This Earth Month, meet the Indigenous stewards protecting ancestral forests in BC — and what their work means for all of us.
No images? Click here
Caring for the Land: How the Maiyoo Keyoh Are Building Climate Resilience in BC
What does it mean to truly belong to the land?
It’s difficult to belong to the land when it is treated like a possession, a resource meant to be extracted and shipped elsewhere.
For the Dakelh people, the largest Indigenous cultural group in BC's central interior, their ancestral territory is defined by keyohs, areas where extended family groups hold authority over management. They are entrusted with the care of the forests, waters, and the well-being of all who belong to them.
Near Fort St. James lies the Maiyoo Keyoh — a landscape of towering forests, industrious beavers, and ambling rivers. A place where decades of industrial logging and the 2023 Beaver Lake fire have left deep marks on the land
"The transition back to fully sustainable livelihoods in balance with a protected ancestral forest and rewilded plantation will take a long time," says Jim Munroe, who speaks on behalf of the Maiyoo Keyoh. "But that is the Maiyoo Keyoh's unwavering objective."
This Earth Month, we're sharing what Michelle Connolly, the Director of our Climate Resilience program, experienced firsthand on her recent visit: a family taking meaningful steps to protect their remaining ancestral forests and revive the logged-over lands.
New & Noteworthy
Salmon in Schools fundraiser a hit
On March 1, we joined the Prince Rupert School District 52, T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, and Fukasaku to host the inaugural Salmon in Schools fundraiser dinner. With the help of generous community members, we raised over $17,500 to bring locally caught salmon directly into school meals. The sold-out event is a promising start — but reaching every student who needs it will take continued community support.
To help bring salmon to more students, donate by e-transfer to eft@sd52.bc.ca and include “Salmon Fundraiser” in the notes so your donation can be tracked. Tax receipts are available upon request. For more information, email food@ecotrust.ca.
Careers: Administration Manager (Maternity Cover)
We're looking for an Administration Manager to cover an 18-month maternity leave and play an essential role in our small but mighty team at Ecotrust Canada. If you are, or know someone who is, organized, people-centred, and aligned with our mission in building an economy that provides for life, then apply by April 9!
Where We Work
On the remote, misty, northern archipelago that makes up Haida Gwaii, we are working with the Council of the Haida Nation on a new fisheries dockside monitoring program. This collaborative program is designed to advance Haida Community-Based Fisheries by building skills and capacity for monitoring activities, leading to healthy, thriving fish populations. (Taylor Montgomery-Stinson photo)
Read more about it on Page 16 of the → Coastal Nations Fisheries 2025 Annual Report.
P.S. Reply and let us know what are you doing to honour Earth Month in April.
Proving the Possible
Ecotrust Canada works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities toward building an economy that provides for a healthy and resilient natural environment; sustainable and abundant energy, food, and housing; prosperous and meaningful livelihoods; and vibrant cultures and inclusive societies. We call this approach, building an economy that provides for life.
Thank you for your continued support!
The Ecotrust Canada Team
