Being a Indigenous Guardian is a meaningful experience that can help people reconnect with the land, their culture, and community. But don’t just take our word for it: here’s what 5 Land Needs Guardians Storytellers say it means to them.

“A butternut tree is a life-giving tree”. Serving as a source of medicine, the butternut tree plays a significant role in the Kitigan Zibi culture. Here’s how the Nagadjitòdjig Akì Guardians are reviving the species.

An investment that will get more Guardians on the ground: Canada just announced over $173 million in funding for Guardians Programs over the next 5 years. This is the largest investment in Indigenous stewardship to date. Let’s keep it up! 👏 #LandNeedsGuardians

You might not think of the meticulous work of map making as storytelling--but to Cody Anderson, it’s the story of the land that’s at the heart of this work.

Building a birch canoe by hand takes more than just birch bark: it takes community, generations of knowledge -- and a little bit of spruce sap. Land Needs Guardians Storytellers and Wahkohtowin Guardians Amberly Quakegesic & Isabelle Allen share how the experience brought them closer to their culture and reconnected them to the land, Elders, and their community.

Celebrating International Women’s Day by recognizing generations of Indigenous women’s leadership on the land. Indigenous women are leading the way in protecting lands and waters across the country, from coordinating Guardians programs to leading the creation of IPCA’s — they, and many others, are an inspiration to all of us.

Craving something sweet? In her debut as a Land Needs Guardians Storyteller, Wahkohtowin Guardian Amberly Quakegesic breaks down how to make birch syrup—a process the Wahkohtowin Guardians do every spring. Making the syrup is reviving a traditional practice while creating a renewable product that helps support the Guardians program, too.

“And that’s what’s fun about being a Guardian: saving the planet, little bit by bit.” Guardians are the eyes and ears on the ground, protecting the lands and waters we all rely on for a healthy planet, building understanding about threats from climate change, and restoring wildlife populations.

Looking for the bright spots of 2020? We’ve got one for you: since January, over 50,000 people have joined the Land Needs Guardians campaign. That’s a lot of support for Guardians.

🦀 need Guardians too. Faced with population declines from overfishing, the Heiltsuk Nation is creating new protected areas to sustain Dungeness crab, which are deeply connected to their way of life.

First Nations know their land. And when Guardians combine this traditional knowledge with additional training, it can provide a more encompassing and holistic view of what’s happening on the land. Here's a first hand look at what some of that training involves, and how it's helping First Nation's better manage impacts on their territories.

What do Guardians do, in their own words? In this video produced by Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh, Tanya Ball gives a quick peek into the daily work of the Kaska Land Guardians: monitoring water quality, educating land users, and learning from Elders about traditional knowledge and the cultural importance of their territory.

How can we build a better, more sustainable economy with people and the land at its center? It starts with respecting and supporting Indigenous-led conservation.

How can we build a better, more sustainable economy with people and the land at its center? It starts with respecting and supporting Indigenous-led conservation.

Brady Highway, who’s seen over 200 fires in his career, explains how Indigenous Guardians are uniquely positioned to provide emergency response and fire management across the boreal. 

How do traditional medicines relate to being a Guardian? For Dakota, it’s about preserving the land that provides everything we need. But it’s also about preserving the knowledge that is passed down through generations.

What’s it like to be an Indigenous Guardian? It’s about more than conservation. It’s about connecting with the land, with culture, and protecting the places that matter most.

What does an Indigenous Guardian do? It varies from season to season, but patrolling, managing protected areas, collecting data, running species at risk programs, and performing search and rescue are just a few activities that Guardians are trained to carry out.

For the Taku River Tlingit, giving life to love of land means not just putting lines on a map — that’s just the beginning of the work.

Canada’s Guardians are in good company: Indigenous Rangers programs in Australia have shown that for every $1 invested there is a $3 return in social and economic benefits. Last year, a group of Senior Rangers visited Canada, giving Indigenous leaders and Guardians the chance to exchange ideas and share knowledge that will continue building on these successes.