Valuing Nature’s Benefits: The State of Ecosystem Services Science and Practice in Ontario
The Ontario Network on Ecosystem Services hosted its first public forum on Tuesday November 15, 2011, in Alliston Ontario. This forum was held one day before the Latornell Conservation Symposium happening at the same location.
Over 90 people attended. They exchanged information, shared experiences, and identified questions and suggestions that should inform us all. Each attendee received a hard-copy listing of other attendees with contact information and a brief statement of interest.
Notes from individual presenters are linked below:
Introduction
- Welcoming remarks were provided by Mike Halferty (Ontario Forestry Association)
- Introduction to ONES was provided by Mike Puddister (Credit Valley Conservation)
- What would success look like for Ecosystem Services in Ontario? by Jo-Anne Rzadki (Conservation Ontario)
Panel 1: What do we know and what do we need to know?
- Moderator: Jeff Wilson (Green Analytics)
- Tatiana Koveshnikova (Credit Valley Conservation) on Research uncovering the links to well-being
- Barbara Heidenreich (Ontario Heritage Trust) on Knowledge gaps on grasslands and other Ontario ecosystems
- Owen Steele (Ducks Unlimited) on Research priorities for wetlands
Panel 2: What should be done with this information by whom and when?
- Moderator: Kathy Macpherson (Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation)
- Michelle Molnar (David Suzuki Foundation) on Policy options within urban areas
- Noah Gaetz (Toronto and Region Conservation) on TRCA’s site-specific compensation protocol Authority
- Eric Miller (Independent Consultant) on An Ontario Policy Framework for Ecosystem Services
Panel 3: What are the right tools for our ES toolkit?
- Moderator: Shashi Kant, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto
- Brandon Schaufele (Sustainable Prosperity) on SP’s assessment of instruments in Canada
- Anne Loeffler (Grand River Conservation Authority) on the Rural Water Quality Program of the GRCA
- Christine Schmalz (Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association) on EnvironMERIT proposed by OSCIA
Panel 4: Who do we engage, and how do we do it?
- Moderator: Chris Lemieux (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources) on Communicating Nature’s Benefits
- Jode Roberts (Suzuki Foundation) on Developing Natural Capital Ambassadors
- David Reid (Ontario Stewardship) on Alternative Land Use Services Pilot Project in Norfolk County
- Nic Schulz (Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregate) on ENGO-Industry partnerships
Posters
- Paul Kraehling (University of Guelph) on the Ontario Rural Landowners Stewardship Guide
- Prabir Roy (Parks Canada) on Valuing Ecosystem Services in Protected Areas: The Example of Georgian Bay Islands National Park
- Amanda Shane (Queen’s University)
Closing Remarks were provided by Eric Miller.
We thank the organizing committee of Latornell for hosting this forum as a pre-Latornell session. We thank Conservation Ontario for handling registration fees and costs.
For more information e-mail either Eric, Kristen, or Mike via the network e-mail forum@ONEcosystemServices.CA