Northern Saskatchewan Boreal Forest Potential...Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest •350 to 400 boreal...
Transcript of Northern Saskatchewan Boreal Forest Potential...Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest •350 to 400 boreal...
Northern Saskatchewan Boreal Forest Potential
Walk on the Wild SideNovember 30, 2017
Presentation Outline
• KCDA Background
• Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest
• Elements of sector development
• Sustainability
• What’s next
• Plant Potential
KCDA Background
• Non Profit Member based organization
• Operate on Project based Funding and Service Provision
• Mission to Support Socio-economic development in N SK
• Focus on Regional Ec Dev support, and Labour Market
Service support
Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest
• More than half of the province is Boreal
Forest
• 135,000 sq. miles – 35 trillion hectares
• 85 species of mammals, 400 species of
birds, 80 species of amphibians and
reptiles, 160 species of fish
• 32,000 insect species (1/3 yet to be
described)
• 3,200 species of plants
Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest
• 350 to 400 boreal plant species are
edible
• Historically - trapping, fishing, logging,
mining
• Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) have
been overlooked until now
• Has been viewed as “wasteland, or
moose pasture”
Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest
• Interest boreal plants as foods and
medicines has increased
• People crave contact with the natural
world
• Food, medicinal, and commercial
products have been created
• STEP - “Organic certified products are
some of the fastest growing sectors in
food manufacturing. NTFPs can benefit
from this trend”
Elements of NTFP Sector Development
• Sustainability
• Markets and Marketing
• Harvesting and Processing
Technology and Know How
• Research
• Investment
Elements of NTFP Sector Development
• Our approach is driven by
potential of benefit to our
region
• Natural medical compounds
over manufactured
• Wildcrafted or low impact
agriculture produced products
over monocropped produced
• Sustainable harvest over
volume for cheapest
production
Sustainability
• Most important element
• Harvester Training (GACP
Training through HSSA)
• Permitting and input to Ministry of
Environment
• Land mapping of harvest and
plant abundance
• Northern Indigenous plant
advisory committee
What’s Next
• Business development, internally and
support external – WD Agreement
• Create awareness of plants and
potential
• Research and Investment
• Marketing and sales
• Develop harvest and processing
technologies
• Harvester training and sustainability
practices
Plant Potential• Potential of 4 plants: Willowherb
(Fireweed), Wild Rice, Birch Fungi,
and Wild Sarsaparilla
• Traditional Woodland Cree use of
plants from Healer and Educator
Eleanor Hegland
• Specialty Northern products –
Larissa Muirhead – Northern
Apothecary
• Social following presentations will
feature northern teas and food
products