What is the Reforest Canada Collective?
Where Canada’s tree planting and forest restoration community connects, collaborates, and shares knowledge.
Who are we?
The Reforest Canada Collective is a diverse community that brings together everyone involved in successful tree planting and forest restoration efforts. This includes funding partners, seed and stock specialists, tree planting organizations, community leaders, forest managers and Knowledge Holders. The strength of the RCC lies in its diversity.
By taking an approach that mimics the interconnectedness of natural forest ecosystems, the RCC holds space for different forms of knowledge, lived experience and open dialogue to converge and address the mounting urgency and complexity of forest restoration head-on with optimism and resourcefulness.
What do we do?
The RCC works to increase the scale and quality of tree planting and forest restoration projects in Canada by addressing current and anticipated challenges related to access to information, best practices, training, regional and sectoral capacity gaps, and navigating the impacts of climate change. By connecting a network of peers and collaborators, the RCC also supports ongoing projects under the 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program by addressing arising barriers to projects that contribute to both climate change mitigation and biodiversity recovery.
Why was the Reforest Canada Collective formed?
Developed with input from eight 2BT program-recipient tree planting organizations serving as an early working group for the RCC, this article outlines the need for a national platform to bridge gaps in Canada’s fragmented tree planting and forest restoration landscape. It highlights why collaboration and knowledge sharing are vital to ensuring tree planting and forest restoration projects deliver on their full potential, supported by examples of how some organizations already collaborate to overcome supply chain, logistical, and knowledge gap challenges.
How do we do it?
Planning a Project
Are you a new tree planting organization or practitioner? We’ve created introductory resources to demystify the project planning process by outlining the important considerations and resources generally required for a successful project.
Knowledge Hub
The RCC draws on forestry and restoration expertise from across the country to curate trusted resources for our implementation-focused multimedia library. Where we spot gaps, we don’t just take note – we take action by creating new resources to empower tree planting and forest restoration projects in Canada to access the guidance they need.
Events
The RCC promotes upcoming events by other organizations that focus on tree planting and forest restoration implementation. The RCC also creates neutral spaces to exchange ideas, share knowledge, discuss existing and emerging challenges, and forge connections that work toward more transformative projects from coast to coast.
Meet the Reforest Canada Collective Team
Sarah Barker
RCC Project Manager
Sarah grew up on a small farm on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee Peoples. She holds a BSc in Agricultural & Environmental Sciences from McGill University, an MSc in Agroforestry & Food Security from Bangor University (UK) and a Master of Forestry from University of British Columbia. Before graduate studies, Sarah helped connect and develop Ireland's early-stage startup ecosystem as part of the team that established their national accelerator program. As the RCC Project Manager, she works with the Collective to connect and empower Canada’s tree planting and forest restoration ecosystem by identifying opportunities for collaboration.
Amber Brant
RCC Tree Planting Resource Manager
Amber was raised in the combined traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg, Mississauga and Huron-Wendat. Amber has a BSc in Biology from Trent University, a MSc in Forestry from Lakehead University, is an ISA certified Arborist and brings 10+ years' experience managing tree planting programs and projects across Canada to the Collective. In her role as the Tree Planting Resource Manager, Amber is the author of the Planning a Project section of the website and leads the curation + creation of technical resources for the RCC. She also provides guidance and support to organizations nationwide.
Reforest Canada Collective Contributors
A number of Canada’s most active tree planting organizations generously shared their time and resources to advance the RCC in its early stages and are publicly committed to supporting the RCC’s goals of increasing both the scale and quality of tree planting and forest restoration projects across the country.
A 2BT-funded initiative
The Reforest Canada Collective is funded by the Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program. This support simultaneously enables work towards Canada’s climate commitments, the 2BT program’s objectives and the RCC’s vision of bringing together community to learn, connect, and collaborate.
Check out our FAQ page to learn more.
