SAM Newsletter #13 Fall 2017

Stewardship Smiles! Congratulations to both The Town of Centreville-Wareham-Trinity and The Town of Pouch Cove for signing their Habitat Stewardship Agreements this November. (L to R: Deputy Mayor Lloyd Pickett, MHA Derek Bragg, Councillor Sam Gibbons, Mayor Jodey Wall, MHA Kevin Parsons, The Honourable Gerry Byrne)

Twice as Nice: CWT and Pouch Cove Sign Habitat Stewardship Agreements  On November 17th of 2017, The Town of Centreville-Wareham-Trinity became the 40th municipality to sign a Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement. Present for the signing was Deputy Mayor Lloyd Pickett, and all of the CWT Councillors including Sam Gibbons, who will be the SAM representative on council. MHA Derek Bragg was in attendance for the Province. The town hopes to support a new environment committee to work on some future stewardship projects including the walking trail at Black's Brook. The agreement designates 3 Management Units that encompass over 5000 acres! Three days later on November 20th, The Town of Pouch Cove became the 41st municipality of SAM when they signed their Habitat Stewardship Agreement. In attendance were Town of Pouch Cove staff members, Mayor Jodey Wall, and The Honorable Gerry Byrne. Also in attendance, and showing their Killick Coast support, were staff members from the SAM Communities of Torbay and Flatrock. Pouch Cove has designated 6 Management Units including excellent seabird nesting habitat and habitat for the endangered Red Crossbill. We are looking forward to seeing how Stewardship can be supported among the Killick Coast SAM Communities!  SAM Network News & Updates SAM Conservation Scholarship 2018 Applications are now on the SAM Website! If you know a post-secondary student whose  interests, activities and post-secondary goals are focused on the conservation of habitat in this province, pass along the 2018 application! Deadline: May 2018.  Want to participate in some Citizen Science this Holiday Season? Why not join the Audubon's 118th Christmas Bird Count in your area! Counts will be held between December 14th and January 5th. Click here for the map, then click on the location circle for count organizers contact information in NL! New funding opportunities are on the SAM website, including theCommunity Healthy Living Fund: Deadline: January 31

Educational Outreach: Bonavista Restoration Project NWCF Thanks in part to financial support from the National Wetland Conservation Fund (NWCF), the Town of Bonavista with support from SAM Staff, was able to host an Educational Outreach Event for Matthew Elementary's Grade 4 classes. The day started in the classroom where the students learned about the 5 different types of wetlands and played games including "Wetland Values" and everyone's favorite "Name that Duck".    After lunch we were joined on the O'Dea's Pond boardwalk by Mayor John Norman, who we are proud to say is also our very own SAM President! Mayor Norman let us know the town is restoring the wetland conditions that were compromised by the fishing industry many years ago. By creating Nesting Islands (pictured above) ducks and shore birds can find refuge from native and introduced predators. Thank you to Matthew ElementaryGrade 4 classes for a great day!        The Wheels on the Bus: SAM Outreach Tour 2017! This November The SAM Outreach Team was able to visit 4 SAM Communities, 5 Management Units (MU), Lead an Educational Event, and participate in a Habitat Stewardship Agreement Signing! First on the Tour was The Town of Whitbourne. Signed in 1993, Whitbourne has a long history of stewardship and is home to many interesting lichens. Just a short drive up the road we visited The Town of Come-by-Chance. Signed in 1995, CBC's MU is a beautiful estuary and a bird watchers dream! After visiting with these SAM communities we felt inspired for our next stop, the Town of Bonavista. Signed in 2013, the town recently received a National Wetland Conservation Fund Grant for a wetland restoration project. Last, but not least, we traveled to The Town of Centreville-Wareham-Trinity for their Habitat Stewardship Agreement Signing! It was a great tour and we are excited to hear from all of our SAM communities in 2018 at the Spring AGM!  Winter Stewardship: Activity and Event Ideas for YOUR Community! Keep your stewardship spirit high all winter with these activity and event ideas for your community! - Check your Nest Boxes or hold a Nest Box workshop: Winter is the perfect time to check and install boxes without damaging habitat or disturbing waterfowl. - Plan a snowshoeing event on your trail system: Hot chocolate, boil ups, and scavenger hunts are all great ways to get your community out and enjoying their Management Units in the winter months. - Become a animal track expert: Partner with your local school or community group and learn more about tracking animals in the winter! -  Participate in the Audubon's 118th Christmas Bird Count: If there isn't an official bird count in your area... start your own in and around your Management Units! You can upload your images and identifications to ebird.org -Plan to attend the SAM Spring AGM to be held in Stephenville Crossing! Select a Councillor, staff member or interested resident to attend, and watch for your emailed invite and registration forms in April of 2018!

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