Workshop on a Canadian Biodiversity Observation Network (CAN BON) Call for expressions of interest

Objectives

The main objectives of this workshop will be to

• obtain initial information on the state of biodiversity monitoring in Canada and the resources currently available to support monitoring
• identify ways that a CAN BON could support local, regional, national and international efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity, including meeting Canada’s international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity
• initiate an inclusive approach to the design and implementation of a CAN BON drawing on perspectives from Indigenous peoples, scientists, government, private and public sectors—for Indigenous peoples, the expectation is to pursue a co-development approach to CAN BON that would allow equitable and meaningful participation of Indigenous peoples and a weaving of traditional knowledge and Western science

Anticipated outcomes of the workshop

• Identification of available resources and the existing monitoring capacity and gaps in Canada
• A vision for CAN BON that articulates how it could enhance existing monitoring activities and what decisions it could support
• Identification of opportunities for sharing and integration of observations

Submitting an expression of interest

This call for expressions of interest is intended for Canadian groups, institutes, networks, or teams (including federal, provincial and territorial government groups) who are currently undertaking significant biodiversity monitoring activities and related research. Relevant activities include but are not restricted to

• conducting systematic biodiversity observations to monitor the status and trends of biodiversity in Canada (this includes genetic, population, species, community, ecosystem diversity)
• using or integrating Indigenous knowledge for the assessment of biodiversity changes
• developing expertise in new technologies for biodiversity observations, including, but not restricted to observations from the ground, air or space
• using machine learning techniques related to visual and audio recognition technology to identify species
• integrating knowledge and data types to achieve synthesis and understanding from large databases
• developing expertise in statistical methods and models for making inference about biodiversity change, especially through the integration of multiple data types to estimate and forecast biodiversity change at large scales

The expression of interest (EOI) will be used to

• obtain initial information on relevant activities occurring in Canada that could be linked to a CAN BON network
• create an initial inventory of relevant potential collaborators engaged in monitoring activities in Canada
• identify participants for a workshop to discuss the framing, requirements and objectives of a potential CAN BON network

Interested parties are invited to submit an expression of interest (EOI) to NSERC by 8 p.m. (ET) on May 31, 2021. To submit an EOI please fill out the CAN BON EOI form online and submit the completed form to the NSERC Secure site.