One of many largest wetlands discovered on the planet stretches throughout Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. It is called the Hudson Bay Lowlands, and 71,440 sq. kilometers (17,653,208 acres) of those lowlands lie inside Manitoba. Maintaining these vibrant landscapes wholesome is extremely necessary; it advantages communities within the area in addition to an abundance of wildlife species that depend upon the world for survival. They embody polar bears, caribou, and lots of migratory chook species. There are presently a number of Indigenous-led conservation efforts underway to ascertain protections for his or her ancestral lands within the area, considered one of which is the Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek Indigenous Protected Space initiative. And the advantages of defending these biodiversity-rich lands are immense!
Defending Polar Bears
Manitoba is house to the most important focus of polar bears on the planet, and the Hudson Bay Lowlands are the place many established denning websites are situated. In contrast to extra northern bears, which dig dens in snow, Manitoba’s polar bears elevate their cubs in earthen dens dug into riverbanks and hills. Proof exhibits that a few of these dens have been used for at the least 200 years. Defending the lands polar bears depend on to lift their younger and relaxation, is essential to the bears’ survival. That is very true as they face the impacts of local weather change with longer, hotter summers and fewer days spent out on the ice.
Defending Birds
The Hudson Bay Lowlands is a mosaic of wetlands, waterways, forests, and coastal tundra, offering important habitat for a whole bunch of chook species. Every year thousands and thousands of migratory birds journey from throughout the hemisphere to lift their younger and reap the benefits of the Lowlands’ seasonal bounty of assets. For instance, the nutrient-rich coastal salt marshes present supreme situations for thousands and thousands of geese, geese, and shorebirds to feed and breed annually. It’s estimated that at the least 165 totally different chook species breed within the area, and lots of extra move by on their option to breeding places additional north. Defending these very important habitats is crucial for an considerable assortment of birds discovered all through the Western Hemisphere.
Defending Caribou
Barren-ground caribou make up about 50% of all caribou in Canada and lots of of them journey by the Hudson Bay Lowlands in the hunt for meals throughout their seasonal migrations. The area additionally helps woodland caribou together with 4 populations generally known as japanese migratory caribou. Every spring, considered one of these japanese migratory populations—the Cape Churchill herd—migrates almost 200km from their woodland wintering grounds in southwestern Wapusk Nationwide Park to the open tundra alongside the northern shores of Hudson Bay. As soon as there, the herd advantages from high-quality plant progress and decrease predator densities in the course of the summer time calving interval. Within the fall, the Cape Churchill herd returns south to the protecting shelter of the boreal forest, the place they may spend the tough subarctic winter season. Each barren-ground caribou and woodland caribou herds present many financial and social advantages to native Indigenous communities. Making certain the safety of caribou habitat shouldn’t be solely necessary for the herds that dwell on these lands, but it surely additionally has important implications for individuals who depend on wholesome and thriving caribou populations.
Defending Tradition
Indigenous Protected Areas do excess of merely preserve the panorama. They protect the cultures and conventional life of the peoples who’ve stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial. The Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek Indigenous Protected Space initiative has united 5 Cree Nations who had been forcibly faraway from their ancestral lands by colonialism. Establishing a protected space which will probably be guided by conventional legislation and the knowledge of elders, data keepers, and youth is an act of reconciliation. “Kitaskeenan is a present to our kids that carries their histories, language, and identities,” the initiative’s imaginative and prescient assertion declares. “Our imaginative and prescient is to guard Kitaskeenan Kanatenihtakwuk – our sacred land – by following the methods of our ancestors to preserve, protect, and honor all of Askiy that the Creator offered. Defending this land will play a serious function within the survival of our tradition and language.”
Defending the Planet
The Hudson Bay Lowlands are globally necessary for mitigating local weather change and must be thought of a scorching spot for conservation planning because of the huge carbon deposits discovered right here. The abundance of peatlands present in your complete Lowlands area helps to manage local weather by storing an estimated 30 to 35 billion tons of carbon,that’s the equal of 33.7 – 39.3 billion vehicles’ annual emissions! Defending the Hudson Bay Lowlands helps to safeguard these vitally necessary peatlands and carbon shops. It additionally protects the unimaginable wealth of biodiversity that the land sustains.
Study extra about this unimaginable area on this Storymap, and discover out how one can assist help efforts to guard these wild areas.
