Ontario’s Species at Risk Stewardship Program

We all have a responsibility towards the province's wild species. With this in mind Ontario is taking a “stewardship first” approach to the protection and recovery of species at risk. 

The ESA 2007 places a high priority on stewardship and engaging individuals in protection and recovery. The Species at Risk Stewardship Program is a cornerstone of the Endangered Species Act, 2007. The program includes:

• education and outreach
• incentive programs to support private landowners, and
• funding for stewardship activities

A group learns about what they can do to help Species at Risk.
Photo by Marion Daniels, OMNR

Many of Ontario's species at risk are found on private lands.  Voluntary conservation efforts are therefore essential to species at risk recovery. The Ontario Species at Risk Stewardship Fund encourages greater public involvement in supporting activities to protect and recover species at risk and their habitats.   

The purpose of the fund is to inspire and encourage people to become involved in species at risk recovery, and build on the good work already done by groups and individuals.

Three eligible activity categories have been established for the 2011/12 Species at Risk Stewardship Fund to implement recovery actions including those stated within existing Government Response Statements and/or recommended approaches as stated within draft or final Recovery Strategies:

• Management and Planning
• Surveys, inventories and monitoring
• Outreach and awareness

The Stewardship Fund is open to individuals and groups across the province, including: 

• Landowners
• Farmers
• Aboriginal peoples
• Academic institutions
• Conservation organizations
• Individual Businesses
• Industries
• Municipal and local governments
• Non-government organizations
• Ontario Stewardship Councils 

Please consult the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund Guidelines for eligibility criteria.  Application forms and guidelines are available online or by e-mail at SAR.stewardship@ontario.ca. 

For more ideas on ways that you can be involved with species at risk recovery, please visit the What you can do section of our website.

• News Release: Community Projects Protect Endangered Animals And Plants
• Backgrounder: Species At Risk Stewardship Fund Projects 2010