The Pacific Northwest’s invaluable forests, home to carbon-rich temperate rainforests and vital salmon rivers, face immediate threats from extractive industries. These ecosystems sequester substantial carbon, support biodiversity, influence weather patterns, and contribute to global climate stability.
The Mother Tree Network, in partnership with the Awi’nakola Foundation, aims to protect these forests by establishing Indigenous Learning Communities focused on collaborative stewardship.
Supported by cutting-edge research developed by Dr. Suzanne Simard and emerging regenerative frameworks, this partnership seeks to transition from extractive to regenerative economies. It aims to save intact old-growth forests and restore degraded ones, emphasizing the critical role of forest care in mitigating climate change.
Each Learning Community will be guided by local Indigenous protocols and knowledge. Community members will receive training in ecosystem-based management and restoration to steward forests regeneratively.
The project ultimately seeks to demonstrate how Indigenous governance practices like Potlatching can be applied to modern reconciliation and conservation efforts, allowing communities to heal trauma and cultivate reciprocal relationships with the land. The goal is to produce replicable models for forest-dependent communities globally.
