What is the state of our fish and wildlife? Is our land productive? Are our natural resources sustainable? Find out more on November 4 in Madoc at the Land Knowledge Circles project.
These are the essential questions that need to be asked in our communities. Only those who live on the land and with the land can provide answers. Increasingly, governments are less able to engage with landowners in meaningful ways, and resources are being managed at regional and provincial scales, often without sufficient local knowledge.
The Land Between charity, in partnership with Curve Lake First Nation and Hastings Stewardship Council, is calling on its farmers, hunters, anglers, foresters, beekeepers, gardeners, naturalists and hikers to participate in local citizens’ events. Indigenous Talking Circles, an ancient and effective platform for building community and consensus, are being used to share first-hand knowledge of conditions on the land. Proceedings from the Circle meetings will be published to validate the voice of citizens and to provide a basis for resource management by groups, organizations and potentially governments too.
The reports from the first Circle event in Gravenhurst on September 16 were very positive. Participants called it an enriching, supportive experience. One participant said, “I went home with optimism. This is a great opportunity to break down barriers and stimulate us to take better care of our future.”
The project is a pilot funded by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration’s Partnership Grant Program.
The Knowledge Circle event for Hastings, Lennox & Addington, and north Northumberland region will be held on Saturday November 4th in Madoc at the Arts Centre Hastings, 230 Durham St. South, from 10 a.m. to 4p.m.
The event is free and lunch is provided. To register, contact Leora at info@thelandbetween.ca or register online at knowledgecircles.ca. For more information, contact Matt Caruana at 613-391-9034 or info@hastingsstewardship.ca.
