Supporting Indigenous-led Watershed Stewardship in Northern Ontario

In partnership with First Nations, WCS Canada is rolling out a portfolio of projects to support Indigenous conservation in the great wild rivers of northern Ontario. Based on local capacity and traditional knowledge, this multi-community initiative is structured around three key actions. Along the Severn river (1,000 km), threatened by mining activity, the project trains young people and elders in participatory cinema as an advocacy tool to protect their watershed. In the Moose River basin, he engages youth from the Moose Cree First Nation in environmental monitoring of lake sturgeon, comparing impacts between a free tributary and a tributary modified by hydroelectricity. Finally, on the Winisk River, the program is partnering with the Weenusk First Nation to monitor permafrost thaw related to climate change in order to prevent chemical contamination of fish and secure local food sovereignty.