Latest news with #ecosystemrestoration
CBC
11-08-2025
- General
- CBC
Reforestation project in N.W.T. presses on, with 1.5 million trees planted near Behchokǫ̀
Roslen Washie, a 25-year-old man from Behchokǫ, N.W.T., hopes one day he can point to the forest around his home and tell his children about the key role he played in restoring the burn area and bringing caribou to Tłı̨chǫ lands. "I wanna be able to tell my son, 'you see these trees? Your dad planted the majority of them,'" Washie said. A total of 13 million trees are being planted on Tłı̨chǫ lands in the next five years as part of an ambitious project aimed at fighting climate change, restoring ecosystems, bringing back boreal caribou habitat and creating jobs. It started with an agreement between the Tłı̨chǫ government, Let's Plant Trees and Tree Canada, signed in 2023 to plant 1 million trees, and expanded in 2025 with a $53-million investment — the bulk of that coming from Canada's 2 Billion Trees program – to plant another 12 million. The Tłı̨chǫ government has described it as the biggest tree-planting initiative to ever happen in the N.W.T. A camp that was set up in a sand pit near Russell Lake outside of Behchokǫ last month consisted of about 110 people, including 80 crew members from the south, and 30 Tłı̨chǫ people. Together, they put the project's first spruce, tamarack and birch trees in the ground. Over the course of three weeks, they planted 1.5 million trees in all. However, the effort was marked by tragedy in its opening days. Joshua Patenaude, a pilot with Great Slave Helicopters, was helping support the reforestation project on July 14 when his chopper crashed. He died despite first responders' efforts to save his life. Many of those who rushed to the scene were part of the tree planting project. Max Zoe, a climate change research co-ordinator with the Tłı̨chǫ government, who's helping co-ordinate the tree planting project, said the crew was given time off after the incident. Counsellors were also brought in to help people deal with what had happened. "We tried to recover the best we can," he said. "How do you move on from such tragedy? You just kind of have to, like, hold that stuff into your heart and, like, remember them and remember that the work is important." Noel Football, who helped collect seeds last year and who is now working on the project as a bear monitor and occasional tree planter, expressed sorrow too. "I'd like to say sorry about the chopper crash," he said. Football said a lot of the people involved were shocked about what had happened, and some needed time before they were ready to work again. And with a narrow window to accomplish the work, he was also impressed by the team's capacity to get all the trees in the ground while processing their grief. "They really are professionals," he said of the tree planters from the south. "Watching them, the way they move, I can't believe it. I don't know how they do it." Tree planting as an industry for the N.W.T. One of the tree planting teams was a crew of Tłı̨chǫ people, trained this summer to do the work. "It's a great experience," said Washie, one of the locals, as he moved through the brush next to the Behchokǫ Access Road on a Tuesday morning last week. It was the final day of planting, and he still had a few bundles of seedlings stowed in the planting bags hung around his waist. "It's good for the land, it's good for the environment," he said. And with how the wildfires have burned a lot of Tłı̨chǫ land in recent years, he said, "it's a good opportunity to let these trees regrow for the future." Washie also sees a future in tree planting – for himself in the short-term, and for the N.W.T. in the long-term. He's hoping to plant trees with Spectrum Resources Group again next year as the project continues, and said it's an industry other regions of the territory could pursue as well. Washie envisions people from around the N.W.T. coming together and starting up their own tree planting company. "That would be great to see, as a young adult, for myself. I think that's a great employment opportunity for the Northwest Territories' residents." The project pivots Josh Quaite, a reforestation operations division manager with Spectrum, said part of the plan had initially been to plant 500,000 seedlings around James Lake this year. That's about 23 kilometres from the Russell Lake area, where the tree planting camp had been set up and where the trees were being kept. Helicopters were being used to get trees and personnel out to the remote planting site. But grappling with the unexpected tragedy and a reluctance to fly, Quaite said Spectrum changed gears a bit. "To get into a helicopter after an event like that, it's pretty tough. And, you know, we just weren't ready to do that right away," he said. Half the number of trees were planted around James Lake, and more – for a total of 1.25 million – were planted along the access roads into Behchokǫ and Russell Lake instead. Spectrum has planted trees for the purpose of post-fire and habitat restoration before, said Quaite, "but to do it on this scale is something else." 'These ones are here to stay' Football said learning to plant the trees felt good, having spent his life cutting them down for wood. "I like doing this kind of work," he said. Football also said he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the seedlings for the first time this summer, after helping collect cones from trees on Tłı̨chǫ land last year so they could get a head start in southern nurseries. "And here I am, planting it? It's really nice." Justin Issler, who has spent most of his two-year tree-planting career in British Columbia, likes the work as well. "This is my first time in the Northwest Territories," he said. It's flat and there's more rock and wetland areas to navigate in the N.W.T., he said, but the soil is nicer. He also appreciates the opportunity to plant what he described as "forever trees" – meaning the seedlings are intended to grow and reproduce on the land naturally, instead of eventually being chopped down by a large forestry industry. "These ones are here to stay," he said.
CBC
07-08-2025
- Science
- CBC
Tłı̨chǫ reforestation project reaches 1.5 million planted in first year
A total of 13 million trees are being planted on Tłı̨chǫ lands in the next five years as part of an ambitious project to fight climate change, restore ecosystems, bring back boreal caribou habitat and create jobs.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Amazing vanishing world recreated on 12,300 hectare property in heart of Aussie outback
In the heart of Australia's outback, a vanishing world has been created that only springs to life at night. Behind towering fences at South Australia's 12,300-hectare Arid Recovery Reserve, 10 mammal species are being protected from invasive predators behind high fences, reestablishing a complex ecosystem that few people alive today have seen. The University of NSW's Professor Katherine Moseby is the lead author of a paper that has tracked dramatic changes over 26 years since rabbits, foxes and cats were excluded from the landscape. When it comes to the elusive spinifex hopping mouse, its population is up to 33 times higher inside than outside the fence. During the day, you'd have to have sharp eyes to notice signs of any of the tiny mammals that live there. There are small diggings in the soil from reintroduced species like bilbies, but the desert sands and plant life appear near identical. 'If you're driving around in a car, you have to go really slowly so you don't run over all the small mammals because they're just in such high abundance compared to the outside world,' Moseby told Yahoo News. 'If you're driving around outside, you can go at normal speed.' Related: Concern as rare birds retreat to mountains where giant moa became extinct The study included nine native species, the spinifex hopping mouse, plains mouse, Bolam's mouse, Forrest's mouse, desert mouse, sandy inland mouse, stripe-faced dunnart, fat-tailed dunnart and Giles' planigale. The tenth species was the introduced house mouse. During drought, the number of native mammals naturally declines, but after rain, furious breeding helps restore numbers. But the presence of feral predators outside of the fence area appears to interrupt the natural boom and bust breeding cycles, suppressing their recovery and eventually leading to localised extinctions. The team was 'surprised' to discover that in the absence of introduced predators, mammals were expanding into new habitats where they're not traditionally found. This indicates they have retreated from an array of landscapes since the arrival of Europeans. The spinifex hopping house had primarily been associated with sand dunes, but behind the fences they have been seen in swales and clay-based lowlands. The plains mouse moved from swales to sand dunes. Sadly, not all of the animals that once roamed the Red Centre landscape have survived — there are several species missing from the study because they're extinct. But the recovery of 10 highlights how much the nation once looked before European settlement. 'It's incredible how that country would have been so different back then. I think people drive through the desert and think there's nothing out there, but they've just changed so much over the last 150 years,' Moseby said. Moseby isn't just sad that Australia has changed so dramatically and that few people are aware more species like the carnivorous kowari and greater bilbies are continuing to decline in numbers. She's mostly angry. In her decades of studying Australia's rare and endangered creatures, she hasn't seen any 'political will' to save those that have survived the initial wave of settlement, and the cocktail of threats that continue to suppress them. The country is famous for wiping out the Tasmanian tiger, very nearly killing off the koala, and it is notable for having the worst mammalian extinction record in the world. Rare colour footage of extinct Australian animal seen again after 90 years Major weather event sees town overrun by 'rarely observed' phenomenon Once common 'extreme' genetic change unlikely to occur again in human history Director Stephen Spielberg famously recreated a "Lost World" in his movie franchise about bringing dinosaurs back from extinction. The pre-colonial landscape in Australia hasn't yet been lost, but extinction threats are mounting, including climate change, which is heating parts of the desert to uninhabitable levels. 'We know what we need to do. It makes me really frustrated that we could be doing so much more – we can improve land condition, reduce grazing, increase our control of cats and foxes, and improve fire management. We've done the research,' Moseby said. 'We know what we need to do, but it seems like we're banging our heads against a wall, because these things just don't get taken up.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Incredible vanishing world recreated in 12,300 hectare outback property
In the heart of Australia's outback, a vanishing world has been created that only springs to life at night. Behind towering fences at South Australia's 12,300-hectare Arid Recovery Reserve, 10 mammal species are being protected from invasive predators behind high fences, reestablishing a complex ecosystem that few people alive today have seen. The University of NSW's Professor Katherine Moseby is the lead author of a paper that has tracked dramatic changes over 26 years since rabbits, foxes and cats were excluded from the landscape. When it comes to the elusive spinifex hopping mouse, its population is up to 33 times higher inside than outside the fence. During the day, you'd have to have sharp eyes to notice signs of any of the tiny mammals that live there. There are small diggings in the soil from reintroduced species like bilbies, but the desert sands and plant life appear near identical. 'If you're driving around in a car, you have to go really slowly so you don't run over all the small mammals because they're just in such high abundance compared to the outside world,' Moseby told Yahoo News. 'If you're driving around outside, you can go at normal speed.' Related: Concern as rare birds retreat to mountains where giant moa became extinct The study included nine native species, the spinifex hopping mouse, plains mouse, Bolam's mouse, Forrest's mouse, desert mouse, sandy inland mouse, stripe-faced dunnart, fat-tailed dunnart and Giles' planigale. The tenth species was the introduced house mouse. During drought, the number of native mammals naturally declines, but after rain, furious breeding helps restore numbers. But the presence of feral predators outside of the fence area appears to interrupt the natural boom and bust breeding cycles, suppressing their recovery and eventually leading to localised extinctions. The team was 'surprised' to discover that in the absence of introduced predators, mammals were expanding into new habitats where they're not traditionally found. This indicates they have retreated from an array of landscapes since the arrival of Europeans. The spinifex hopping house had primarily been associated with sand dunes, but behind the fences they have been seen in swales and clay-based lowlands. The plains mouse moved from swales to sand dunes. Sadly, not all of the animals that once roamed the Red Centre landscape have survived — there are several species missing from the study because they're extinct. But the recovery of 10 highlights how much the nation once looked before European settlement. 'It's incredible how that country would have been so different back then. I think people drive through the desert and think there's nothing out there, but they've just changed so much over the last 150 years,' Moseby said. Moseby isn't just sad that Australia has changed so dramatically and that few people are aware more species like the carnivorous kowari and greater bilbies are continuing to decline in numbers. She's mostly angry. In her decades of studying Australia's rare and endangered creatures, she hasn't seen any 'political will' to save those that have survived the initial wave of settlement, and the cocktail of threats that continue to suppress them. The country is famous for wiping out the Tasmanian tiger, very nearly killing off the koala, and it is notable for having the worst mammalian extinction record in the world. Rare colour footage of extinct Australian animal seen again after 90 years Major weather event sees town overrun by 'rarely observed' phenomenon Once common 'extreme' genetic change unlikely to occur again in human history Director Stephen Spielberg famously recreated a "Lost World" in his movie franchise about bringing dinosaurs back from extinction. The pre-colonial landscape in Australia hasn't yet been lost, but extinction threats are mounting, including climate change, which is heating parts of the desert to uninhabitable levels. 'We know what we need to do. It makes me really frustrated that we could be doing so much more – we can improve land condition, reduce grazing, increase our control of cats and foxes, and improve fire management. We've done the research,' Moseby said. 'We know what we need to do, but it seems like we're banging our heads against a wall, because these things just don't get taken up.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Zawya
04-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Rwanda to Restore Ecosystems and Boost Climate Resilience in the Nyungwe–Ruhango Corridor
Communities in Rwanda's Southern Province are set to benefit from restored ecosystems, improved agricultural productivity, and expanded sustainable livelihood opportunities in areas vulnerable to climate-related shocks. Thanks to a newly approved $9 million grant from the Global Environment Facility, Rwanda will receive support for integrated landscape restoration and climate-smart land management across the Nyungwe–Ruhango Corridor. The Ecosystem-Based Restoration Approach for Nyungwe-Ruhango Corridor Project is one of 20 projects of the GEF-8 Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Program (ERIP) across the globe. ERIP scales up ecosystem restoration efforts by transforming degraded lands into thriving ecosystems and promotes private sector engagement and South-South exchange across the beneficiary countries. Conservation International is the ERIP lead agency. ' This project reflects the strong partnership between the World Bank and the Government of Rwanda in building climate resilience and driving inclusive green growth,' said Sahr Kpundeh, World Bank Country Manager for Rwanda. ' It aligns with our Country Partnership Framework and global priorities on climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and empowering local communities to lead sustainable change.' The Rwanda GEF-8 will support the rehabilitation of 2,162 hectares of forests and wetlands, promote sustainable land management practices across 8,931 hectares of farmland, and help develop income-generating activities that reduce pressure on fragile ecosystems, directly benefiting more than 289,000 people in Ruhango, Nyanza, and Nyamagabe Districts. The project will contribute to the World Bank Group's core objective of creating more and better jobs to reduce poverty and unlock economic opportunities, especially for the youth. Early estimates suggests that the project could generate over 2,200 jobs through sustainable livelihoods interventions. These include the development of non-timber forest product value chains, fruit tree planting, and support for small businesses in the green economy. The project will also engage the private sector to explore investment opportunities that promote climate-smart land use and sustainable forest management. ' This is a timely intervention that combines ecological restoration with community resilienc e,' said Tuuli Bernardini, Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank. ' By centering the role of women, youth, and local enterprises in landscape management, the project supports inclusive development and paves the way for scalable nature-based solutions.' Implemented by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the project adopts a landscape-based approach to address environmental degradation, food insecurity, climate risks, such as floods and landslides; threats that disrupt infrastructure, destroy crops, and deepen poverty in the Southern province. At its core, the Rwanda GEF-8 aims to restore ecosystems that provide critical services such as erosion control, flood regulation and habitats for biodiversity. Key interventions will include afforestation, reforestation, riverbank and wetland rehabilitation and the promotion of agroforestry and other climate-smart agricultural practices. The Rwanda GEF-8 forms part of a broader suite of World Bank-supported investments in conservation and sustainable land management along the Congo-Nile divide covering parts of the Northern, Western, and Southern Province. These include the Volcanoes Community Resilience Project and Commercialization and De-Risking for Agricultural Transformation Project. Building on lessons from Rwanda's earlier efforts such as the Landscape Approach to Forest Restoration and Conservation (LAFREC), these initiatives align with the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), and are expected to deliver significant outcomes in biodiversity conservation, resilience building and improved community livelihoods. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.
