How are you involved with the local communities?

Engaging with the local communities around our facilities in northwestern Ontario and being involved with the larger freshwater community is an important part of how IISD Experimental Lakes Area operates.

The IISD Experimental Lakes Area field station is on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty 3 territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. Staying true to the principles of sustainable development, we know how much value comes from talking to and learning from other people. As our field station is located in Treaty 3 traditional territory, this is especially true of our relationship with the Anishinaabe Nation and the right-holders of Treaty 3 land.

Education and outreach form another important pillar of how IISD Experimental Lakes Area interacts with local communities. Sharing our work and teaching people about what we aim to do for the environment through our research is a wonderful part of what IISD Experimental Lakes Area is about. We aim to reach the greater community through things like in-school and community presentations and by developing tools educators can use to teach about topics we study.

Involvement with the local community provides an opportunity to share how we at IISD Experimental Lakes Area are more than just the science that takes place at the research facility. The Artist-in-Residence program is one example of how we strive to show the people around us the vast potential of IISD Experimental Lakes Area. Reaching out through social media (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook), blogs, and traditional media are other ways that we broadly share what we do and why it matters.