NEWS RELEASE
ESCARPMENT CORRIDOR ALLIANCE
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The Escarpment Corridor Alliance is proud to announce the inaugural Nature Corridor Summit to be held on Friday, Oct. 25, at the Alpine Ski Club in The Town of The Blue Mountains.
This event has been made possible by Larry and Barbara Hall and the South Georgian Bay Innovation Fund, the Summit founding partner, who helped spark the idea of this event back in the summer of 2023.
The vision of the Nature Corridor Summit aims to establish and sustain an annual leadership event that convenes regional, provincial, federal, and international experts in environmental conservation and wellness.
There are several goals of the Nature Corridor Summit:
- Inspire global thinking, local action: Experts from local, provincial, national, and global levels to share insights on successful implementations of similar visions in other regions.
- Plan of action: develop partnerships and draft actionable plans to foster collaboration and create interconnected nature corridors in South Georgian Bay, enhancing environmental and human health.
- Municipal collaboration: facilitate discussions among municipal representatives to create a draft work plan supporting collaborative effort.
- Pathways for growth partnerships: Identify opportunities for local for-profit and not-for-profit organizations that benefit from healthy environments—such as farmers, the outdoor recreation industry, and health practitioners—to establish growth partnerships.
The summit event will feature the following speakers:
- Keynote speaker, Dr. Kelly L. Cerialo
- Dr. Cerialo will provide a global perspective on biospheres and nature corridors with specific examples from Italy and Northeastern United States. She is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in the Business and Hospitality Department at Paul Smith’s College, Co-chair of the UNESCO Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve (New York/Vermont), coordinator of the U.S. UNESCO Biosphere Network, and co-founder of the U.S. Biosphere Reserve Youth Network. In 2024, Dr. Cerialo was appointed by the Director General of UNESCO to the International Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves. Dr. Cerialo's work focuses on enhancing the human-nature connection to improve both environmental and human health.
There will be three panel discussions:
- Understanding nature corridors
- Experts from various fields, including biology, ecology, and policy, will discuss the ecological significance of nature corridors and the challenges in establishing and managing them. Tom Eisenhauer to moderate.
- Bringing the corridor to life
- Presentations on existing funding, policies, and legal frameworks that support the establishment and protection of nature corridors. Bruce Harbinson to moderate.
- The vital connection
- Exploration of how natural corridors benefit human health, recreation, and well-being by providing opportunities for exercise, stress reduction, cleaner air, and social engagement. Martin Rydlo to moderate.
The tickets for the Escarpment Corridor Alliance summit event are now on sale. To find out more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
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