Natural Assets Initiative (NAI)

📣 NEW GUIDEBOOK We’re excited to announce the release of 'Nature is Infrastructure: How to Include Natural Assets in Asset Management Plans', a step-by-step guide for #LocalGovs seeking to undertake #NAM through planning. 📌 Download the Guidebook: https://lnkd.in/ekTt6Mww 📌Watch the webinar: https://lnkd.in/ehGWy_8f This Guidebook helps close the gap between mainstream practices, #infrastructure challenges, and natural asset solutions by aligning natural asset management with approaches already in place for built assets across #Canada, with specific guidance on how to meet #Ontario’s asset management regulation O. Reg 588/17 requirements. Thank you to the Greenbelt Foundation and Municipal Finance Officers' Association (MFOA) for their generous support of this initiative. Special thanks to the authors and contributors including Donna Chiarelli, Amy Taylor Jeff Wilson (Green Analytics) Conservation Ontario, and many local government staff.

Have you heard of Power To Be? 🚣♂️ Since 1998, Power To Be has stewarded exceptional experiences in nature as part of their commitment of access for all. From hiking and kayaking to camping and snowshoeing, Power To Be makes it possible for youth, families and adults living with cognitive, physical, financial, and social barriers to benefit from the incredible natural environment that is all around us. Based in Victoria and Vancouver, BC, Power To Be is a provincial resource with national impact. After having our own staff retreat at Power to Be's Prospect Lake site last fall, we were inspired by their mission and proud to donate $2,500 from NAI's 2023 Nature Inspiration Award to support their nature programs. We wanted this award to go to a great cause, and now you can support them too through #PowerToSummit ! About Power To Summit: https://lnkd.in/dY8bs9V 🏔 Over the course of three days (May 24-26) teams will work together to cumulatively summit 6,111 m.   🏔 Racers can gain elevation anywhere in the world, from a mountain trail to a neighbourhood hill. 🏔 In the spirit of Power To Be, racers can expect lots of fun along the way, and a little competition with Best Dressed, Team Spirit, and Social Media Challenges throughout the journey. Learn more about how your donation supports programs for youth, families, and adults at https://lnkd.in/gGjejvWF

🌳Grow your community's #UrbanCanopy — submit your tree planting project for funding by July 12th! Details: https://lnkd.in/ercNSgaR #NaturalInfrastructure #GreenCity

Congrats to the finalists for this year's Water Canada Awards! These are all fantastic projects and initiatives, with great leadership in the #GreenInfrastructure and #Indigenous water governance space, including: 💧 Incorporating City Of Guelph's aquifers as #NaturalAssets: The goal of this project was to explore how the City can leverage existing efforts already being applied to asset management through the water supply planning process, and formally integrate groundwater into corporate asset management planning. Doing so allows groundwater to be considered along with the other assets the City owns or relies on. 💧Riparian Web Portal: The Riparian Web Portal (riparian.info) addresses the challenge of managing and restoring riparian ecosystems, and hosts datasets from six watershed alliances, showcasing over 40,000 km of riparian intactness data and examples of real on-the-ground projects in #Alberta. https://lnkd.in/eimycCuc North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance 💧National Indigenous Water Operator Day: Started by Water Movement in 2022, NIWOD has transformed the way Indigenous water operators are recognized, integrating their critical insights and experiences into the national policy framework. NIWOD’s establishment has led to increased awareness and acknowledgment of the vital role these operators play in ensuring water quality and safety in Indigenous communities. By bringing operators to the policy-making table, it has facilitated a previously absent dialogue, combining Traditional Knowledge with modern practices, and influencing policy decisions that affect stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water management. See details on all of the great finalists here: https://lnkd.in/gWTJRFqy

Four years ago when I asked at presentations “who’s heard of #naturalassets management, maybe 20% of hands went up. Here’s the percentage yesterday in a panel discussion at the BC Land Summit in Nanaimo, BC.

“We're abandoning the label of grey territory and embracing green. These new plantings will become oases of freshness and biodiversity, enriching our neighbourhoods for future generations, while strengthening our territory's resilience in the face of climate challenges.” - Caroline Bourgeois, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal 🌿 Kudos to the Ville de Montréal for supporting #NaturalInfrastructure as a part of climate change adaptation & resilience, with funds to plant 230,000 trees and 57,000 shrubs in Montreal’s East End. And according to Infrastructure Canada's announcement, every dollar that is invested in adapting and preparing for climate-related disasters can return as much as $13-$15 in benefits! #NatureBasedSolutions #ClimateChange https://lnkd.in/gFfqF3Qy

Tuning in from the Canadian Network of Asset Managers conference — great to hear from Mayors in the Edmonton Metro Region on their forward-looking regional growth plan, who are developing policies to drive economic growth, build complete communities, and enhance natural living systems. Kudos to great #NaturalInfrastructure work being done in #Alberta! And we're looking forward to have NAI's Donna Chiarelli and Ducks Unlimited Canada's Bart Muusse present on #NaturalAssetManagement and strategies for sustainable infrastructure tomorrow (1:30 MT). https://lnkd.in/gJKHXmF8 #CNAM2024 Pictured: Donna Chiarelli, Chris Chen (NAI Board of Director's Treasurer)

New from the Restore, Assert and Defend (RAD) Network: Cultivating Capacity: A Scan of Needs and Resources for Indigenous-led Nature-based Solutions https://lnkd.in/gQsAVGTD A number of Indigenous Nations are pursuing nature-based solutions to advance their land relationship visions — but they also face capacity barriers with accessing financing and getting new #NbS initiatives off the ground. To understand capacity gaps and determine how to best respond, the RAD Network recently conducted an “ecosystem scan”, summarized in their new report: “Cultivating Capacity: A Scan of Needs and Resources for Indigenous-led Nature-based Solutions”. The report offers reflections and recommendations on capacity gaps, and spotlights existing resources and approaches, from technical toolkits to emerging Communities of Practice. Learn more ⤵ #ClimateChange #IndigenousLedConservation #NatureBasedSolutions

It's our pleasure to announce the newest member of NAI's Board of Directors, Mike Kennedy, CPA, CA! A strong voice in public service, Mike is passionate about the place where accounting and social impact meet. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Rossland. Prior to this, he was a professor in accounting at Acadia University, an assurance, strategy and operations consultant at Deloitte, a public servant with the Province of Nova Scotia, and owner of a number of small businesses. Mike has been recognized for his contributions to the community, including being named one of 21inc’s Top 50 Emerging Leaders Under 35 in Atlantic Canada. He is also a recipient of the 2015 Premier’s Award of Excellence for his work on diversity and inclusion in the Public Service. And fun fact, Mike is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in sociology and public policy exploring the role of fiduciary duty and territoriality in the co-production of public service through Glasgow Caledonian University. Mike and his team at Rossland have been leaders in developing innovative strategies to account for #NaturalAssets, and we look forward to having his expertise and spirited voice on NAI's team.

Gain the tools to apply asset management across the whole of your organization with upcoming courses from NAMS Canada The Integrating Asset Management & Governance course is targeted at those managing public infrastructure assets such as road and transport networks, water, sewer and drainage networks, parks and recreation facilities, community facilities and buildings and other community assets. For more information or to register visit: https://lnkd.in/gwp-37TG