A Consultation on Land Management in the Outaouais Region: Towards Better Ecological Connectivity

The CREDDO is one of 17 regional environmental councils across the province of Quebec. Its mission is to foster collaboration among stakeholders in the Outaouais region around key environmental issues. Today, CREDDO has nearly one hundred members, including community groups, businesses, government entities, and individuals. Its projects focus on solutions related to waste management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and the development of a green economy.

The Consultation

The main objective of the consultation was to gather information on the level of knowledge, interests, and concerns of citizens and local stakeholders regarding the establishment of ecological corridors in southern Outaouais. This initiative is part of the Kidjimaninan Project, which aims to protect regional biodiversity by achieving the target of 30% protected territory by 2030.

Using the Cocoriko platform allowed CREDDO to reach a broader audience throughout the region without the logistical constraints of an in-person event (costs, travel, etc.). Asynchronous participation accommodated individual availability, and data collection was organized and efficient.

Thanks to this online consultation, CREDDO gained a better understanding of public perceptions. In fact, the online consultation was followed by in-person meetings, including three participatory mapping workshops held a few weeks after the consultation was published. The Cocoriko consultation provided CREDDO with a foundation to develop the content of these workshops based on the interests and needs of the target audience.

Marketing

Several tools were used to promote the initiative, including educational videos posted on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, which explained the concepts related to ecological connectivity, as well as newsletters sent to CREDDO subscribers to engage stakeholders.

Next Steps

Next steps include sharing the results via social media and newsletters, and launching a similar consultation for northern Outaouais. Other consultations will also be initiated, particularly regarding regulations and standards governing ecological corridors.