College partnership to help revitalize lands at Aamjiwnaang First Nation

Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Lambton College are teaming up on research to enhance biodiversity and preserve traditional knowledge.

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A research team, in consultation with Aamjiwnaang elders, members and council, will identify native plants significant to the community next to the St. Clair River, and potential rehabilitation sites, the college said.

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“This project represents a vital step towards reclaiming and revitalizing our land,” Chief Chris Plain said in a statement. “It’s an opportunity to ensure our cultural practices endure and benefit future generations.”

It’s expected to help the First nation increase biodiversity, create pollinator or food and medicine gardens, explore establishing an Indigenous plant nursery, and support preservation of culture and knowledge, the college said.

A local industry representative aware of Aamjiwnaang’s biodiversity efforts suggested the college get involved, and the potential partners met about a year ago, said Mehdi Sheikhzadeh, the college’s senior vice-president of research and innovation.

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“We all had a good brainstorming session” and determined the college had the expertise and equipment needed, he said.

“The most important piece was how the project was defined by the community, rather than something that comes from outside,” Sheikhzadeh said. “That is extremely important to us.”

The three-year project won $360,000 in funding from several sources, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and work is underway, he said.

Goals include gaining insights into the natural storage of seeds in the soil, plant selection for site-management strategies for sustainable land restoration, and establishing a collection of target plant seeds adapted to the local environment for use in site rehabilitation, Sheikhzadeh said.

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The First Nation is seeing a decline in biodiversity and the impact of invasive plant species, the college said.

“The hope is it’s also going to be useful from the cultural aspect” through “preservation of culture and knowledge” and spreading that information among the community, including its youth, Sheikhzadeh said.

Results of the collaboration also serve as a “blueprint” for other Ontario First Nations facing similar biodiversity challenges, the college said.

Lambton has a long history with applied research and in recent years has seen increased demand for training and research into plant-based projects, Sheikhzadeh said.

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