Three Rivers Join One Discovery | |
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Year
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2010 |
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Proponent
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Lillooet Naturalist Society |
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Project type
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Engagement |
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FSWP funding source
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DFO Fraser Basin Initiative |
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Grant amount
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$34,455.00 |
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Total project value
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$56,595.00 |
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ID number
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FSWP10-D91-E |
Location: Thompson,
Lillooet
Project Summary
SUMMARY
A locally developed environmental education program focused on our watersheds. The program will present the components and processes of watersheds, discuss human impacts and offer alternatives and solutions to restore and conserve our natural areas. An essential part of our program is sharing of aboriginal cultural knowledge as it relates to our watersheds. Our intent is to provide fun educational activities that will inspire passion and action toward a stronger stewardship ethic in our community.
OVERVIEW
This project will build on the first successful year of the Three Rivers project and support the restoration work being undertaken. We will continue to develop a locally themed nature-based education program that exhibits watershed principles, stewardship activities, artistic, scientific and local First Nations knowledge sharing.
A primary focus during Year Two will be to network with as many sectors of our community as possible in order to broaden the program. Lillooet has a diverse population especially related to culture, age, educational backgrounds and socio-economic status. By increasing partnerships and contacts within the community, our intent is to reach people that do not normally view themselves as “green”. By visiting people in their own “place” we will be better equipped to pass on the sense of wonder and stewardship goals to a broader cross-section of the community. Outreach to aboriginal communities, schools, youth groups, senior groups, other organizations, and existing day camps will assist in this aim.
Goal 1 - Promote an appreciation and sense of wonder for the environment and our watersheds
Goal 2 - Pass on knowledge that inspires people to take personal action in their lives to live more sustainably and to promote a stewardship ethic within the community - one person or group at a time.
Goal 3 - Increase our partnerships and networking with various sectors of the community and continue working with First Nations to ensure traditional knowledge is shared.
Year Two is explicitly linked to Year One because the overarching goals remain the same. However, we will chart a new direction during Year Two based on our successes and challenges this last year. The project was evaluated at several levels; the most important one being a review of our goals and objectives that took place midway through the program. This review, as well as participant questionnaires, Facilitator observations (as outlined in our Evaluation Plan) and Advisory Committee feedback, provided us with a mandate to outreach into the community by actually visiting people in their own “place” to ensure the sense of wonder and sustainable living message is received by a broader cross-section of the community.
Year one was spent creating activities, acquiring supplies and implementing riverside events on our four major watersheds - where community members came to us. At the beginning of the project, two brainstorming sessions were held with a diverse cross-section of our community, to give the facilitators ideas about themes, activities, art, sites to visit and possible designs of a travelling nature trailer. Thirteen riverside events will have been held and nineteen activities created by the end of Year One. Over 340 people have already participated in our events held in four focus watersheds: Seton, Bridge, Cayoosh and Fraser. The events were composed of different themes that always included hands-on artistic, scientific and cultural content and a stewardship activity. (At our first event, for example, the theme was salmon. We completed an experiment to do with fish gills to show the importance of clean water; a salmon was dissected and kids got to see and feel the fish; a salmon painting art project was enjoyed; and two First Nations cultural demonstrations took place. A salmon was cut in the traditional method for wind drying and Indian ice cream was made using soapberry juice - a native berry. Participants whipped the ice cream with whisks made from native plant branches. A tour of the Bridge River Xwisten Fishing Rocks along the Fraser River took place, an eroded bank was weeded and a small native plant garden built by participants at the event site which again tied into the importance of clean water by ensuring healthy riparian areas).
Resources and supplies, including a traveling trailer, were purchased for the events. All of the supporting material for the developed activities, including books, art supplies, pamphlets, cameras, and binoculars (etc) are now stored in Activity Bins ready for use during Year Two. We were fortunate to acquire several key resources that will be instrumental to further learning. We have a 3D model of a watershed that demonstrates watershed principles and impacts such as pollution, as well as a 3D model of our own watersheds. A digital microscope that displays specimens on a large screen TV or laptop has been an exciting addition to getting up close to the natural world. Another invaluable resource is the Resource Binder, which includes all of the task lists, agendas, outreach pamphlets and activity instruction sheets for each event. The existing networking list, that will be built on in Year Two, has all of the brainstorming participants, educators, artists, community groups, elders, First Nations and event participants who took part in events this year.
The main challenge for the first year was workload and outreach. We underestimated the time to prepare for the bi-weekly riverside events, promote and network within the community. The thirteen riverside events were well attended and enjoyed by all participants; however, many of the participants already had a keen interest in the natural world. During Year Two it is our intent to be involved in four seasonal riverside events already planned by the restoration crew; and then focus the Three Rivers project on increasing our networking in the broader community by bringing the program to different community groups, thereby reaching a more diverse participation demographic. As part of our holistic approach, the integration of art, science and First Nations culture is another strength of the program that will continue. We also intend to hire a First Nations facilitator again in order to continue to build on the local cultural knowledge sharing (for example this year aboriginal elders and leaders have shared knowledge about traditional foods and plants, told cultural legends, held smudging activities, a bartering session and hosted drumming and singing).
Year Two will build on our successes and implement changes to ensure a diverse cross-section of our community has the opportunity to learn more about our local natural ecosystems, so that they will be inspired to care for our watersheds, while obtaining the tools to do so.
OBJECTIVES
Objective #1 Create nature programming that focuses on the healthy components of watersheds and the interconnectedness between wildlife, plants and ourselves.
Objective #2 Create activities, with related resources, that encourage participants to become aware of their impacts on the planet.
Objective #3 Create demonstrations and related hands-on experiences with sustainable living themes so participants can implement these into their daily lives at home and in their communities.
Objective #4 Continue working relationships with First Nations and ensure cultural knowledge is shared.
Objective #5 Network with various sectors of the community to ensure a diverse group of participants have the opportunity to participate in the nature programming.
METHODS
1. The community brainstorming sessions that took place in year one, and the feedback received on the riverside events, generated many ideas for activities and themes for the nature program. We will use these ideas to create the nature Program Plan 2010 that will target a diverse group of people.
2. Ensure that at least one First Nations Facilitator is hired to connect with the community and ensure that First Nations culture is infused into all parts of this project.
3. Participants will learn about watersheds through interaction with a 3D watershed model and by taking part in themed programming. The programming will celebrate our watersheds, the fauna and flora of the area and our connection to the health of our planet.
4. Tactile and sensory boxes will be stocked in the travelling nature trailer so participants can explore the world around them. These boxes will have themes. For instance, animal bones could teach about local fauna as well as how First Nations used the bones for tools.
5. Themed activity boxes and related activities that link to sustainable living in the home and community. The boxes will have hands-on activities that will link to a specific impact to our watersheds and ways to reduce it. In year one, for example, we had an event on aquatic invertebrates and water pollution. Participants made natural homemade cleaners and bath salts to demonstrate ways to reduce water pollution in their homes.
6. Demonstrations that concretely show participants what they can do in their own homes and communities will also be continued as a means to further the stewardship ethic. Our First Nations Facilitator demonstrated how to make pemmican and Indian ice cream. Both are made from local food sources gathered traditionally. This taught sustainable harvesting methods, the importance of traditional food sources in addition to the identification of native plant species.
7. Use art in our nature programming to link science, stewardship and culture as another means to share knowledge and inspire.
8. Involve participants in existing stewardship work at the Powerhouse Restoration site and Lower Spawning Channels where the native plant nursery is located.
9. Continue our working relationships with First Nations by networking with local aboriginal communities, sharing cultural knowledge with the wider community and using First Nations facilitators.
10. Continue to involve local experts in our community (of all age) to help deliver the programming.
11. Promote, schedule and implement the nature program at various locations in the community with different groups. We will use the travelling trailer to take the programming to them.
BENEFITS
As described above, the program will focus on local watershed facts, basic watershed components, impacts and ways to mitigate those impacts. We will continue to share knowledge about our local watersheds as well as use the 3D watershed model to talk about what makes a watershed healthy and unhealthy. The hands-on activities will show participants what they can easily do at home or in the community to create healthy watersheds. For example, in year one a First Nations elder told us about traditional burning and how it naturally “cleansed” the forest allowing for new growth especially of berry bushes. He encouraged the group to support local burn projects or we would continue to have large wildfires that burn too hot threatening wildlife and humans alike.
Engage First Nations, government agencies and community groups/NGOs
This program’s main partnership is with the Cayoose Creek St’at’imc. An Advisory Committee, composed of Cayoose Creek St’at’imc, DFO, MOE, District of Lillooet, LNS and community representatives, provide advice and support. Aboriginal elders/leaders, local contractors, biologists, BC Hydro workers, artists, and youth will continue to be involved. The program will continue to seek out individuals from these groups to help deliver the program.
Complement or implement local and / or regional plans (e.g., recovery plans, watershed plans)
This program supports the Powerhouse Restoration project currently in its fourth year. It also connects very well with the native plant nursery that is part of the restoration project. There are also several other higher level plans in place (St’at’imc Land and Resource Management Plan, Lillooet’s Official Community Plan, Lillooet Land and Resource Management Plan, BC Hydro Water Use Plans). This program will support these plans at a grass roots level by educating the public about the resources at risk as explained in these plans.
Value-added aspects
The value-added aspects of our project:
1. Our plan is to schedule visits to as many different groups as possible. This will result in the delivery of the program to under-represented groups and people who do not attend riverside events.
2. Events and activities often require volunteers creating mentorship and leadership opportunities for youth and adults.
3. By involving more people in the Powerhouse Restoration project and other stewardship activities we will build capacity in our community in regards to restoration work.
4. Through increased networking and involving community members in facilitation we will strengthen organizational and institutional relationships.
5. As mentioned above we have local and regional government representatives on our Advisory Committee so this may indirectly or directly influence the policy and decision making at several levels of government.
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