Indigenous Affairs | Community Investment | Environment | Working at Pembina

Pembina supports a sustainable future with Project Forest

Mon, 10 Jun 2024

This June, as we recognize National Indigenous History Month, National Indigenous People’s Day, and our ongoing commitment to build a more inclusive and sustainable future, Pembina is proud to extend its partnership with Project Forest with a $1.5 million commitment over the next three years.

Project Forest is a non-profit organization that partners with Indigenous communities, conservation groups, corporations, and private landowners to “rewild” local landscapes and convert under-utilized land or non-productive agriculture land to lush forest. 

Converting under-utilized land or non-productive agriculture land to lush forest can provide significant environmental benefits for our planet, including absorbing CO2, helping regulate the local climate, producing oxygen, improving soil quality, and attracting wildlife.

Project Forest is taking concrete and innovative steps to make a difference for the environment and for Indigenous Nations across Western Canada. Our partnership will enable Project Forest to further its reach and impact and is an example of how Pembina supports a sustainable future and builds mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities.

Community Investment at Pembina

We strive to have communities welcome us as a safe and responsible partner whose positive social impact creates significant value for all our stakeholders. We proudly participate in local events, engage with communities, and give back through Pembina’s Community Investment program.

Pembina partners with local, provincial/state, and national non-profit and charitable organizations that support Indigenous and Tribal communities, promote safety, equity, and inclusion, and encourage a sustainable energy future.

Learn more about Pembina’s Community Investment program.

Project Forest in action

Pembina’s partnership with Project Forest began in 2021 and since then, through yearly funding commitments, we have made a direct and lasting positive impact in Western Canada. In total, Pembina committed over $355,000 over the last three years to help fund the planting of six forests with Project Forest. Five of these forests have already been planted with over 42,000 trees to date. 

Learn more about the projects that Pembina has helped fund through our partnership:

Swan River First Nation Ecological Reconciliation Project

From 2021 to 2023, with help from Pembina’s investment, Project Forest partnered with the Swan River First Nation to plant over 18,000 trees and shrubs on 34 hectares of land within Swan River First Nation’s Reserve lands. To learn more, watch this short video or read about the project.

University of Alberta Research Forest

Project Forest and the University of Alberta’s Ecosystem-based Forest Management Lab are planting an experimental forest to better understand how forests are being impacted by our changing climate.

In June 2024, 58,560 trees will be planted with an additional 11,244 being planted in the following year. The long-term experimental forest will be located near Peace River, Alberta. Learn more.