First Nation Species at Risk projects funded

Species at Risk projects will soon be conducted by four area First Nations and two First Nation organizations.
“The Species at Risk Stewardship Fund supports dedicated volunteers and landowners in making a positive difference to our province’s at-risk plants and animals, which in turn improves our biodiversity and the quality of life for all Ontarians,” said Natural Resources Minister Linda Jeffrey.
Cat Lake and Slate Falls will be conducting an Identification of Woodland Caribou Critical Summer Habitat within the Cat Lake/Slate Falls First Nation traditional area and Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining Ojibway Nation will be conducting the Ochiichagwe’babigo’ining Lake Sturgeon Assessment, Habitat Analysis, and Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Collection.
Wawakapewin First Nation will be conducting the Wawakapewin Lake Sturgeon Population Assessment and Movement project; Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council Inc. will be conducting the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Collection Initiative: Species at Risk in the Kabapikotawangag region; and Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre will be conducting the Pic River Lake Sturgeon Migration and Habitat Utilization Study.
Ontario is giving more than $3.6 million for 113 community projects across the province to encourage people to become involved in helping at-risk plants and animals.
Since 2007, more than 400 projects were supported leading to the restoration of 646 hectares of habitat for vulnerable species – an area the size of about 900 soccer fields. The projects generated short-term jobs for about 1,100 Ontarians and engaged more than 7,300 volunteers, who contributed around 77,700 hours of work.