About
The Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust (NSWWT) was established in 2019 to uphold and promote the long-term stewardship of private forested lands in Nova Scotia for the rich diversity of values that they provide. To achieve this mission, the NSWWT is working to conserve, restore, and sustainably manage mature Wapane’kati / Acadian Forest to enhance ecological integrity and biodiversity, while also allowing for management of larger dimension, high-quality, and high-value wood products. By working directly with private woodlot owners, the NSWWT is helping to secure a future for Nova Scotia’s forests and its stewards.
Challenge
The late successional forest communities that make up mature Wapane’kati / Acadian Forest are becoming increasingly rare in Nova Scotia. The NSWWT has identified 12 different pressures, such as clearcutting, development, and invasive species, all of which are contributing to their decline. Tackling these pressures requires both financial and non-financial incentives to change landowner perceptions and behaviours around forest management practices. To implement these effectively is complex and requires a clear organisational roadmap that cuts through this complexity and identifies strategies that will be most effective in achieving the NSWWT’s vision for the future.
Solutions
With support from Global Conservation Solutions, the NSWWT is developing a 10-year strategic plan to guide their organisational direction and track their achievements. Through a series of facilitated workshops, the team of board members and staff are building a shared understanding the underlying complexity surrounding private forest management in Nova Scotia and the behaviour change strategies needed to effectively achieve meaningful impact. In turn, these strategies are informing both the financial and human resources that the NSWWT will require to sustainably manage and grow their organization over time, as well as how those resources will be attained.
Results
While the development of this strategic plan is ongoing, the NSWWT team has already identified a suite of solutions to conserve and restore mature Wapane’kati / Acadian Forest on private land in Nova Scotia. Additionally, and as a direct result of the strategic planning process, staff are actively negotiating with partners around an exciting new financial incentive program to promote forest restoration. Moving forward, the team will continue developing the strategic plan, which will provide clarity of focus and allow the NSWWT to better communicate with donors and supporters, leverage additional resources, and grow their organizational capacity.
Mary Jane Rogers
Executive Director, Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust
“Working with GCS has helped our land trust develop key strategic goals to build our long-term focus. Josh’s methodical approach has allowed us to re-centre and determine the values that are most integral to our organization. Building on his experience, we’ve found new paths to success in working land conservation.”
