Ask a Canadian where Stockton-on-Tees is located, and they might try to point you to the nearest golf course. It happens to be a town in Northeastern England where Frances Braceland, Co-Watershed Coordinator of the Souris and Area Branch of the Prince Edward Island Wildlife Federation, used to call home. When Frances' husband asked her where Souris, Prince Edward Island (PEI) was located, she had no idea where to point.
Then he asked if she'd like to move there.
An unexpected opportunity in a new country
"I'd never even heard of Prince Edward Island before my husband was offered a job in Souris, but we thought we'd make a go of it and try life in a new country."
When Frances and her husband arrived in Canada in 2016, it wasn't long before she used her previous work experience with wildlife non-profits like The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and her love for the outdoors to find her footing in Canada. "I learned to appreciate nature at a very early age, so it was only natural that might be the career path I'd fall into," she says. This thinking, coupled with her passion for conservation, led Frances to take a job as a Co-Watershed Coordinator with Souris Wildlife.
Souris Wildlife is a non-profit dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of wildlife habitats around Eastern Prince Edward Island. Human activity has caused wetlands in Canada to disappear at an alarming rate, and Frances, along with Co-Watershed Coordinators Fred Cheverie and Keila Miller, don't want PEI to experience the same fate.
For example, one of the more innovative solutions Fred, Frances, and Keila proposed was to transform unused farmland into wetland. Wetlands naturally filter water from farm fields before it enters other watercourses, and they also provide natural habitats for diverse species, such as plants, insects, amphibians, and birds. Wetlands even reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect us from the effects of climate change.
However, constructing the wetlands requires ample funding—something that a non-profit like Souris Wildlife had in short supply.
Until they learned about Living Lab – Atlantic.
An initiative, a funding partner, and a proposal
"We have a lot of conservation and environmental project ideas," says Frances. "And we're always looking for the right funding partners to come along."
Launched in 2019, Living Lab – Atlantic activities address key areas affecting farmers and lands, specifically in PEI. As part of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Living Laboratories Initiative (Living Labs), Living Lab – Atlantic is a new approach to agricultural innovation in Canada. It brings together farmers, scientists, and other collaborators to develop and test innovative practices and technologies. The focus is on innovative solutions to environmental issues related to agriculture, such as climate change, soil health, water quality, and biodiversity.
To Frances, Fred, and Keila, it was a perfect fit for Souris Wildlife. Their proposal addressed the climate change, water quality and biodiversity components of the Living Lab – Atlantic initiative. It even proposed how to positively impact the landscape by sequestering carbon.
Regardless of the team's efforts, acquiring funding can be a tricky process. Frances and Keila, who are responsible for funding applications with Souris, had their work cut out for them. Frances enlisted the help of the Prince Edward Island Watershed Alliance and the Kensington North Watersheds Association to partner on the application in order to strengthen their case. Once the proposal was sent, all she and the other organizations could do was hope AAFC saw the merit.
From farmland to wetland
When AAFC and Living Lab – Atlantic lead external collaborator, East Prince Agri-Environment Association, saw what Souris Wildlife had planned for increasing wetlands in Prince Edward Island, they enthusiastically agreed. So in 2019, a portion of AAFC funding was ear-marked to develop wetlands on farmland unsuitable for crop production but still capable of environmental benefits. According to Frances, "wetlands have been an incredible use of non-farmable land that otherwise would have been left overgrown, and farmers are delighted to be contributing their land to improve the environment for all Islanders."
Since then, Frances and Souris Wildlife have overseen the construction of two new wetlands on Eastern Prince Edward Island farmland as part of the initiative. They plan to develop at least two more over the next two years in collaboration with the PEI Watershed Alliance, a non-profit cooperative association of watershed management groups.
Considering that 65% of coastal wetlands have been harmed by human activity in Atlantic Canada, these conservation partnerships between AAFC and conservation organizations through Living Lab – Atlantic are needed now more than ever. There is more work to be done, but Frances has come a long way from when she first arrived on the shores of PEI. She's proud to see the impacts of her efforts and will continue her vital work in restoring the environment for wildlife and future generations.
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