Frontenac Arch Biosphere

05/30/2026

Get the scoop on all things spring in the Frontenac Arch 🌱📬

This season's newsletter features updates on:

➡️ Our new Executive Director
➡️ Last chance for our film fundraiser tickets
➡️ Sumemr Nature Camps are 70% full
➡️ YCAS Basecamp recap
➡️ Our submission to Alto's proposed high-speed railway
➡️ Our brand new interactive map and maps resources page
➡️ Local climate and conservation wins
➡️ Upcoming events in the region ..and more!

Read and subscribe to the newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/fabn/frontenac-arch-biosphere-fall-newsletter-14068654?e=003da0e7a8

UNESCO
Unesco Biodiversity
Canadian Commission for UNESCO / Commission canadienne pour l'UNESCO
Canadian Biosphere Regions Association

05/29/2026

We’re pleased to welcome Cedric Pepelea to our special fundraising evening in support of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network next week at The Screening Room 📽️

Following our June 3 screening of 2040, Cedric will host a live conversation and audience Q&A.

Cedric is a clean energy educator, consultant, and community energy strategist with experience bringing community-based approaches to sustainability. He will help ground the film’s ideas in what’s already happening — and what’s possible — here in our region.

Tickets purchased for this event support FABN’s work across the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, including:

🌿 conservation and stewardship initiatives
🎓 environmental education
🌍 the Youth Climate Action Summit

🎟️ There are still a few seats available here: FABN.ca/hope

An Evening of Hope | 2040 Film Screening + Live Conversation with Cedric Pepelea

05/27/2026

Congrats Thousand Islands Alliance of River Advocates - TIARA on helping get this nomination through for the Upper St. Lawrence Kahnekarónnion (River) 🌊

Canadian Heritage Rivers / Rivières du patrimoine canadien
UNESCO
Unesco Biodiversity
Canadian Commission for UNESCO / Commission canadienne pour l'UNESCO
Canadian Biosphere Regions Association

🌊 Big News for Canada’s Rivers! 🌊

We’re thrilled to announce the official nomination of the Upper St. Lawrence River as a Canadian Heritage River! 🎉

The Ontario section of the Upper St. Lawrence was nominated by the Thousand Islands Alliance of River Advocates, in partnership with local communities, and approved by:

✅ The Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
✅ The Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Why is this river so special?

✨ Deep Indigenous roots and rich cultural history
✨ A vital corridor for travel, trade, and recreation
✨ The gateway linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic — shaping Canada’s history, ecology, and economy

👉Read the announcement here: https://bit.ly/StLawrenceEN
👉 Learn more about the CHRS at www.chrs.ca

📍Upper St. Lawrence River

Image: The water adds sparkles to a St. Lawrence skiff moored at a Grenadier Island dock
📸 Photo credit: Michael Mayerfeld Bell



🌊 Grande nouvelle pour les rivières du Canada! 🌊

Nous sommes ravis d'annoncer la désignation officielle du cours supérieur du fleuve Saint-Laurent comme rivière du patrimoine canadien! 🎉

La section ontarienne du Haut-Saint-Laurent a été désignée par la Thousand Islands Alliance of River Advocates, en partenariat avec les communautés locales, et approuvée par:

✅ Le ministre de l'Environnement, du Changement climatique et de la Nature, et ministre responsable de Parcs Canada.
✅ Le ministre de l'Environnement, de la Protection de la nature et des Parcs de l'Ontario.

Pourquoi cette rivière est-elle si spéciale?

✨ Ses racines autochtones profondes et sa riche histoire culturelle
✨ Son rôle de corridor vital pour les voyages, le commerce et les loisirs
✨ Son rôle de passerelle reliant les Grands Lacs à l'Atlantique, qui a façonné l'histoire, l'écologie et l'économie du Canada

👉Lisez l'annonce ici : https://bit.ly/StLaurentFR
👉 Pour en savoir plus sur le CHRS, consultez le site www.chrs.ca

📍Haut-Saint-Laurent

Image: L’eau scintille autour d’un esquif du Saint-Laurent amarré à un quai de l’île Grenadier.
📸 Crédit photo: Michael Mayerfeld Bell

du patrimoine

05/26/2026

It's 🙋🏿‍♀️🐦

See what The Black AF in STEM Collective have lined up for this year's theme of “Flyways & Freedom: Advocacy, Action, and the Future”.

Black Birders Week is an annual event that celebrates Black nature enthusiasts and highlights the unique challenges, safety risks, and systemic racism Black people face while engaging in outdoor activities. Events and celebrations like this are vital for increasing representation, dismantling barriers to the outdoors, and fostering a safe, inclusive community.

UNESCO
Unesco Biodiversity
Canadian Commission for UNESCO / Commission canadienne pour l'UNESCO
Canadian Biosphere Regions Association

05/24/2026

Turtles are some of the most ancient and fascinating animals in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region 🐢

For example, snapping turtles are older than the dinosaurs and have remained largely unchanged for the last 90 million years! They help keep wetlands and aquatic ecosystems healthy, can live for decades or even over 100 years, and return year after year to the same nesting sites. Yet in Ontario, 7 out of 8 turtle species (including the snapper) are considered at risk due to habitat loss, road mortality, and climate change. Spring and early summer are when you're most likely to encounted a turtle on or near the road - please drive slowly and stop for turtles when safe to do so!

In relation to their role(s) in ecosystems, turtles also hold deep cultural significance for many Indigenous peoples. Across Turtle Island (North America) turtles are connected to stories of creation, resilience, and our relationship with the land and water. Their shells show the lunar calendar and remind us of our place within cycles - as shown here by Ojibwe.net with art by Megan Murphy.

So it's no surprise to us then that 'Turtle Mania' is always one of the most popular weeks at our Summer Nature Camps! Campers dive into the fascinating world of turtles by learning about their habitats, why they’re declining, and how we can all help protect them thanks to amazing turtle advocates and educators like L&G Turtles

There are still a few spots available for Summer Nature Camp for your turtle loving kiddos — register today: https://frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/summer-camps/

UNESCO
Unesco Biodiversity
Canadian Commission for UNESCO / Commission canadienne pour l'UNESCO
Canadian Biosphere Regions Association

05/23/2026

Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity 🌎

Friendly reminder that biodiversity isn’t just about protecting rare species. It’s about protecting the interconnected systems that make life possible: clean water, healthy ecosystems, climate resilience, regional food systems, and communities.

UNESCO Biosphere Regions like the Frontenac Arch exist to help people and nature thrive together. By supporting conservation, sustainable livelihoods, research, education, and local action rooted in collaboration, we hope to work towards this in small steps every day.

Earlier this spring, the federal government released A Force of Nature: Canada's Strategy to Protect Nature - which outlines commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, protect ecosystems, and support Indigenous leadership in conservation. We hope to support this ambitious, but necessary, goals and keep our partners accountable to meaningful implementation, long-term investment, transparecnty, and community involvement. Protecting biodiversity can’t happen on paper alone.

📄Read the full strategy online here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/nature/nature-strategy.html

If are also feeling inspired to think big on biodiversity protection and support, we'd love to have you join us for An Evening of Hope | 2040 Film Screening + Live Conversation with Cedric Pepelea on Wednesday, June 3rd to explore local climate solutions, be reminded of nature's resilience, and celevrate the power of collective action.

🎟️ Learn more and reserve your tickets (get 10% using the EARLY10 code before May 24th) here: https://frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/hope/

Unesco Biodiversity
Canadian Commission for UNESCO / Commission canadienne pour l'UNESCO
A2A Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative
The Screening Room

05/21/2026

🐝 Today is — a chance to celebrate the incredible diversity of bees that help keep our ecosystems healthy, resilient, and thriving.

Here in Ontario, and throughout the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region, we’re home to hundreds of native bee species — from bumble bees and mason bees to tiny sweat bees many people never notice (unless you accidentally squish one while bending down and get a wee sting!) Unlike domestic honeybees, native bees evolved alongside local plants and are often some of the most effective pollinators for wildflowers, trees, berries, and food crops.

Their work supports entire ecosystems. Native bees help pollinate the plants that provide food and habitat for birds, mammals, insects, and people alike. Healthy pollinator populations are deeply connected to biodiversity, climate resilience, and food security.

But many native bee species are under pressure from habitat loss, pesticide use, invasive species, and climate change. The good news? Small local actions can make a real difference.

Here are a few ways to support native bees in your community:

🌼 Plant native flowers that bloom from spring through fall
🌳 Protect and restore habitat like meadows, forests, wetlands, and hedgerows
🏡 Leave some natural spaces “messy” with bare ground, leaf litter, and hollow stems for nesting
🚫 Avoid using pesticides and herbicides
💧 Provide shallow water sources for thirsty pollinators
🌲 Support local restoration and tree planting projects

This is why we’re so abuzz about initiatives like the new Pocket Forest at The Cove Inn in Westport, planted by our friends at the Better Together Circle with community members last fall. Pocket forests use dense native planting to quickly create biodiverse habitat that can support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife while helping communities adapt to climate change. We are grateful to have supported this small but mighty new ecosystem!

Every native plant added to a garden, schoolyard, shoreline, or community space can help build a more connected and pollinator-friendly landscape across the Biosphere Region. 💛

Learn more about the Westport Pocket Forest project here: https://bettertogethercircle.org/pocket-forest-westport

05/20/2026

Psst... we've extended our early bird discount code for tickets to our An Evening of Hope | 2040 Film Screening + Live Conversation with Cedric Pepelea 🎥

You can use EARLY10 to get 10% of your tickets when you reserve your seats by May 24th 🎟️

See details and get your tickets here: https://frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/hope/

Watch the 2040 trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-rTQ443akE

Streaming now on : https://www.docplay.com/shows/2040From , the director of That Sugar Film, comes . An aspirational journey to ...

05/18/2026

Be sure to visit David at the FABN booth during EcoFest next weekend in Westport at The Cove Inn, organized by our friends at the Better Together Circle 💚

This year's theme is Regenerate, Reciprocate, Inspire! and there will be a whole slew of amazing vendors and organizations offering information, services and presentations. You'll want to stay late for the NWNC Dark Skies Project & the Lights Out Westport initiative! 🌒

See you there Saturday, May 23rd, 10am to 3pm!

Unesco Biodiversity
UNESCO
Canadian Commission for UNESCO / Commission canadienne pour l'UNESCO
Canadian Biosphere Regions Association