Now in its third year of EGBI funding, the Anishinaabek Land Trust continued its work protecting SAR, namely turtles and snakes, while growing into a long-term, community-driven conservation organization.

From July through September, the Land Trust staff and community volunteers monitored reptile habitat through roadway surveys, kayak surveys, and Artificial Cover Board monitoring, documenting key turtle habitats and SAR including Blanding’s Turtle, Eastern Fox Snake, and Massasauga Rattlesnake. Bright, easy-to-read signage, including the Anishinaabek Land Trust’s “Vanishing Relatives” series, was installed at high-traffic and sensitive sites to raise awareness and reduce habitat disturbance, and no reptile road mortalities were recorded this season, a result the team credits to growing community involvement.

Over the course of 2024, five community talks and five youth-focused sessions engaged roughly 25 participants and brought in four new volunteers. Conversations with Elders and Knowledge Holders surfaced historical species observations and traditional knowledge that are now shaping where and how ALT focuses its surveys. A custom, waterproof reptile field guide was created and distributed to community members to support ongoing identification and monitoring.

Anishinaabek Land Trust also expanded its outreach across Ontario through virtual presentations to Indigenous communities, Chiefs, and Councils, introducing its mission and its Holistic Land and Life Strategy (HLLS) which a “Two-Eyed Seeing” framework that guides how the Land Trust acquires and stewards land for SAR, cultural practice, and biodiversity. This year also saw substantial progress on the HLLS guidelines themselves, along with new outreach materials including a letter of introduction, a dedicated presentation, brochures, and posters, to support future partnerships with Indigenous communities across the region.