3.5 acres to create native meadow habitat, 0.84 acres planted with climate-adaptive native species; remaining 2.66 acres to be planted in 2021.
LEAD – Community leadership for regenerative agriculture, native plant economy and healthy habitat at Blain Farm with wetland restoration and 2 acres of farmland transitioned to a seed orchard planted with plugs and seeds under guidance of Middlesex Seed Strategy in development by the CIB team. A few more rows of the seed orchard added in 2021.
3M
Our Outcome Payer, 3M Canada also got involved through a Field Day in collaboration with Thames Talbot Land Trust. This was a great example of collaboration in action!
