Environment:

A Presentation by Fred Cheverie

Involvement By Creating Awareness The Souris, PEI Experience

PRINCE EDW

ARD ISLAND

Management Area

Souris & Area Wildlife Federation

Prince Edward Island

The Island’s three largest industries are: Agriculture, Fisheries, and Tourism

Agriculture

Fisheries

Tourism

Land Usage in Eastern PEI

Land Use in Basin Head Wa-tershed

Agriculture

Forest

Sand Dune

Residential/Comercial

Pond/Lagoon

Salt Marsh

Land Use in Souris River Watershed

Agriculture

Forest

Wetland

Other

Souris & Area Wildlife Branch

• Operating since 1954• 9 volunteer board of directors

(various levels of education)• Approximately 200 active members• Considered the “go to” environmental

organization in eastern Prince Edward Island

Souris & Area Wildlife Branch Goals

• Protection & enhancement of fish/wildlife habitat

• Watershed planning, protection and restoration• Education of the general public on

environmental issues, wildlife and wildlife habitat• Promotion of outdoor recreational sports and activities• Improved communication with our stakeholders

Success Stories

• Some recent major accomplishments of Souris Area & Branch include:

• HADD (Harmful Alteration, Disruption, Destruction)• Watershed Planning• WEB`s (Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial

Management Practices)• EG&S (Ecological Goods And Services)

HADD (Harmful alteration, disruption, destruction)

Work completed through HADD was a success, shown in this picture by the new growth of grass in the brush matting (which was placed to cover a large mudflat)

Additional brush matting was done this past summer

Finished project with brush matting installed on both sides of the Souris River

Watershed Planning

• Community Developed and Driven

EG&S (PEI Ecological Goods & Services Project)

The project was conducted by specific research on producer costs and the public’s willingness to pay for Ecological Goods and Services (EG&S) in small agricultural watersheds.The project delivered a Comprehensive Land Management PackageThis Comprehensive Land Management Package encouraged the adoption and implementation of practices that address watershed environmental priorities established through a watershed planning process (watershed planning, nitrate issue, etc)

Comprehensive Land Management Package

• Terraces, grassed waterways, berms• Increased headlands• Hedgerows• Retirement of sensitive lands• Enhanced buffers• Spring ploughing, cover crops, mulching• Pesticide risk reduction• Cattle fencing

Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial Management Practices

Objectives

• Principle purpose is to evaluate at the watershed scale the effects nitrate leaching by utilizing spring ploughing verses fall ploughing following a potato-grain-hay rotation. In Partnership with the following:

Agriculture And Agri - Food CanadaPEI Dept. of AgriculturePEI Dept. Of Environment, Justice & LabourCanadian Rivers InstituteNova Scotia Agricultural CollegeUniversity of Prince Edward IslandSouris & Area Branch of PEI Wildlife Federation

How do you engage community?

• Education

• Communication

• Involvement

• Leadership

Education

• Presentations to:– elementary, junior and high school students (appropriate

environmental material)– adults in the community (at community school, service

groups)

• Individual conversations:– tailboard meetings– grocery cart meetings – legion discussions

• Watershed coordinator should attend seminars that provide information that is beneficial to resource based industries (agriculture, aquaculture, etc)

Communication

• Select small projects in highly visible areas where success is easily attainable

• Celebrate these successes through media such as newspaper, newsletters, Facebook, email, fliers, and website

• Express interest in resource based industries by individual visits showing true interest in their livelihood

• Always communicate to the level of your audience

Involvement

• Ensure that educational presentations to public schools are paired with “hands on activities.”

• Watershed planning should involve all stakeholders, where everyone has opportunity for input (this takes time)

• Bring major landholders on side (farmers). Start with the committed, celebrate their involvement, and others will follow

Leadership

• Success within watersheds is directly correlated with good leadership

• Leadership usually has a direct relationship to funding

• Individuals involved in leadership roles must have people skills

• Leadership is measured by the community through success stories and work ethic

Recognition follows success within watersheds

Provincially recognized in 2006

Municipally recognized 2009

Recognition follows success within watersheds

2012 Canada Recreational Fisheries Award

Questions?www.souriswl.ca