Winnipeg, MB (Feb 10, 2020) - Four groups with strong ties to Manitoba took to the national stage last week to showcase their work and programs to 400 delegates gathered at Ottawa's National Arts Centre for the National Nature-Based Climate Solutions Summit.
Hosted by Nature Canada and supported by a plethora of Canada's foremost conservation groups and key federal government departments, the Summit pledged to increase collective knowledge of nature-based climate solutions to help a chart a path forward among the growing constituency of stakeholders and interests that support federal action and investment. The key was exploring opportunities to work together to advance natural climate solutions that have climate, biodiversity and other co-benefits for people and nature.
Manitoba was well-represented by Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC), ALUS Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association (MFGA). Each group's representative quickly showcased the positives, synergies and urgencies for nature-based opportunities in Manitoba and on the Prairies. Tim Sopuck, MHHC CEO, delivered a plenary overview of Manitoba's Conservation Trust and GROW Trust programs that had many in the room nodding in agreement about the funding model and potential of the conservation-based program. Sopuck's main point about the two Trusts being set up for perpetuity via endowment hit home with many delegates.
"The Manitoba government's commitment of $204.0 million to trust funds for land and water conservation have been noticed and applauded across Canada," said Sopuck.
Lara Ellis, senior vice-president, policy and partnerships, ALUS Canada, helped organize the conference and took to the stage as part of a larger group speaking to nature-based solutions across a mix of ecosystems. ALUS Canada has been active in the Little Saskatchewan Conservation District of Manitoba and has flagship projects in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island.
MFGA's executive director Duncan Morrison and DUC's research scientist Dr. Pascal Badiou rounded out the Manitoba-based speakers as part of concurrent panels on Day Two of the Summit that featured Ag and Grasslands and Wetlands respectively. In the Ag and Grassland session, Morrison focused on the MFGA's producer-led strategic approach and heavily promoted the MFGA Aquanty Model - a high resolution water movement model on the Assiniboine River Basin that looks at the role of forages and grasslands in times of flood and drought that was funded by AAFC's AgriRisk Initiatives and the Province of Manitoba in 2018 - and MFGA's producer-led actions and positioning on regenerative agriculture to the Summit delegates.
"This Summit really was a big deal for MFGA," said Morrison. "I was humbled by the opportunity to walk proudly among the groups that were there from Manitoba and all the others from across Canada. From MFGA perspective, I really believe that what our MFGA producers and networks are doing on the land with the way they farm with a major focus on mimicking nature via agriculture practices that improve their soil, water, and wildlife habitats while capturing carbon is exactly the type of producer-led leadership that many in the Summit audience can relate to and want to see. To have the MFGA Aquanty in our pocket and ready to deploy as a planning tool across such a critical and vast river basin and major land component of Prairie Canada is also vital to many audiences and the feedback and interest from potential partners was instant. We look forward to many more great chats on both MFGA Aquanty and regenerative agriculture practices in the immediate future with key groups on Canada's nature-based climate solutions."
