TFN at the Biodiversity Strategy Workshop

Yesterday, Bob Kortright and Jason Ramsay-Brown represented TFN at the City of Toronto’s Biodiversity Strategy Workshop at East York Civic Center, attending alongside participants from TRCA, U of T, ProtectNatureTO, and various City divisions. This important strategy aims to “increase the quality and quantity of natural habitat, design the built environment to support more biodiversity, and increase access to and awareness of nature in the city.” Viewed in conjunction with the Ravine Strategy, Pollinator Protection Strategy and similar such documents, it serves as another vital thread in a tapestry of recent initiatives that encourage meaningful refuge and protection for Toronto species.

Participants spent the day exploring the most recent version of the draft and making suggestions. This feedback will inform the report to be presented to Council next year. The version available for comment yesterday demonstrated many significant improvements over the one last published on the City website, improvements driven by prior rounds of stakeholder commentary. Thus, TFN is quite optimistic that further improvements will be reflected in the next iteration based on the ideas we heard discussed during yesterday’s review.

There will be opportunities for open public comment before all is said and done, and we encourage TFN members to contribute to this process. We’ll be sure to publish additional information in the newsletter and on the site as it becomes available.

Toronto Field Naturalists wishes to acknowledge this Land through which we walk. For thousands of years, the Land has been shared by the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe. Toronto is situated on the Land within the Toronto Purchase, Treaty 13, the traditional and treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is also part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, a covenant agreement between Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Wendat peoples and allied nations to peaceably share the land and all its resources. Today, the Land is home to peoples of numerous nations. We are all grateful to have the opportunity to continue to care for and share the beauty of this Land.