Fifty Point Conservation Area- Clean Marine Eco Rating Award
Seeds for Conservation(SFC) Program
Lakehead Region Conservation Authority
Project Description
Lakehead Region Conservation Authority’s “Seeds for Conservation” (SFC) program
aims to ethically and sustainably harvests seeds native to Northwestern Ontario from the LRCA’s Conservation Areas. The importance of the SFC program stems from the inability to source native seeds or plants in Thunder Bay for local restoration initiatives. Locally adapted, wild harvested seeds are better able to withstand the harsh winters in the region and have coevolved with the pollinators and wildlife reliant on these plants for food and shelter. In the SOF program, seeds are harvested, sorted and stratified over the winter, then raised in the LRCA’s greenhouse, to later be planted as part of ongoing stewardship projects. These seeds and plants require less maintenance and excel in restoration settings. These stewardship projects focus on habitat restoration within the Lakehead Watershed, ranging from riparian revegetation, wetland recreation, to meadow landscapes.
Community engagement is the core of the project, as volunteers contributing to seed processing and restoration plantings are pivotal to its success. While the LRCA is the project lead, success stems from strong community partnerships and collaborative efforts. The LRCA hosts educational events regarding seed harvesting, seed stratification, transplanting young plants, and planting mature plants at selected restoration projects. Involving local communities, schools, and organizations not only enhances the effectiveness of local restoration projects, but it fosters a sense of connection and responsibility. Further, the SRC program aims to inspire community members to take an active role in the well-being of their surroundings and the Lakehead Watershed.
Challenge / Issue and Solution
SFC blossomed out of the challenges faced by LRCA’s Stewardship Program in sourcing native plants. In Thunder Bay, native plants are either shipped in from Southern Ontario or Manitoba. Plants indigenous to the southern half of the province are often not endemic to Northwestern Ontario, where the ecoregion changes, the boreal forest is prevalent, and the climate is cooler. These limitations lessen the diversity of species available, provide plants less compatible with local environmental conditions, and increase our carbon footprint. Expanding capacity at LRCA to source and grow Northwestern Ontario native plants has been economical and effective for restoration projects.
PEOPLE: Share any details about how you partnered or collaborated with others (internal or external)
The SFC program provides community members with opportunities to learn how to sow seeds for ecological restoration and actively participate rehabilitation plantings to improve the Lakehead Watershed. Volunteers from all backgrounds participate in the program, from high school students to volunteers with Enbridge Gas or RBC, Lakehead University and Confederation College students, and LRCA’s on-call list of over 200 volunteers. Further, the City of Thunder Bay recognizes the value of the project, collaborating with the LRCA to acquire native seeds to cultivate plants in the city-owned greenhouse for independent restoration projects.
PLANNING: Provide a description of how you planned, prepared and implemented your project
The LRCA aims to lead by example, by utilizing community engagement as an effective platform for environmental education and awareness. Engaging communities in ecological restoration projects inspires individuals to become stewards of their environment. The SFC program provides hands-on learning experiences for community members, while contributing to restoring the ecological value of degraded habitats within Thunder Bay. The project not only fosters a sense of connection and responsibility amongst the community but contributes to resilient seed banks in the face of climate change, preserving and supporting local genetics and adaptation within our ecosystems.
PLACES: Conservation Area Impact / Outcomes
In the first year of the program, over 4,000 native perennials and shrubs were grown from seed and planted back into Conservation Areas and stewardship sites in the Thunder Bay area. In collaboration with the City of Thunder Bay, the LRCA provided native seeds to for use in local boulevards, rain gardens, and low impact development planting projects. The low maintenance native plants not only filter run-off from our streets but exhibit the importance of biodiversity in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Describe the overall outcome and success of your project, noting your achievements in innovation and inspiration in PEOPLE, PLANNING and PLACES
Plants have been provided to Lakehead University and Confederation College for habitat restoration and urban greening projects. The program's educational events and rehabilitation plantings provide students with firsthand experience in ecological restoration and increasing biodiversity in degraded habitats. Further, the program provided seeds to Fort William First Nation and the Ontario Native Women’s Association’s National Truth and Reconciliation Day events in fall of 2024, spreading native seeds across the region.
Further, the LRCA hosted two native plants sales to the community in 2024, with an incredible response! Members of the public were inspired by the program and wanted to implement similar plantings in their own back yard. These sales have allowed for native plants grown through the SFC program to be distributed throughout the city, further contributing to the ecological integrity of our local landscapes. The funds from the plant sales are reinvested into the LRCA’s ongoing stewardship initiatives for purchases such as green house supplies, soil, fertilizer, etc.
The SFC project plans to continue with our mission to sustainably source native seeds from our Conservation Areas and work with community partners to contribute to the overall health and conservation of the Lakehead Watershed, in perpetuity.
