ECA’s Corridor Program
The vision of the ECA is to improve connectivity and ecological resiliency, over time creating a more connected and more protected ecological corridor across South Georgian Bay, for nature and for future generations.
Ecological Corridors are networks of land and water that have existed since time immemorial, offering high-quality habitat for wildlife and ecosystem function, allowing species to move, and natural processes to flow freely across large landscapes.
Benefits to Nature:
Connectivity is now recognized as essential for improving ecological resilience and the Niagara Escarpment is a unique landscape to serve as the backbone. Improving connectivity at the landscape-scale also provides nature-based solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change. These solutions include reducing the impact of drought and flooding events, expanding native habitat for beneficial insects like pollinators, and sequestering carbon.
Trees, insects and birds are responding to climate change differently. Habitat loss through changing land use is reducing the available habitat for biodiversity and degrading it through fragmentation. Wildlife is in decline. Abundant wildlife, rich forests, and clear waterways define this region. Preserving these habitats in an ecological corridor will help ensure their survival – we have an opportunity to take action and rebuild connection.
Benefits to People:
Ecological corridors improve human health and wellness by improving moods, and lowering the risk of chronic disease. Natural spaces protect water quality, provide economic and recreational opportunities, and more.
The ECA is bringing people in our community together to co-create a legacy for future generations. By protecting access to nature in South Georgian Bay we ensure that local businesses and communities continue to thrive because of this rich local ecosystem.
EcoTourism that includes nature appreciation, hiking, skiing, birding, fishing, and biking, bring resources that our small businesses rely on. Our essential farmland also thrives alongside intact nature corridors that offer habitat for pollinators and wetlands that mitigate the impact of climate change. Ecological corridors benefit communities.
Benefits for Good:
The ECA is taking action and has some ambitious goals over the next five years. We are:
- Using science as a foundation for decision making, merging corridor science with what we know about the ecology of South Georgian Bay;
- Working to incorporate Two-Eyed Seeing and the deep knowledge and perspectives of Indigenous People;
- Welcoming the voices of others, and aim to work collaboratively with Indigenous Nations, our fellow local environmental groups and local governments for synergistic outcomes that benefit nature and people;
- Supporting on-the-ground projects that deliver real, tangible results. To do this, we are relying on the participation and support of the communities in which we work.
- Exploring habitat restoration opportunities, connecting landholders with tax incentive programs for stewarding their land, and recognizing land that is already providing benefits to nature, as OECMs (Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures – Canada.ca).
- Incorporating new conservation tools, as YOUR land trust. Our work in this space is guided by the Canadian Land Trust Standards & Practices and supported by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance. As a recipient organization of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program (Ecological Gifts Program: overview – Canada.ca) – ECA donors of ecologically sensitive land can receive enhanced tax benefits and we can help you determine which options work best for you and your family.
Corridor Identification Project
The ECA’s geospatial analysis of the South Georgian Bay Escaprment Region, completed by consultants Dobbin International in 2024, identified the most Important Areas for Biodiversity and explored what a more protected, more connected ecological corridor could look like. This project was funded by the Greenbelt Foundation and the RBC Tech Grant for Nature and supports the ECA’s foundation in the latest science to support our Corridor Program.
You can help preserve and restore habitats across South Georgian Bay
Your support of the Corridor Program will go directly to land stewardship and securement projects, providing a legacy for nature, for people and for good.
News & Updates
Stay informed on important information happening on the SGB Escarpment.
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