Strengthening Communities
Working with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, carbon projects can revitalize ancestral connections to Mother Earth. By protecting native ecosystems over several years, our Tribal Partners are starting to see species returning to the land that have not been present for decades. The connection between the community and the surrounding ecosystem is strengthened as the Earth heals.
Working with Bands across Northern Minnesota, carbon projects have supported forests that filter clean water into local lakes. This has rejuvenated the wild rice (manoomin in traditional Ojibwe) and encouraged culturally significant wild rice harvesting. By conserving the manoomin, our project ensures that elders can pass down the knowledge of rice harvesting for the next Seven Generations.
Nurturing Native Ecosystems
Over the long-term, continued growth of native forests and grasslands will provide critical habitat for ecologically and culturally significant species. By allowing these natural spaces to heal and grow into uninterrupted, pristine environments, many of the rare megafauna begin to return onto the land. In many cases, northern communities have seen an uptick in moose and wolf sightings.
In collaboration with the Blackfeet Nation in Western Montana, we are working to protect 69,000 acres of forestlands. This land hosts critical migratory pathways for American bison to move into the Rocky Mountains for summer feeding and back down onto the Great Plains for winter months. The work happening on the ground is part of a much larger American bison reintroduction effort.
The Value of Native Plants
As forests, grasslands, and native ecosystems continue to grow, habitats become healthier, bringing benefits to local communities. Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities who pursue nature-based climate solutions, such as carbon projects, experience increased air quality in local areas, increased resilience to severe weather events, and a host of other co-benefits.
It is a proven fact that nature acts as one of the best buffers to severe weather and other impacts of climate change. By protecting native ecosystems over the long term, enrolled communities reduce the impacts of storms, floods, droughts, and other hazards.