A website you didn’t know existed but definitely need 

Are you tired of combing through dozens of sites to compile information about wetland practices, restoration, or land management? Do you find yourself questioning the reliability of data and its sources? Or perhaps you produce a variety of land management resources, but you find people often don’t know your publications exist?

For years, managers have been seeking ways to share the best available resources in conservation, land management and restoration. However, we’ve often found ourselves hindered by a lack of information, duplication, and siloing of data and knowledge. Enter the CCLM Portal.

What is the CCLM Portal?

The recently launched Canadian Conservation and Land Management (CCLM) Knowledge Portal aims to become your one-stop, centralized go-to website for reliable resources. Housing hundreds of high-quality, relevant resources, and featuring powerful search functions, the CCLM Knowledge Portal is designed to grow communities of practice and to facilitate knowledge exchange among land managers.

It currently consists of one main portal divided into three sub portals, created to reflect the expertise of the collaborating organizations involved. These include Wetland Knowledge, Boreal Caribou, and Land Management. And there is room to grow.

Who is involved?

The CCLM is a project made possible thanks to five organizations, each of whom are leaders in their respective fields. They are Ducks Unlimited Canada, InnoTech Alberta, National Boreal Caribou Knowledge Consortium (an initiative from Environment and Climate Change Canada), Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service, and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology – Centre for Boreal Research. Each has a stake in the portal’s existing communities of practice and acknowledged the gap in knowledge sharing ability and activity.

©Brian Sumner

What can you find on the CCLM Knowledge Portal?

Best management practices

Reports, program updates, historical information

Scientific literature, briefing notes and research findings in other formats

Videos and technical guides

Latest news and events

Maps (including an interactive map on the Boreal Caribou sub portal)

Western science and Indigenous knowledge

A variety of newsletters to subscribe to

Individual and organizational contacts

Real-world scenarios

Here are some example applications for the CCLM.

• You are a consultant on a caribou recovery project in Northern Ontario as part of a working group with Indigenous communities, provincial government and industry. You want to investigate what caribou recovery projects have been completed in the province. You visit https://www.cclmportal.ca/portal/boreal-caribou and click “Map of Projects” to discover if any of the work done on caribou in your region can give you a head start on your project.
• You are an M.Sc. research student at a University in Quebec. Your thesis focused on land restoration and reclamation after forest fires. You notice there were gaps in that knowledge set which you have now fulfilled. You notice the CCLM does not have much information about land reclamation and restoration after forest fires. You send us articles you wish to see on the CCLM, as they are part of our working themes. Resources are accepted in French and English at connect@cclmportal.ca
• You work for an environmental NGO and are tasked with creating a wetland delineation and classification guide for your specific region. You want a starting point and think your wetland delineation will closely resemble Alberta’s. You search https://www.cclmportal.ca/portal/wetland-knowledge and find several materials related to your needs.
• You are part of an Indigenous community in the Yukon that is concerned for a forest that was devastated by spruce beetles a decade back. Acknowledging that the forest is important both culturally for your community and as caribou habitat, you would like to voice your concerns and share your Traditional Knowledge on ways that the forest can be restored. You are happy to have searched https://www.cclmportal.ca/events. You find a government-hosted public consultation session about that particular forest; you go ahead and register for the event on the portal.

©Franco Alo

The role of DUC within the CCLM

Ducks Unlimited Canada has been championing wetland conservation since 1938. With our long track record of accomplishments, we have much to say and share about this essential habitat. We hope wetland stewards regularly visit the Wetland Knowledge sub portal to find the resources needed to manage, conserve and restore wetlands, alongside current wetland news and events. We are playing an active role in advancing boreal wetland conservation by providing accessible resources via both our website and the CCLM. We are a proud partner of this new initiative and hope you will join us in spreading the word. Visit the www.cclmportal.ca today!

Want to get involved?

And of course, the portal needs you. Whether you’re exploring resources or providing them, the goal of the CCLM is about sharing and connections. As much as it connects you to the support you need, it also connects you – people and organizations – to one another. Find out how to participate at connect@cclmportal.ca.

Support the CCLM Knowledge Portal by visiting frequently, contributing your own findings and materials to the platform, and participating in knowledge exchange within your community of practice.

About Ducks Unlimited Canada: Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) delivers wetland conservation that benefits every Canadian. We keep the water in your lakes and rivers clean. We protect your community from the effects of floods and drought. We save wildlife and special natural places. We use science to find solutions to the most important environmental issues of the day, and we collaborate with people who are helping create a healthier world. The wetlands we save aren’t just for ducks; they’re for all of us.

Follow @DUCboreal on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Raina Mithrush
Communications Specialist
National Boreal Program
Ducks Unlimited Canada
780-930-1269
r_mithrush@ducks.ca