For the love
​of birds! ​

Plenty Canada, in partnership with Ontario Nature, is leading the Two-Eyed Seeing to Share Knowledge of Ontario's Breeding Birds project, with the goal of meaningfully engaging Indigenous communities in Ontario in the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (Atlas-3).

What’s Atlas-3?

It is citizen science at its finest, with thousands of volunteers conducting a province-wide breeding bird survey over a five-year period (2021-2025). Atlas-3 participants will map Ontario’s approximately 300 species of breeding birds and their habitats. The Atlas is repeated every 20 years to see how bird distributions and populations change over time. You can learn more at birdsontario.org.
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Background: The Atlas-3 organizers identified early in the Atlas planning stages that previous Atlas efforts had very limited engagement and involvement with Indigenous communities across Ontario.  The Atlas-3 organizers formed an Atlas Indigenous Engagement Committee, recognizing that effective, respectful, and meaningful communication with Indigenous communities regarding the Atlas was needed. A project outline was developed, and Plenty Canada was identified as an appropriate Indigenous-led organization to help lead these efforts. Project support was obtained and Plenty Canada, in partnership with Ontario Nature, developed and initiated the Two-Eyed Seeing to Share Knowledge of Ontario's Breeding Birds project.

How does it work?

The Two-Eyed Seeing to Share Knowledge of Ontario's Breeding Birds project has a "Community First" approach that supports Indigenous communities to lead initiatives that align with their bird-related priorities, including increased protection and recovery of birds at risk and youth on the land programming.  Plenty Canada hired two Indigenous Community Liaisons, one for the 'Southern' portion of Ontario and one for the 'North'. The Indigenous Community Liaisons will work to:

• Raise awareness of Atlas-3 with Indigenous communities in Ontario
• Facilitate communication between Indigenous communities and Atlas-3 participants
• Provide resources and access to training for bird surveying​ ​

Other important project objectives are to support Two-Eyed Seeing knowledge exchanges, organize learning circles where communities and Atlas-3 participants come together to share knowledge and to ensure the project operates within the framework of Ethical Space using the Two-Eyed Seeing approach. ​

How can Indigenous communities get involved?​

Plenty Canada is committed to conducting this project within the framework of Ethical Space and Two-Eyed Seeing. Communities will determine their interest and level of involvement, including whether they will share data and/or traditional knowledge outside their community. There are many ways that a community can participate in the Two-Eyed Seeing to Share Knowledge of Ontario's Breeding Birds project: 

Surveying:

• Conduct bird surveys on reserve and traditional lands, either jointly with Atlas-3 survey participants or with community members only
• Include bird surveying and recording of Indigenous ecological knowledge in youth programming- providing opportunities to excite youth about birding and conservation, and grow their ecological and traditional knowledge
• Place acoustic recorders to record bird songs and collect them after several weeks
• Participate in efforts to identify the songs of the species recorded by the acoustic recorders 

Knowledge-Sharing:

• Host and/or participate in a “learning circle” with knowledge-sharing between traditional Knowledge Keepers, Elders, community members and Atlas-3 participants
  • Indigenous Community Liaisons, if asked, will assist in the recording of knowledge, e.g., bird names in Indigenous languages, observed behaviours or changes in particular species, methods of harvesting, preparation and storing significant bird species (recorded and/or shared only with permission)
• Suggest how the atlas surveying protocols and approaches can be adapted to ensure bird research is meaningfully informed by Indigenous Knowledges Ways of Knowing
• Gain more knowledge about the health of harvested birds for consumption
• Utilize previous Atlas data to help inform a nation’s conservation efforts, land use planning, etc. 

Indigenous Community Liaisons will facilitate where needed and when asked, providing connections to the Atlas-3 participants, access to training and equipment, and support for learning circles, travel, and other expenses. In keeping with Two-Eyed Seeing, all learning circles will begin and end in ceremony. ​

All photos by Mark Peck, with the exception of the eastern meadowlark next to "For the love of birds!". Some have been cropped to fit.

To learn more about the project or get involved, interested individuals or communities can contact the Indigenous Community Liaisons:

Ontario South - Martina Albert, martinaalbert@plentycanada.com  

Ontario North - Sharon Kimberley, sharonkimberley@plentycanada.com

​This project was undertaken with the financial support of:
Ce projet a été réalisé avec l'appui financier de: