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Braiding Conservation Futures Collective

Braiding Conservation Futures Collective

The Braiding Conservation Futures Impact Connector is an emergent learning pathway helping science-based decision-makers understand and advance Indigenous-led conservation through ethical space, systems thinking, and knowledge braiding. In 2025–26, 20 early-career conservation professionals participated in two cohorts: 11 from federal, provincial and territorial governments, including Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Alberta Parks, British Columbia Parks, and others; and nine from environmental non-governmental organizations, including Nature Conservancy of Canada, Nature United, Ducks Unlimited, and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

The learning pathway included workshops on relationality and lineage, ethical space and natural law, systems thinking, colonial history of conservation and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and commitments to action. Indigenous co-facilitators and conservation leaders contributed to the design and delivery, creating opportunities for participants to build relationships and develop practical approaches to knowledge braiding.

The initiative also brought nearly 30 government, ENGO, academic and Indigenous conservation decision-makers, leaders and allies together as a Changemakers Cohort at the BKC Gathering at Wanuskewin. This strengthened relationships and created pathways for Indigenous-led knowledge and conservation approaches to reach organizations and decision-makers that can influence policy and practice. The work supports reconciliation, TRC Call to Action #57, UNDRIP implementation, and Indigenous-led conservation.

Project Co-Leads

Don Carruthers Den Hoed
Director, Braiding Conservation Futures

Chloe Dragon-Smith
Indigenous Facilitator, Beb[a]ski

Summary of Overall Project Objectives

  1. Design learning pathway (“curriculum”) and participant action research plan,
  2. Communicate with BKC Knowledge hubs to explain the project and invite them to present webinars and sharing sessions,
  3. Recruit participants and send orientation materials
  4. Hold one-on-one calls with participants in years 2-4
  5. Facilitate program, reflections, and individual or group applied task
  6. Host face-to-face retreat for ENGO pathway (with additional funding) 
  7. Recruit subsequent cohort and select mentors
  8. Compile and share action research progress and participant narratives

Summary of Overall Project Outcomes

Immediate

  • BKC Knowledge Hubs are aware of the project and can present their needs to federal and parks and protected areas decision makers while protecting data sovereignty (e.g. through principles of OCAP and presenter consent)
  • Diverse western decision makers can identify barriers and opportunities to knowledge braiding that they can act upon
  • Indigenous-led and co-led research will have a higher profile in the parks and protected areas sector

Intermediate 

  • Progress is made to increase receptivity to BKC work and knowledge braiding and apply it to policy, research, and decision making
  • Pathways are created for learning and collaboration among diverse government, ENGO, academic, and Indigenous conservation leaders
  • Local connections are made between various decision makers and knowledge hubs/IPCAs to build capacity at a watershed level

Ultimate

  • An interdisciplinary community of transformation can be sustained with opportunities for reciprocity, collaboration, and ongoing programs
  • Participants increase capacity for knowledge braiding and advance policies that uplift indigenous knowledge in parks and conservation decision-making
  • Braiding Knowledges Hubs have pathways to share their needs and knowledge—on their terms—with federal, provincial, and territorial agencies
  • Indigenous led conservation, knowledge braiding, and Reconciliation are integrated into renewed Canadian parks and protected areas narratives

Project Timeline

Year 1 - Scope & Activities
  • Share program and opportunity with BKC Knowledge Hubs at BKC Gathering
  • Develop learning objectives, materials, and tasks (through Gathering project) 
  • Confirm schedule and recruit participants and graduate student
  • Build relationships and understand needs of Indigenous co-facilitator, IPCA Innovation Centers, elders, and Knowledge Hub presenters
  • Develop initial participant action research plan and secure ethics approval
  • Confirm schedule for workshops, webinars, sharing sessions, and retreat
  • Facilitate one-on-one calls, resources, workshops, webinars, sharing sessions, individual and group tasks, and mentorship activities
  • Orient participants to methods for reflective content (e.g. digital journals) and begin to compile participant action research outputs as outreach materials, potentially podcast or short-form videos (as determined by group)
  • Support ~3 Braiding Knowledges Hubs/IPCAs in presenting webinars and sharing sessions, and share content on PARKS+ platform as appropriate
  • Attend Braiding Knowledges Gathering and hold co-facilitator meetings
  • Hold a cost-recovery face-to-face retreat for ENGOs and some prior Connector participants and share braiding knowledges in non-profit conservation sector
  • Refine schedule and program content as required
  • Confirm schedule for workshops, webinars, sharing sessions, and retreat
  • Facilitate one-on-one calls, resources, workshops, webinars, sharing sessions, individual and group tasks, and mentorship activities
  • Orient new participants to methods for reflective content (e.g. digital journals) and begin to compile participant action research outputs as outreach materials, potentially podcast or short-form videos (as determined by group)
  • Support ~3 Braiding Knowledges Hubs/IPCAs in presenting webinars and sharing sessions, and share content on PARKS+ platform as appropriate
  • Attend Braiding Knowledges Gathering and hold co-facilitator meetings
  • Hold a cost-recovery face-to-face retreat for ENGOs and some prior Connector participants and share braiding knowledges in non-profit conservation sector
  • Refine schedule and program content as required
  • Confirm schedule for workshops, webinars, sharing sessions, and retreat
  • Facilitate one-on-one calls, resources, workshops, webinars, sharing sessions, individual and group tasks, and mentorship activities
  • Orient new participants to methods for reflective content (e.g. digital journals) and begin to compile participant action research outputs as outreach materials, potentially podcast or short-form videos (as determined by group)
  • Support ~3 Braiding Knowledges Hubs/IPCAs in presenting webinars and sharing sessions, and share content on PARKS+ platform as appropriate
  • Attend Braiding Knowledges Gathering and hold co-facilitator meetings
  • Hold a cost-recovery face-to-face retreat for ENGOs and some prior Connector participants and share braiding knowledges in non-profit conservation sector
  • Develop and share project narrative and develop plan for ongoing funding (if necessary)