Friday, 27 April 2018

SAM Newsletter #15 Spring 2018

Getting out there! On the left Laura King, SAM Conservation Biologist, speaking at the Salmonier Nature Park during National Wildlife Week. On the right Emma Bocking, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), and Diane Pelley SAM/DUC Outreach Coordinator at the Portugal Cove - St. Phillip's Environment Fair.

Spring into Outreach: Making Connections  

In March and April, SAM Staff have been working out of the office, making connections with residents, Councillors, environmental non-profit groups, and partners. Here are some of the highlights of our Spring Outreach!

March 1st - SAM spoke at the Aquatic Habitat Restoration Workshop about SAM restoration projects happening in Bonavista and Bay Roberts/Spaniards Bay. This workshop was led by ACAP Humber Arm and theWorld Wildlife Fund as a part of their habitat restoration work in the province.

March 10th and April 21st - SAM participated in both the Forested Wetland Conference, and the Atlantic Society of Fish and Wildlife Biologists conference in Nova Scotia. SAM presented our Municipal Habitat Stewardship Program to other biologists in the Atlantic provinces with lots of great feedback!

March 22nd -  Was World Water Day and SAM partnered with Ducks Unlimited Canada at the Marine Institute World Water Day Event (MI). This free event had many MI students attend, and present their own projects that are helping protect water in our province and around the globe.

March 24th - SAM put "Nature" back into Easter, at the Portugal Cove St. Phillip's Easter Party with our "Arctic Hare Hop" and 3D printed egg game. Families gathered at the Voisey's Brook SAM Management Unit and enjoyed the trails while they searched for chocolate eggs and hopped like hares!

April 5th - SAM hosted Storytime at the Torbay Public Library. There are lots of ways to learn about wetlands, even when the weather is bad, just pick up a book! Click here for SAM's Wetland Reading List.

April 8th - SAM kicked off National Wildlife Week by presenting at theSalmonier Nature Park Speaker Series (see photo). Keep up to date on the series by following the Salmonier Nature park Facebook page or  by calling 229-7888

And finally SAM Spring Outreach culminated at the end of the month with not one, but TWO Earth Day Celebrations! SAM again partnered with 
Ducks Unlimited Atlantic Canada at the events, the first in Portugal Cove St. Phillip's and the second in St. John's...

April 21st Portugal Cove - St. Phillip's  hosted their Third Annual Environment Fair on April 21. Over 330 people attended the fair that was hosted by the PCSP Committee on the Environment. SAM was given the opportunity to do a feature presentation, in which we talked about the 5 types of wetlands (see our SAM Blog Series!) and built a "Wetland in a Pan" that helped demonstrate important wetland functions.  

April 22nd - Earth Day was celebrated at the Fluvarium , in St. John's, with over 340 participants. The event inspired many young families, students, and adults to do their part to protect the environment. This year The Fluvarium partnered with the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Network (NLEN) and really got into the spirit of "Consume Less, Play More" with their Pop-Up playground, Mend-It Cafe, and over 20 Idea Booths set up by like minded environmental organizations.

Keep up with all of SAM's Summer Outreach Activities on our Facebook or follow us on Twitter @SAM_Stewardship! 
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 each year. Events take place worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental conservation. The first Earth Day took place in 1970 in colleges, universities, primary and secondary schools across the United States. In 1980, Canada celebrated its first Earth Day and since then the day has spawned many celebrations across the country, and in our own province. 

Thinking about planning a 2019 Earth Day celebration in your municipality?Email samstewardship@gmail.com for ideas and support!  

SAM Network News & Updates

Stewardship Spotlight - Stephenville Crossing: 2018 AGM Host Town
Hosting this years AGM is the Town of Stephenville Crossing. The Town joined SAM in 1995 and has protected over 3930 acres within its municipal boundaries. The area is touted as the "Jewel of Newfoundland's Wetlands" and we can't find any reason to disagree!

The St. Georges Management Unit, is made up of 4  areas including Nardines Pond, Little River, Main Gut, and the Estuary of Harry's River plus a portion of St. George's Estuary.The Harry's River Estuary has been highlighted as one of the richest areas for waterfowl in the province. 

Flora and Fauna alike find a home in these beautiful wetlands. In 2013 the Natural History Society NL cited 198 species of birds are found within "the Crossing", including the Piping Plover, a species at risk.

There are also 13 plant species that are considered extremely rare found in the St. George's Management Unit. Extremely rare means they occur in less than 5 localities in the province. 

"The Jewel of Newfoundland's Wetlands" is a naturalists dream and well worth a visit. For more information on this years AGM emailsamstewardship@gmail.com
Citizen Science: Free Naturalist Apps!
Out in a Management Unit, see a bird fly by, not sure what it is? There's an app for that!

Smart phones can make amazing field guides and they can help regular citizens become scientists! Check out the 4 FREE Apps below that can get you sharing what you see!
1) eBird -  birding's biggest database! You can even enter sightings when there is no cell service!
2) iNaturalist - contains over 2 million sightings of 85,000 species! Don't let the size scare you, there are lots of How-to videos online.
 
3) Seek! by iNaturalist- Pokemon Go better watch out! This app encourages outdoor exploration by helping you identify plants and animals from your photos and rewarding you with fun badges!
4) Bumble Bee Watch- Identify bees in the field using the guide and submit your sightings with this App! 
Celebrating Environmental Stewardship: Spring AGM 2018
SAM Staff  and Executive are preparing for the Spring AGM 2018 that will be held in the Town of Stephenville Crossing. Make sure your towns registers using the online form and books accommodations at The Day's Inn. Check out the itinerary below for the weekends details!

Friday, May 25th 
1 - 4 pm:
Executive Officer's Meeting

7 - 9 pm:
Pub Night and SAM Trivia!  Start thinking about your team name and boning up on your stewardship facts! 

Saturday, May 26th
7:30 am:
Hot Buffet Breakfast Start the day off right with breakfast provided by The Town of Stephenville Crossing

9:00 am - 12 pm:
SAM AGM

Share your Stewardship storysince the last SAM meeting, and get inspired!

1 - 3:30 pm:
"Piping Plover and Shorebird Stewardship in Western NL" - Intervale Associates
AND presentations from partner organizations

4:00 pm:
Outdoor Tour 
of "The Prairie" A restored wetland and beach

6:00 pm:
Networking Dinner

Provided by SAM and The Town of Stephenville Crossing

For more information about this years AGM email samstewardship@gmail.com
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