Saturday, March 29th: Wabanaki Forest & Communities Restoration Symposium!
Wabanaki Acadian Forest Restoration Project
Education
There are over 30 native tree and shrub species found in the Wabanaki/Acadian forest! Learn how to identify native trees and shrubs or how you can protect and nurture them with some helpful resources.
Engagement
This project engages residents, groups, communities, municipalities, and people all along the Wolastoq River Valley to encourage capacity building of the Wabanaki/Acadian forest and growth of native tree and shrub species in the area.
Events
Join us for a workshop, presentation or program on forest and ecosystem restoration, tree and shrub identification, seed collection and saving, and more! Keep an eye out for upcoming event at the KAN Centre and in your area.
The KANC Forest Restoration Project is a community initiative dedicated to scaling up forest restoration practices and increasing the diversity of the tree and shrub populations in Western New Brunswick.
We aim to see more people being engaged in understanding and appreciating the traditional Wabanaki Acadian Forest Ecosystem alongside efforts to protect and restore degraded ecosystems. We want to encourage residents and newcomers to this region to have a collective goal of tending nurseries and starting their own backyard nurseries where possible!
This provides Canadians with a prime example of community-scale forest restoration efforts for multiple benefits, from shoreline projection, flood mitigation and carbon sequestering. This is in addition to promoting being out in the natural world, walking in the forest, rejuvenating oneself with ‘forest bathing’, and appreciating all we have in Carleton County.
What is the Wabanaki Acadian Forest?
The Wabanaki forest covers the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw, Wolatoqiyik, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot and Abenaki Nations and includes a unique and diverse blend of hardwood and boreal forest species. Dominated by long-lived trees such as pine, hemlock, cedar, spruce and several hardwood species, the Wabanaki forest once spanned the whole Maritime region. This is an incredibly diverse and abundant forest, with over 30 species of native tree species and hundreds of supporting plants that make up the ecosystem which supports diverse ecological, cultural and recreational values.
Community Ambassador Program:
As a part of this project, we aim to make it accessible to individuals and community to have access to the diverse species of our forests. We encourage residents to get involved and help plant trees and shrubs on their land and also get involved in larger community planting events as they are hosted throughout the growing season (usually spring or early fall).
There are many benefits to planting trees as a community, from shoreline and flood protection as well as purifying the air and storing carbon in the trees themselves. By participating in this initiative, you are also connecting with the natural world at a heart level and bringing that connection and appreciation forward for future generations.
Our nurseries provide a variety of common and uncommon tree and shrub species of the Wabanaki Forests for you as individuals and as a community to plant. By becoming a Community Forest Ambassador, we can provide you trees and shrubs at a 50% cost share with the with the requirement that we do need to know where you’ve planted them, and be able to check on them, so arrange contact details with us upon purchasing.
Who We Are
The KAN Centre is a non-profit community and education centre working with municipalities & community partners within the Western part of the Wolastoq River Watershed to make this project possible. We have already established eleven tree nurseries sites located in Knowlesville, Hartland, Florenceville-Bristol, Woodstock and Perth. We will continue to extend this model to the riverbank and the riparian zones of the watershed.
In 2024, with the support of our partners and community ambassadors, we planted out more than 2,000 native trees and shrubs in restoration sites along the Walastoq River Watershed. In the 2025 planting season, we aim to plant more then 3,000 trees and shrubs. If you would like to be a part of this planting effort, please contact us by:
Phone: (506) 375-6400
Or email us at acorn@knowlesvillenature.ca
You can find us at the KAN Centre-
111 Simms Rd., South Knowlesville, NB, E7L 4P7
Regular office hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
(excluding school breaks & holidays – see our calendar for these dates)
Partner Sites and Tree Planting Locations
Partner with our restoration team to get your community on the map!
Zoom in on some of our large-scale planting and partner sites to find photos (such as South Knowlesville, Hartland Arena and Gibson Creek)!
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Tree Planting in South Knowlesville
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Other Forest Restoration Locations
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Behind the Scenes – Preparing bUNDLES & gATHERING SEEDS
