Forest Carbon Training at the Kikino Métis Settlement

Snow fell as October rolled to a close in Northern Alberta, but this didn’t deter a new class of foresters from participating in our newly designed forest carbon training program we provided with Carson Integrated, a local forest management company.

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Trainees from five Métis settlements took this week-long course with us to gain new forestry skills. The course covered species identification, measurement tools, inventory processes, and more that will help participants play an active role in the co-development of their forest carbon offset projects with Anew. These skills are increasingly valuable as more sustainable forestry jobs are needed to support a growing footprint of forestlands under management for climate benefits.

“I believe this training here is important today for the future of our children. They are practically giving us incentives to save our forests, not to log it, to more of less be stewards of the land.” 

—Eric Erasmus, trainee from the Kikino Métis Settlement. 

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This coming spring, this group will have the opportunity to directly participate in the initial forest carbon inventories as we prepare the projects for verification and accreditation. Once credits are successfully issued, we will market them on behalf of each settlement. The sale of these credits will provide new revenue for their communities and help protect over 300,000 acres of Métis Settlement lands. 

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Training programs like this are providing technical skills and pathways for job opportunities in the growing field of sustainable forestry. This is one important step in providing land management options for Indigenous communities. 

“This partnership with the Métis settlements is important because right now in Canada we are going through a significant period of reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples and that includes the Métis. Providing training like this that gives the technical skills and agency for communities to undertake nature based solution projects in their community to me is a step in the right direction. It’s a great example of what can be achieved across the rest of the country.” 

—Martin Baker, Senior Director, Natural Climate Solutions at Anew

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Forest carbon projects like this are bringing critical new revenue into indigenous communities as well as helping to conserve their forests. By providing an alternative to timber harvests for revenue, Improved Forest Management enhances local environmental air and water quality while also contributing to measurable emissions reductions.

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"There’s moments where I first got elected that I’m trying to figure out ways to gain some revenue for Kikino without damaging our environment and culture through forestry, you know different forestry practices. This is perfect." 

—Scott Cardinal, Kikino Métis Settlement Councillor

As we help more landowners find a climate-positive balance between managing their land for wood products and carbon value, we’re also working to provide the upskill opportunities needed to make these projects a local economic success.

Thank you to Scott Cardinal, Kikino Métis Settlement Councillor, Eric Erasmus, a trainee from the Kikino Métis Settlement, and Taylor Gladue, a trainee from the Elizabeth Métis Settlement, for sharing their part of the story with us.

This training was a featured segment within Net Zero: The Integrity Pathway, a film that premiered during the United Nations COP27 Climate Conference. This film was produced by the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA) and ITN Business to highlight best practices and innovative solutions in carbon reduction and offsetting. The film was produced by Independent Television Network and this segment was filmed and narrated by Brandy Yanchyk.