Carmanville Habitat Committee Beach Clean-Up

Beach Clean-Up and Carmanville Habitat Committee volunteers.

On Saturday, June 4, 2016, the Carmanville Habitat Committee(CHC) sponsored its first beach cleanup, in recognition of World OceansDay.  This day is celebrated annually, on June 8th.  The idea is to create awareness of ocean pollution.  This year's theme was "Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet" with the focus on reducing plastic pollution, which harms many aquatic species.  More than a dozen volunteers, including several committee members and the mayor, Keith Howell, met at the government wharf Saturday morning.

Volunteers spent three hours picking up garbage and debris along the north side of Carmanville Harbour.  In this short time period, over 60 bags of garbage were collected, along with numerous larger items such as chairs, artificial Christmas trees, TV's, etc. 

Some of the garbage removed from the beach,

The Carmanville Harbour Authority provided refreshments to the volunteers following the cleanup.  In addition, DFO supplied the CHC with work gloves, reusable shopping bags, back packs and pencils to distribute to the volunteers in appreciation for their efforts.

The CHC would like to thank all those who volunteered in any way to make this beach cleanup a success.  We look forward to sponsoring additional beach cleanups in the future. By keeping our beaches free of plastics and other debris, we can ensure a healthier ocean and a healthier planet.

Newfoundland & Labrador Wetland Restoration Inventory

The Stewardship Association of Municipalities is building an inventory of wetland restoration and enhancement opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Healthy wetlands purify drinking water, prevent erosion, control flooding, increase biodiversity, and provide opportunities for fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation. Wetland restoration and enhancement improves one or more of these benefits. 

A systematic inventory will focus the restoration and enhancement efforts of SAM and our partners, and will maximize benefits for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.  

We need your help to build this inventory. If you know of existing wetlands in your local area which have been degraded or filled in and would benefit from restoration or enhancement, please contact Aaron Dale, SAM Conservation Coordinator, at 709.897.4676 or samconservation@gmail.com.

SAM Fall Meeting: October 2-3 in Deer Lake

SAM Members, October 3 2015, Deer Lake

Last weekend, SAM representatives from 18 municipalities across Newfoundland and Labrador, and several partner organizations of the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture, gathered in Deer Lake to share recent stewardship and conservation initiatives from their communities. In the past year, several municipalities have constructed community gardens, expanded trail systems, installed interpretive signage, added stewardship zones and hosted engagement events such as birding workshops. Overall, it was an excellent year for SAM, with two new members (Bauline and Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's), and several more in the works. Dr. Kelly Vodden, of the Environmental Policy Institute, presented her research on source water protection in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
New (and returning ) Executive Officers
Geoff Gallant (Torbay) stepped down as President, after dedicating five years to the role. His hard work on behalf of SAM and the Town of Torbay is much appreicated, and the SAM community wishes him all the best in his future endeavours. He was replaced by Linda Bailet (Carmanville), the former Vice-President, with Tony Chubbs (Happy Valley - Goose Bay) stepping up to fill her position. Cathy Kleinwort (Spaniard's Bay) and John Norman (Bonavista) remain in their positions of Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. 

SAM Executive 2014-2015, L-R: Vice-President Linda Bailet, President Geoff Gallant,
Treasurer Cathy Kleinwort, Secretary John Norman

SAM Executive 2015-2016, L-R: Secretary John Norman, President Linda Bailet,
Treasurer Cathy Kleinwort, Vice-President Tony Chubbs

Thank you to the town of Deer Lake for all of your hospitality. Many participants enjoyed the organized evening walk in the sunshine that showcased Deer Lake's beautiful beach and stewardship areas. Christopher Mitchelmore (MHA - The Straits-White Bay North and Environment critic with the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador) generously offered his time to give a guest presentation about the importance of wetland conservation in this province.
Thank you to everyone who participated, we look forward to seeing you at the next Annual General Meeting in spring 2016!

SAM Members enjoying the sunshine on the hike to the
Deer Lake stewardship areas.

Deer Lake

 

Upcoming Nest Box Build Event in St. John's

Our partners over at Ducks Unlimited Canada are hosting a Build Your Own Duck Nest Box event in Pippy Park, St. John's on October 3rd. There is plenty of space still available, and a free lunch is provided. Email Danielle to reserve your spot: du_newfoundland@ducks.ca.

Attendees will have the option of signing up to become a nest box steward. Stewards commit to installing a nest box in suitable habitat for nesting ducks, maintaining the box and reporting any bird activity for a five year period. 

High quality nesting sites are important for maintaining waterfowl populations, and nest boxes can create artificial nesting habitat for several species of birds. The data that nest box stewards collect provides valuable insight into breeding bird populations across the province. 

Check out the flyer below for all of the event details.