Thanks in part to amazing fundraising efforts by sustainable swimwear brand Londre, CIER is gearing up to plant hundreds of native trees on the banks of the Winnipeg River in Sagkeeng First Nation. Lake Winnipeg algae bloom via Lake Winnipeg FoundationSilver poplar and willow trees, which are common in the area, will be planted. These trees and their root systems act as vegetative filters for water, filtering out contaminants such as phosphorous.

​Cleaner water is better for all creatures who live in the ecosystem, from humans to plants. One of the most obvious consequences of too much phosphorus in water is algae blooms which have been plaguing Lake Winnipeg for years.

The trees will be planted along an eroding shore bank in the community to help stabilize the soil and prevent further loss of land into the river. The trees will also provide habitat for wildlife and remove carbon from the atmosphere. Nature-based water solutions are essential for everyone as pollution and climate change increase, and are especially critical for many Indigenous people who this is impacting at a crisis level. CIER is honoured to be partnering with Sagkeeng First Nation on this project, as well as receiving additional funding support from the Conservation Trust and Environment and Climate Change Canada.
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A strong desire to protect our water is something that CIER and Londre share. Since 2017, Londre has taken over 250,000 recycled plastic bottles and turned them into swimwear, made ethically in Vancouver. They’ve also driven initiatives that have resulted in 3,500 tons of plastic removed off the Pacific Rim coastline and the planting of a coral reef.

We talked to Londre Co-Founder Ainsley Rose about why they reached out to CIER for this partnership.
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“We chose CIER because of the focus on innovative, climate-centred solutions, that provide quantifiable, high impact results,” said Ainsley.
CIER is grateful to Londre for their hard work and to every single person who helped support this initiative.

If you’d like to partner with CIER please reach out to us via email or the form on our website!