northern saskatchewan boreal forest potential...saskatchewan’s boreal forest •350 to 400 boreal...
TRANSCRIPT
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