November 5, 2009 Conservation Council of New Brunswick  Conservation Council calls for traditional ecological knowledge in forest management Fredericton - The Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB) released its latest report “Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the New Brunswick Forest: A Conversation” today. The report based on insightful conversations with knowledge keepers of our forest recommends the formation of an advisory group on traditional ecological knowledge that can provide input into public forest management. Including First Nations in genuine decision-making processes will allow the sharing of traditional forest knowledge that is essential for the protection and restoration of the native forest of New Brunswick. “The report illustrates how our current way of relating to our forest is not holistic, sustainable, adaptive to change or respectful of our true nature as beings dependant on its health and diversity,” stated Tracy Glynn, CCNB's forest campaigner. “Traditional ecological knowledge must be incorporated into forest management decisions. The forest has been used by natives and non-natives as a source of livelihood, food, medicine and spiritual growth for generations. First Nations of this province have been excluded from forest management decisions and this has got to change. Treaties and Aboriginal rights must be respected.” Parties to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, including Canada, are meeting this week in Montreal where they will be discussing traditional ecological knowledge. The parties have committed to respecting, preserving and maintaining the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Article 8(j) of the Convention commits the parties to encouraging the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge. Traditional ecological knowledge teachings can provide the ancestral timeline and wisdom needed for our society to co-exist with the Acadian forest and its species through the decades of change ahead. The Acadian forest and its species will need to adapt to the changing climate of the Earth. To adapt to the changing climate and its effects, the forest must be resilient in terms of biological diversity and overall health. The public or “Crown” land in New Brunswick has never been ceded by the First Nations to the Crown. -30- Tracy Glynn, 458-8747, forest@conservationcouncil.ca Report: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and New Brunswick's Forest: A Conversation http://www.conservationcouncil.ca/files/PDF/Knowledge-Final-Nov09.pdf  Poster: Traditional Forest Knowledge http://www.conservationcouncil.ca/files/Images/Wabanaki_Poster-eng-2.pdf