FAQ for data contributors

1. Why should our organization contribute data?

Restoration plays an essential role in addressing the biodiversity and climate crises. By restoring degraded lands and waters, we can protect wildlife habitat, improve ecosystem health, and build more resilient communities.

The more collective action achieved, the better we can use nature to address biodiversity and climate impact. By working together and sharing information, we can demonstrate how local and regional efforts add up to significant national impact.

Canada has also committed to restoration targets through international agreements, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which calls for 30% of degraded lands and waters to be under restoration by 2030.

Mission Restoration will provide insights into how restoration actions are adding up throughout Canada, along with the benefits to nature, communities, and climate that restoration brings.

By sharing your data, you are helping Mission Restoration:

• Track and count current restoration initiatives (aggregated view of restoration efforts nationally)
• Build a collective, a momentum and galvanize organizations to undertake new and complex restoration projects
• Inspire investments and supporting Canada’s international restoration commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
• Raise awareness and building knowledge exchange network for the benefits, science and support of restoration for nature and climate

2. What counts as restoration?

Restoration refers to the process of halting and reversing degradation, resulting in improved ecosystem services and recovered biodiversity. Ecosystem restoration encompasses a wide continuum of practices, depending on local conditions and societal choice. (UNEP, 2021).

3. Which ecosystem restoration activities qualify towards Mission Restoration?

Mission Restoration is focused on projects that seek to recover biodiversity and ecosystem integrity in addition to enhancing ecosystem functions. In other words, restoration efforts that qualify towards Mission Restoration should prioritize biodiversity as much as human benefits.

If you are not sure if your project counts towards Mission Restoration, please contact us at [email protected] and we will confirm if your project can be included.

4. What types of restoration activities can be included in Mission Restoration reporting?

Specific activities are context and ecosystem specific and therefore, can vary widely. For guidance on eligible activities, please refer to the IUCN Restoration Intervention Typology for Terrestrial Ecosystems

If you’re unsure whether an activity qualifies or would like further clarification, please contact us at [email protected].

5. What projects will NOT BE counted towards Mission Restoration?

Any restoration project part of legally required mitigation or offsets efforts under Canadian or provincial legislation as a condition of approval for planned environmental damage at another location, for example, habitat mitigation approved under Canada’s environmental assessment process or habitat banking approved under the Fisheries Act.

If you are not sure if your project counts towards Mission Restoration, please contact us at [email protected] and we will confirm if your project can be included.

6. How is Indigenous Nations ownership and control of data maintained?

WWF-Canada’s data sharing agreement follows the First Nations Principles of OCAP® (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) by the First Nations Information Governance Centre. Any data submitted by First Nation, Inuit, and Metis communities will remain theirs. They have the right to revoke their consent at any time by giving WWF-Canada notice as outlined in the Information Sharing Agreement. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions you have.

7. What will WWF-Canada do with the data?

WWF-Canada will compile the data and share the aggregated results first with collaborators in Mission Restoration. In addition, the aggregated data will be shared with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to support Canada’s national commitment towards the Convention of Biological Diversity Target 2. Finally, the information will also be used by WWF-Canada for analysis, and the aggregated data will be included in publications on our owned channels, including on Mission Restoration’s web page.

8. How will you ensure the location of our project is not revealed?

All data submitted will only be reported in an aggregated form in any forward-facing reporting and communication. The details you provide won’t be shared with any external parties.

9. Can I save my progress and return to it later?

• A Save and Continue option is available, allowing you to save your progress and return later if you don’t have all the necessary information on hand.
• To use this option, the organizational details need to be completed first. A unique code will be sent to the email address listed that will allow you to pick up where you left off.
• No data will be submitted unless you click the submit button.
• Our team does not have access to any stored or incomplete data. If the form is left unfinished, the data will not be retrievable. Take your time, and ensure all information is accurate before proceeding.

10. What should I do if a mistake was made on the form?

Please refrain from resubmitting your data if there is a mistake. Contact [email protected] with the information that you would like to update.

11. Where will the data be stored? Is it secure?

For now, it will be stored on WWF-Canada’s server. Data contributors will be notified if there are any changes.

12. Is there a different way to submit data?

There are two ways for you to submit your data:

• Data can be submitted through the form available on our website.
• It can also be submitted through an Excel form. If you prefer this option, you can download the form here and submit the data through our website here.

13. How were the Mission Restoration metrics compiled?

Compiling Mission Restoration’s metrics began with data from restoration projects funded through WWF-Canada’s Nature and Climate Grant Program, covering a wide range of ecosystems across the country. We identified common metrics that could be shared across projects and then expanded the list using national and international monitoring frameworks.

WWF-Canada is now refining the list to focus on the most relevant metrics for Canada’s restoration efforts. These align with global goals, including the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 2, the Freshwater Challenge and the Bonn Challenge.

Mission Restoration’s metric is compiled using an iterative process that will evolve based on the data submitted. We recognize that different practitioners collect different types of data. With input from government agencies and technical experts, we will continue to adjust data requested to ensure it addresses a range of ecological, social and policy dimensions across Canada, while being sensitive to the local capacity challenges around monitoring and reporting. This ensures that future analysis of the data is applicable to the Canadian context, allowing for a more effective tracking of restoration progress and impact over time.

Below are the resources used by experts at WWF-Canada to compile Mission Restoration’s metrics and indicators:

• Metrics from the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Monitoring Framework
• Restoration Barometer: A guide for governments
• Society for Ecological Restoration: Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration.
• Hold big business to task on ecosystem restoration

14. Is there any financial support for organizations to submit their data?

We are not currently offering any financial support for organizations submitting their data.

15. Does Mission Restoration have a timeframe for the information that it is recollecting?

Mission Restoration is compiling restoration data from 2020 to 2030.

16. Is Mission Restoration connected with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)?

Mission Restoration is a WWF-Canada initiative that supports ECCC by collecting data from restoration projects across Canada. All data submitted to Mission Restoration will be compiled and submitted by WWF-Canada to ECCC in an aggregated form.

17. Is there an Information Sharing Agreement?

Yes, there is an Information Sharing Agreement that will need to be signed by all organizations contributing data before any data can be submitted. This is an automatic process as you go through the data submission form. A preview of the Information Sharing Agreement can be accessed here. If you have any questions about it, please reach out to [email protected].