By Kelly Wallace, Think Turtle Conservation Initiative

The Land Between is renewing its Talking Circles across Haliburton County and surrounding regions, creating space for people to share firsthand observations and deepen understanding of the changes unfolding across local forests, wetlands, and waterways, especially those affecting wildlife.
Rooted in cottage country, The Land Between is a grassroots conservation organization working to characterize, celebrate, and conserve the region where the Canadian Shield meets the St. Lawrence Lowlands. Indigenous-led and community-driven, the organization brings people together through shared learning and conversation, including events like these Talking Circles.
About the gathering
After a pause in recent years, these gatherings are returning to reconnect community knowledge with ongoing conservation efforts, drawing in voices from First Nations, local harvesters (formerly known as trappers), farmers, anglers, naturalists, and others who spend time living and working on the land, along with members of the wider public.
The intention is to gather these observations into a meaningful body of knowledge that can be shared with researchers and government agencies, helping ensure that lived experience on the land informs future understanding and decision-making.
Talking Circle details
A Talking Circle will be held on April 23 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Faraday Community Centre in North Hastings. An open house starts at 4 p.m. Registration is optional. All are welcome to attend and participate. Register online at www.thelandbetween.ca/biodiversity-conservation-talking-circles/.
There is another opportunity to join a talking circle on April 29 at the Bracebridge Centre for Active Living in Muskoka, from 4:30 to 7 p.m., with a 4 p.m. open house.
How the circle works
These circles follow a respectful format rooted in Indigenous tradition. Each Talking Circle begins with a land acknowledgment and an opening reflection or blessing to set a respectful tone for the gathering. Participants sit together in a circle so everyone can see one another, and an item from the natural world, such as a feather, a stone, or a small piece of wood, is gently passed around. This item helps guide the conversation. The person holding it has the space to speak while others listen. Some circles may use prepared or blessed items, depending on the facilitator, but the focus is on respect, intention, and creating a safe space for sharing. If it comes to you and you prefer not to speak, that is completely fine. You can simply pass it along.
A space for shared understanding
This gathering is not about debate or fixed conclusions. It is about listening, sharing, and building a clearer picture together. Concerns, questions, and hopeful observations all have a place in the circle.
Why beaver, wolf, and other canids
A key part of the discussion will centre on beavers and wolves, along with other canids including coyotes and coywolves, and what their patterns may be telling us. Beaver activity shapes wetlands in lasting ways, holding water on the land and creating habitat for many other species.
Changes in their presence are often reflected in shifting water levels and altered landscapes.
Wolves and other canids move across wider territories and can influence the balance of wildlife in more subtle but far-reaching ways. When sightings increase or behaviours change, it often reflects deeper shifts across the ecosystem.
The Talking Circles also create space for participants to share broader ecological observations that help build a fuller picture of the land, including what species are thriving, what seems to be missing, changes in numbers on the land, in the water, and in the skies above, as well as shifts in vegetation, wildlife movement, and how roads and other infrastructure are shaping these patterns.
What you are seeing matters
Small details, like a drained pond, fresh dam, new tracks, or wolf calls, reveal bigger changes. Those on the land often notice differences first.
If you spend time on the land or near the water, your perspective matters. Noticing changes helps build a clearer understanding of the region, and the Talking Circle at the Faraday Community Centre invites you to share those observations, to listen, and to take part in a larger story unfolding across the land, water, and sky. Mark your calendar and be sure to share.