Starting in the winter of 2023, CIER, with financial support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service (ECCC-CWS), has been hosting monthly Learning Circles for the Pacific and Prairie regions.

These Learning Circles—webinar-format workshops usually spanning an hour or two—are part of the Species at Risk Act – Consultation, Cooperation, and Accommodation (SARA-CCA) project at CIER, and CIER has seen a growing attendance as the word spreads about the workshops.

Learning Circles are based on topics requested by Indigenous communities as discovered in the needs assessments and conversation through workshops, emails, and other related meetings. Topics to date have included how to organize a wolverine engagement session, reflections from a southern mountain caribou maternity penning project, and bat community monitoring.

Some sessions are designed to build technical skills or knowledge, such as obtaining and maintaining a professional designation, and a training video on how to set up and complete a camera trapping project. 

Learning Circles are open to participants based on regional applicability. For example, a session on a southern mountain caribou project would be extended to members of Indigenous communities, organizations, and Nations within the current and historical range of the species.

Sessions are typically introduced by CIER, and then a key presenter will speak to their past, current, or future project plans or strategies based on the topic. Many of the presenters were recipients of SARA-CCA funding and have been excited to share their work with others.

This collaboration leads to building relationships and sharing new ideas to help build capacity for other Indigenous communities, organizations, and Nations. Following the bat monitoring Learning Circle, CIER saw more funding applications for similar bat projects due to the increase of available knowledge and resources shared during the session.

The Learning Circle sessions will continue until the summer of 2025. At that time, there will be a short hiatus due to busy summer fieldwork and project schedules, with a return in the fall season of 2025.

CIER is inviting all participants of the SARA-CCA project to share their experiences and present at upcoming Learning Circles. Please contact Project Manager Kat Hewitt at [email protected]. There are honoraria available for all presenters.

For information regarding upcoming Learning Circles, please visit the SARA-CCA project page and select your region, and don’t forget to follow us on social media.