{"id":4546,"date":"2023-08-10T19:04:44","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T19:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nebn.davidbeyer.ca\/?p=4546"},"modified":"2023-08-21T19:20:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T19:20:47","slug":"niagara-escarpment-biosphere-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/niagara-escarpment-biosphere-network\/","title":{"rendered":"NIAGARA ESCARPMENT BIOSPHERE NETWORK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newsletter <\/span>Communication <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

You are receiving this newsletter because you live in or near a World Biosphere Site<\/span>,<\/span> the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere to be precise. <\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know scientific studies show regular contact and physical activity in natural environments such as the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere result in health benefits such as reduced negative physical symptoms including muscular pain<\/span> and <\/span>tension, and negative emotional symptoms such as depression, anxiety, <\/span>and<\/span> stress.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Biosphere<\/span>?<\/span> G<\/span>reat question<\/span>!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere is a term given to an area that meets certain sustainable development, biodiversity, and natural resource criteria. The goal of a UNESCO Biosphere is to promote biodiversity and conservation and help <\/span>ensure the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of a region<\/span>. The aim is to <\/span>encourag<\/span>e <\/span>better linkages between nature and human well-being. Biospheres, through their mandates, promote practical ways to conserve biological diversity, promote sustainable communities, <\/span>e<\/span>ncourage research<\/span> and education,<\/span> and preserve cultural heritage.<\/span> Biospheres contain protected areas already designated by the federal, <\/span>provincial,<\/span> or local governments, but they have more areas that include communities. The designation is a recognition from UNESCO, not a legal entity.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1990, the Niagara Escarpment<\/span> became a UNESCO designated Biosphere. The Niagara Escarpment is an exposed rocky ridge in North America that extends more than 1,050 km from southeastern Wisconsin, north through Manitoulin Island, south down the Bruce<\/span> (Saugeen)<\/span>Peninsula, east across the Niagara Peninsula, and then running east below Lake Ontario in New York State.<\/span> It is a <\/span>result of geological processes that began more than 400 million years ago<\/span>. The geological patterns of the Niagara Escarpment and <\/span>layering of rock types <\/span>has <\/span>created the stunning outcrops and <\/span>cliff <\/span>overhangs for which the escarpment is famous<\/span>. With thousands of plant and animal species (over 2,500), the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere supports a greater number of both plant and animal species than any other ecosystem in Canada, making the Niagara Escarpment <\/span>Biosphere<\/span> one of the most ecologically diverse ecosystems in North America. <\/span>In Ontario, the Biosphere goes from the Niagara region up to Tobermory in the Bruce <\/span>(Saugeen) <\/span>Peninsula. It contains, for example, the Bruce Trail<\/span>, which is managed by the Bruce Trail Conservancy<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What <\/span>can the Niagara Escarpment <\/span>Biosphere <\/span>do for me<\/span>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he UNESCO Biosphere <\/span>offers several <\/span>benefits: \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Improved health and <\/span>wellness;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Increased <\/span>conservation and <\/span>ecosystem services such as cleaner air and <\/span>water;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Increased motivation for the protection and maintenance of <\/span>biodiversity;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Increased tourism and ecotourism <\/span>opportunities;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Consumption opportunities, including hunting and <\/span>fishing;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Flood control and climate change <\/span>mitigation;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Poverty alleviation<\/span> through related <\/span>employment<\/span>;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Promotes education, and research collaboration, <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Education programming <\/span>opportunities;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Boosts community morale and <\/span>pride;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Marketing and promotional <\/span>opportunities;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0<\/span>Increased funding opportunities<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

R<\/span>eceiving a UNESCO Biosphere <\/span>et dirig\u00e9<\/span>esignation is an important accomplishment, however; designation requires long-term management commitments <\/span>among <\/span>site managers, local communities, and government.<\/span><\/p>\n

What <\/span>can I do for the N<\/span>iagara Escarpment Biosphere? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2022, the UNESCO Biosphere management <\/span>transition<\/span>ed<\/span> from the Niagara Escarpment Commission<\/span> to a <\/span>grassroots<\/span>, community level <\/span>co-governance <\/span>organization<\/span>. <\/span>The Niagara Escarpment Commission served as the Biosphere site administrator since its designation in 1990<\/span>.<\/span>This was no longer acceptable for the UNESCO designation. Therefore,<\/span> its responsibility <\/span>was transferred <\/span>to <\/span>this<\/span> new co-governance <\/span>entity <\/span>known as the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network (NEBN). In March 2022, the NEBN was officially launched and incorporated under provincial regulations.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NEBN is a network of networks where everyone can be involved. If you are interested, you <\/span>can<\/span> get involved in the work of the NEBN and become partner in any network.<\/span> You can contribute to any activities that <\/span>are<\/span> protecting biodiversity, improving the health and sustainability of your community, exploring with researchers diverse aspects of the biosphere, or educate children in your community.<\/span><\/p>\n

About the NEBN<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The N<\/span>iagara Escarpment Biosphere Network<\/span> is a partnership of <\/span>Indigenous and non-Indigenous<\/span>peoples<\/span>, wherein Indigenous knowledge systems and western science are both <\/span>seen as <\/span>equal and <\/span>respected<\/span>. <\/span>Scientific and traditional knowledge will be embraced through the concept of <\/span>ethical space and <\/span>two-eyed seeing as a means <\/span>of<\/span> bridg<\/span>ing<\/span> western science and Indigenous knowledge. Two-eyed seeing promotes using one eye to see the strengths of Indigenous knowledge while using the other eye to see the strengths of <\/span>scientific<\/span> knowledge, and then use both eyes together when fully <\/span>\u201c<\/span>seeing<\/span>\u201d<\/span> the world around us.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>ultimate <\/span>goal <\/span>of the NEBN <\/span>is to create cross-cultural collaboration<\/span> to implement restorative actions to improve ecological integrity, biodiversity, sustainability, and address climate change for the benefit of future generations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0 Jocelyn Baker<\/p>\n

http:\/\/NEBNetwork.org\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

info@nebnetwork.org<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Newsletter Communication You are receiving this newsletter because you live in or near a World Biosphere Site, the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere to be precise. Did you know scientific studies show regular contact and physical activity in natural environments such as the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere result in health benefits such as reduced negative physical symptoms including […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4546"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4552,"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4546\/revisions\/4552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebnetwork.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}