Ontario Land Trust Alliance is committed to preserving and sustainably managing natural and cultural landscapes, we work hand-in-hand with local land trusts and communities. Together, we conserve biodiversity, promote responsible land use, and create a harmonious balance between human activities and the environment. Join OLTA in securing our natural heritage and fostering environmental stewardship for a healthier, more sustainable planet.
Save the Land you Love
Joining OLTA gives your land trust access to a dynamic community. Access resources, collaborate with like-minded trusts, and empower your mission.
Join us to tap into invaluable resources, expert guidance, and a supportive network. Access the Land Trust Starter Kit, a complete resource that guides you through the process of starting a new land trust.
A land trust is a non-profit organization committed to conserving and caring for natural lands for the benefit of communities and the environment.
Indigenous Peoples have inhabited, cared for and used these lands and waters, applying original instructions, Indigenous knowledge systems and laws, in relationships of mutual care. It was understood that lands and waters could not be bought, sold, or owned. Yet, since colonization, ideas of ownership and resource exploitation have shaped our relationships with the land and each other. And they have also shaped the history of land trusts.
Now, as a community, we are learning how land trusts can be part of reconciliation, how land trusts can offer ways for Indigenous peoples to reconnect with land as teacher and as provider. We are learning how our work to restore and care for lands can be shaped by Indigenous knowledge systems and traditional practices, and are adapting these into our conservation work. We are looking at other ways that land trusts can help respond to inequities built into our systems, by working with intentionality to increase access to nature for people who have historically not had this privilege. This essential work is ongoing and is really just beginning!
By conserving forests, wetlands, and other vital ecosystems, land trusts maintain biodiversity, support clean air and water, and enhance resilience to climate impacts. These protected areas store carbon, provide habitat for wildlife, and offer natural defenses against extreme weather, making land trusts essential partners in global climate action efforts.
Thank you for your support for our national advocacy campaign with
The 2023 Gathering was held in-person on November 1-3, 2023 at the Bayview Wildwood Resort . The theme for the Gathering was “Nurturing All Our Relations – Connections with the Land and People”.
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Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) is a registered charity focused on providing community, knowledge sharing and support to land trusts and other groups committed to land conservation across Ontario.
