What happens when you get a collective of change-makers representing seven groups across sectors in the same room at the same time? A hub of innovation and hope is created. This is what happened on November 15, 2022, when the partners of the Long Point Walsingham Forest Conservation Impact Bond (LCIB) spent the day networking, co-creating shared goals for the LCIB, and connecting to the land.
Coming Together
Coming from different locations across southern Ontario, the group gathered at a spot overlooking the beautiful Long Point Inner Bay and Turkey Point marsh landscape and set our intentions for the day with a smudge ceremony led by Verlin James from Carolinian Canada’s Indigenous Leadership Team. The group of multi-disciplinary partners included representatives of the five pillars of the CIB: Indigenous, investor, outcome payer, habitat grower, and evaluator/researcher, coming from SVX, Co-operators, Dragonfly Ventures, Long Point Basin Land Trust, St. Williams Conservation Reserve Community Council, Ivey Business School at Western University, and Carolinian Canada. Looking out across the wetland ecosystem grounded the team in the purpose of the day: to see the land that is connected to the project, make connections with places and people, and co-vision the future of the LCIB.
Taking Our First Steps
The group visited two sites where restoration and conservation efforts are ongoing as a part of the LCIB. At the “Stepping Stones” property on the St. Williams Conservation Reserve (SWCR), Audrey Heagy, Project Coordinator with St. Williams Conservation Reserve Community Council (SWCRCC), led the group on a tour, sharing the history of the land and the current efforts that are underway to restore the ecosystem.
SWCRCC has undertaken the challenging task of restoring land that has been dramatically altered to a conifer plantation from its historical state as Oak Savanna. Oak Savanna is a rare habitat type in Canada and globally and supports numerous rare species and species at risk. To restore this habitat, plantation removal has begun, and additional efforts are underway to prepare the 28-acre (11-hectare) site for restoration. Prescribed burns will be needed to remove woody debris before planting, and then to maintain the fire-dependent Oak Savanna ecosystem.
Due to approximately 200 years of colonial land clearing and alteration, the native plant seed bank has been depleted, creating an open invitation for invasive species. SWCRCC staff have devised a plan to reestablish a variety of sand savanna specialist species to create “Stepping Stones”, or hubs for native plants to disperse their seeds, which will aid in healing the landscape. Staff and volunteers will collect seed from local sources, grow the plants, and establish them on the landscape to restore this site and establish connectivity with remnant patches of Oak Savanna in the area. A great example of a seed strategy in action.
Seeing Our Collective Future
At lunch, the group warmed up with hot drinks, soup, and sandwiches in a room overlooking the landscape at Long Point Eco Adventures. Diane-Laure Arjalies and Julie Bernard, from the research team at Ivey Business School, led a co-creation and visioning session with the group, giving us all an opportunity to share our purposes and visions for the future of the LCIB project.
Some key reflections from this session include...
“We all share a vision, but we see it through our own unique lenses, so what brings us together is a vision of land, people, connection, restoration, finance, decolonization – it's the vision of a better future.”
“We believe in collaborating, that no one person can do it alone. We believe that we all bring different experiences and different resources, and every part of that creates a full piece.”
“It’s an opportunity to approach finance from a different perspective.”
“We have to be among plants, that’s what feeds us. Both eating but also the energy of the land nurtures us.”
“This work is amazing and so critically needed.”
“Co-creation - at the heart of it is trust. It’s building trust within people … The spirit of co-creation is being in a space where we can be open with each other to say what we need to say to each other and through that process we’re creating trust that can last beyond what a collaborative framework can look like.”
Stories of Stewardship
Next, we visited the Stackhouse Forest Sanctuary, which is protected by Long Point Basin Land Trust (LPBLT) in perpetuity. This tour was led by LPBLT’s Executive Director, Kristyn Richardson and Conservation Lands Manager, Dan Marina. The Stackhouse Forest Sanctuary provides a good ecological reference for older growth forest in the Long Point region since it has remained largely unaltered for generations and is nearly clear of invasive species. The site contains mature Carolinian forest and hosts swamp wetlands that support a variety of wildlife. Dedrick’s Creek flows through the Stackhouse Forest Sanctuary into Long Point Bay making the protection of these lands vital to watershed health.
The group learned about the LPBLT’s process for acquiring, protecting, and conserving natural areas as well as stories of the land and forest. Dan Marina showcased the older-growth features within the site and spoke about building relationships with neighbours and the local community through stewardship activities. The Stackhouse Forest Sanctuary connects with other intact natural areas to provide habitat connectivity beyond the borders of the property, making it an important link for wildlife in the Long Point region. LPBLT will steward this land into the future and continue the generations-long effort to protect this 50-acre (20-hectare) sanctuary.
Stackhouse Forest Sanctuary - Long Point Basin Land Trust
Fresh Energy for the LCIB
At the end of the day, we reflected on our experiences and shared learnings. The resounding message from our different thoughts and emotions was that gathering on the land is powerful and important. The CIB involves cross-sectoral relationship and trust building, connecting the sectors through conservation finance. And when we gathered at the project sites, we went back to the heart and shared vision of the CIB: restoring the land. With our feet on the soil and fresh air in our lungs, that connection to the land, and thus the core of the shared goals of the project, grounded our group and gave us new sparks of inspiration to continue the work together.