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Our forests are under threat, experts warn at local conference

'We need to recognize and strengthen and bolster' trees, said keynote speaker at Forests Ontario conference

The “largest forestry conference in the province” took place in our region recently, drawing more than 430 attendees, from forestry experts and environmentalists, to municipal officials and nearly 100 university students.

“This is a new record for us,” said Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario, which hosts the annual conference. “So many students coming here – a younger generation. These are our future stewards.”

They gathered to talk about the importance of Ontario’s forests in a changing world. The theme was "Natural Connections" - focusing on connections within the natural world, and human connections.

“It is our environment that sustains us,” said Keen. “That a healthy environment sustains healthy communities is often lost on people who set our priorities.”

He called for more understanding, greater dialogue, “a willingness to step out of our allegiances and… respectful collaboration across multiple cultures.”

The call for “connections” and collaboration was echoed by speakers that included Dr. Dan Longboat, who delivered the keynote address at the event held at the Nottawasaga Inn.  

Longboat, a member of the Turtle Clan of the Mohawk Nation and associate professor at the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, said "we have to recognize we’re in a state of flux now,” driven on the one hand by population growth and technology, and on the other by environment concerns.

“We have to struggle to achieve a balance,” said Longboat, urging leaders and educators to also access indigenous knowledge systems, developed over millennia, that demonstrate how to live in the natural world.

He noted: “Western science, western technology, western forms of education have provided a unique way of seeing the world… One of the things that seems to be missing is the opportunity to engage in cross-cultural dialogue.”

Accessing indigenous knowledge and worldviews can provide “an entirely different set of tools in our tool belt… to handle the complexity of issues we are facing right now,” he said.

Longboat urged those involved in the forestry sector to take a new approach.

“Anyone who benefits from the natural environment has the responsibility to care for that natural environment,” he said, adding trees are more than a physical presence. “They are a living entity. We see the power and majesty of that entity… They are alive, they have spirit, they have power. When we see that, we have respect and appreciation for that.”

Trees produce oxygen, trap carbon dioxide, add nutrients to the soil, prevent erosion, support biodiversity, and provide humankind with shelter, fire and medicines, he said. 

“At the same time, (they) are under threat,” Longboat said. “We need to recognize and strengthen and bolster them. This reciprocal relationship… has sustained life through the millennia.”

He said there is no easy solution.

“If we’re going to resolve and mitigate the impact it’s going to demand we work together. For us, it means all hands on deck.”

The connections between a healthy environment and good health, between forests and biodiversity, forests and culture, and forests and the economy were explored by other speakers, in morning and afternoon sessions.

Despite challenges to the industry, forestry supports approximately 180,000 jobs across Ontario, according to Forests Ontario, and the Forest Products Association of Canada estimates the sector generates $80 billion per year, nationally.

As global markets change and management practices adapt to climate change, the industry is increasingly aware of the importance of innovation, sustainability and inclusion.

“Relationships and representation are two fundamental things, as we talk about forestry in Ontario,” said Dean Assinewe, industry advisor for FPInnovations, a not-for-profit research company specializing in innovative scientific solutions for the forest sector.

“Forest management has been in play and mandated for the past 30 years,” but has tended to exclude “the grassroots people” including First Nations from decision making.

He urged the industry to reach out, take a holistic approach, and engage indigenous peoples and youth.

“I believe we’re on the right track,” Assinewe said. “We’re moving into the future. We need jobs, we need that connection with the world.”


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Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
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