Webinar Description:
Join the Can-Peat Network for the launch of the Canadian Peatland Data Portal, a new national metadata repository designed to improve access to, understanding of, and responsible use of peatland carbon data across Canada. This introductory webinar will provide an overview of the portal, why it was developed, and how it supports research, policy, land management, and Indigenous data governance.
Participants will be introduced to the portal’s purpose, structure, and functionality, including how it helps users discover where peatland carbon data exist, and understand access conditions. The session will also explore how Can-Peat has embedded FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) data principles into the portal’s design, with attention to Indigenous data sovereignty and ethical data stewardship.
Following this overview, Maria Strack, Principal Investigator of Can-Peat will moderate a panel discussion with researchers and practitioners who will reflect on why peatland metadata matters in practice. Panelists will discuss how important tools such as the portal are, and speak to which tools can support carbon modelling, restoration planning, land-use decision-making, and community-informed research. The panelists will also identify future needs and opportunities for the portal as a living resource. The webinar will conclude with an open Q&A and an invitation for participants to provide feedback and contribute metadata to the portal.
Location: Teams (online)
Date & time: Wednesday, January 22, 2026 | 2:00–3:00 PM EST
Moderator: Maria Strack, Can-Peat / University of Waterloo
Panelists: To be announced
Can-Peat is a national research network advancing the understanding, management, and protection of Canada’s peatlands for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Canadian Peatland Data Portal is hosted on waterlooclimatedata.ca and is designed to grow through community input and collaboration.