Since May, Georgian Bay Mnidoo Gamii Biosphere (GBB), the University of Waterloo’s Wildlife Ecohydrology and Conservation (WEC) Lab, and dedicated partners have been hard at work hiking rugged terrain, paddling remote shorelines, and navigating wetlands to collect high-quality habitat data. This fieldwork forms the foundation of the Natural Asset Management Planning (NAMP) project—a collaborative effort to map, classify, and model habitats that sustain eastern Georgian Bay’s ecosystems and communities.
Based within the GBB region, the NAMP project is being developed as a scalable model for broader application across Ontario’s entire Parry Sound Ecodistrict (5E-7) and the full jurisdictional boundaries of all intersecting municipalities. Altogether, the project area spans approximately 7,335 km2, providing comprehensive data coverage to support consistent, informed, and coordinated conservation and land-use planning across the broader region.
The NAMP project will create a publicly available database of habitats—such as wetlands, forests, and shorelines—and provide decision-support tools for communities and organizations throughout the Biosphere region. These tools will help advance biodiversity conservation, sustainable land-use planning, and climate change adaptation efforts by municipalities, First Nations, researchers, and conservation organizations. By collecting accurate data in the field, researchers are training and refining a regional habitat model to ensure a high level of confidence in the information it provides. The resulting database will empower more effective and coordinated conservation efforts across eastern Georgian Bay and beyond.
NAMP addresses a pressing regional need for accurate, up-to-date habitat and ecohydrology mapping. Many existing open datasets are outdated, incomplete, or lack critical information—particularly around floodplains and hydrological features. By filling these gaps, NAMP supports more informed decision-making and collaborative planning across jurisdictions.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo and McMaster University are leading the modelling and database development, while municipal governments, First Nations, land use planners, and the West Parry Sound Geography Network are collaborating to ensure the data are applied effectively to guide conservation, management, and planning decisions that protect the region’s natural heritage.
Expected Impact
The NAMP tools will provide communities and organizations within the Biosphere region with high-quality information about local ecosystems, enabling better-informed decisions for conservation and land-use planning. These tools will also support scenario-building and risk assessments, helping users anticipate and respond to future challenges. With access to improved data, municipalities and First Nations will be better equipped to evaluate development proposals and make decisions that support biodiversity and other ecosystem services.
Project partners have identified several ways the NAMP tools will support their work, including:
- Updating zoning in official plans;
- Refining Environmental Protection / Environmentally Sensitive areas;
- Land use planning and development permitting;
- Supporting territorial consultation review;
- Planning infrastructure improvements and setbacks in flood-prone areas;
- Forest management and invasive species management; and
- Regional emergency management and preparedness.
Field Season Highlights
To help train and refine the mapping model, GBB staff and partners collect and record “ground-truthed” data. Ground-truthing involves hiking the land (or paddling the waters) to collect real, on-the-ground observations about habitat types and features.
While in the field, staff monitor biodiversity, record habitat types, identify rare and invasive species, and document signs of both natural and human disturbances—from wildfire and flooding to unauthorized uses like garbage dumping and wetland filling.
We are thrilled to share that our first field season was a resounding success!
- 35+ km² of landscapes mapped
- 1,000+ habitats recorded
- 140 disturbances documented
- 88 wildlife observations noted
These accomplishments represent months of effort across 3 First Nations, 3 Provincial Parks, 12 Conservation Reserves, and countless private, Crown, and Treaty lands. None of this progress would have been possible without the energy, expertise, and commitment of our partners and volunteers. Chi-miigwech, thank you!
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Moose Deer Point First Nation, Shawanaga First Nation, Wasauksing First Nation, Georgian Bay Land Trust, Ontario Parks, and Parks Canada. Their collaboration and knowledge-sharing were essential to this season’s success.
A special acknowledgement goes to the incredible community volunteers from Moose Deer Point First Nation and Wasauksing First Nation, who contributed an impressive 171 hours of fieldwork—a true testament to the strength of community-driven stewardship.
What’s Next
The work does not end here. Building on this strong foundation, the project team will:
- Develop a preliminary NAMP model for the region (winter 2025–2026);
- Revise and redistribute field guides and data collection forms to strengthen future collaboration;
- Support Indigenous-led priorities, including co-development of next steps and potential future applied research through a PhD student’s work on habitat significance, connectivity, and climate resilience; and
- Continue fieldwork in 2026, expanding our coverage and refining the model.
Together, we are creating the tools, partnerships, and shared knowledge needed to safeguard natural assets and strengthen ecosystem resilience—benefiting both present and future generations for years to come.
Special thanks to our funders—Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Ganawenim Meshkiki (GMI), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Mitacs, and Keen—for their generous support so far in making this project possible.
Fundraising will begin in 2026 to supplement existing grants and in-kind donations. To support this critical work now, please consider a charitable donation! Gifts of all sizes, in both Canadian and US funds, including securities, are welcomed! Charitable tax receipts are provided. Please visit: georgianbaybiosphere.com/donate
Thank you! Miigwech! Your support is truly appreciated.
For more information or any questions about the project, please contact Angela Vander Eyken, Landscape Conservation Programs Manager, at [email protected].
