New York – New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program

New York – New JerseyHarbor Estuary Program Stewardship Summit June 29, 2005

The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program

Stewardship Program TimetableTentative • June 2005 Stewardship Summit: • Identify areas of focus, core audiences, messages, and desired outcomes • July 2005 CAC Meeting • Set Priorities for 2005-2006 Funding • September 2005 • HEP/ CAC Call for Proposals/ Projects • Note: two orientation sessions will be held around this time. Potential Applicants should attend. • October 2005 • Proposals Due • November 2005 • Projects Announced/ Funds Awarded

Goal of theStewardship Summit To identify focus areas for collaborative efforts and outline a suite of audience-specific, multi-partner projects to promote stewardship of the estuary. • We will • Target Areas of Focus • Identify Core Audiences • Articulate Desired Outcomes • Develop Messages • Outline Potential region-wide, multi-partner projects

HEP Targets & GoalsApril 2004 • Goal 1 - Fishing and Swimming: All of the Harbor waters will meet the Fishable/Swimmable goal of the Clean Water Act. • Goal 2 - Habitat & Ecological Health: Preserve, manage, and enhance the Estuary’s vital habitat, ecological function, and biodiversity so that the Harbor is a system of diverse natural communities.

HEP Targets & GoalsApril 2004 • Goal 3 – Public Access: Ensure that all residents in the core area of the Harbor have a public waterfront access site within thirty minutes of their home for boating, fishing, swimming and/or waterfront leisure, without harming important habitat areas. • Goal 4 – Clean Sediment & Navigation: The Port of New York & New Jersey will be an integral and complementary part of the world-class NY-NJ Harbor Estuary, that is environmentally sustainable, economically efficient, and safe for commercial and recreational navigation.

Goal 5 - Stewardship: Everyone who lives or works in the Estuary watershed acts a steward for the ecosystem. K-12 Teachers & Students Local Officials Individuals, Community Groups & NGOs Businesses HEP Targets & GoalsApril 2004

What is“Stewardship” • Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary: • The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. • North American Lake Management Society: • Administrative and/or custodial actions taken to preserve and protect the Natural Resources, particularly the plant and animal life, of an area or Ecosystem. • British Columbia Ministry of Forests: • Caring for land and associated resources and passing healthy ecosystems to future generations.

Focus Areas • List MAJOR focus areas • For each focus area, also list the desired outcomes and/or improvements EXAMPLE • Habitat • Acquire more acres • Restore more acres • Reconnect existing fragments

Audiences • List MAJOR audiences • For each audience, also list more specific sub-audiences EXAMPLE • The “General Public” • Pet owners • Commuters • Those interested in recreation

Changes in knowledge / skills / attitude / behavior • By focus area, identify audiences and SPECIFIC changes that would improve stewardship of the Harbor Estuary EXAMPLE • Education • Teachers • Understand & can explain estuary concepts • Have & feel comfortable using curriculum materials, lesson plans and other tools

Goal of theStewardship Summit To identify focus areas for collaborative efforts and outline a suite of audience-specific, multi-partner projects to promote stewardship of the estuary. • We will • Target Areas of Focus • Identify Core Audiences • Articulate Desired Outcomes • Develop Messages • Outline Potential region-wide, multi-partner projects

HEP Mini-grants • 46 awarded over 4 years (2001-05) • $37,000 - $50,000 available annually • Maximum award - $5,000 • 144 (~70%) applications not funded • Limited success of mini-grant program • Projects very local (not region-wide) • Mostly single applicants (not partnerships) • Weak evaluations (were they successful?) • Mostly “education” projects (duplication)

P. I. E. R Program Protection, Involvement, Education & Restoration • Partners: • Sarasota Bay NEP (Florida) • Mote Marine Laboratory • Around the Bend Nature Tours • Goals: • Educate students about local coastal ecology • Promote the benefits of environmental stewardship • Increase students’ environmental literacy & stewardship behaviors • Activities & Outputs: • Free curriculum, field trips & teacher workshops • Funding for H.S. environmental research projects

Bumper Sticker Contest • Partners • Mobile Bay NEP (Alabama) • Local 9th graders • Goals: • Increase community awareness of natural resource issues affecting estuary • Promote conservation & stewardship • Activities & Outputs • Students communicate & share information • New bumper sticker slogan

On-river Trips • Partners: • Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership (Oregon) • Williamette Jet Boat Excursions • Williamette Riverkeepers • Scappoose Bay Kayaking • Activities • Gets kids (4th & 5th graders) & citizens on the water • observe birds • test water quality • learn about the riparian zone

On-river Tripscontinued • Goals • Develop connections between people & the River • Increase public on-river access • Increase awareness & knowledge of river & watershed issues • Link on-river educational experiences with classroom experiences • Link to educational goals & objectives of schools & community groups • Motivate people to examine their behavior & make changes to improve the river’s health

Eyes on the Bay:Invasive Species Seminar for Homeowners • Partners: • Tampa Bay Estuary Program (Florida) • Hillsborough Invasive Species Task Force • Activities: • Free invasive species seminar • Goal: Homeowners learn and practice techniques for removing common invasive plant species

Estuary Ecotour:An interactive exploration of Galveston • Partners • Environmental Institute of Houston • Galveston Bay Estuary Program (Texas) • Gulf of Mexico Program • Goal: • Teaches significant issues in the estuary • Activities & Outputs: • Interactive computer activity (CD) • Takes kids on a trip through Galveston Bay without leaving the classroom

Citizens’ Monitoring Program • Partners • Albermarle-Pamlico NEP • East Carolina University • Network of Private Citizens • Activities: • Monitor ambient, surface water quality • Baseline monitoring, targeted monitoring & surveys, and water quality education • Goal: • Detect trends in water conditions

Stewardship Initiative Program • Partners: • Long Island Sound Study • EPA, FWS, CT DEP, NYS DEC • Regional Plan Association • Save the Sound • Audubon New York • Activities: • Hold public meetings • Identify high priority complexes • Goals: • Inventory places with significant ecological & recreational value • Implement LISS actions

Program Design & EvaluationThe ADDIE Model • Successful projects will go through the following stages: • Assessment – define what is to be learned • Design – specify how it is to be learned • Development – author & produce materials • Implementation – conduct the project • Evaluation – determine adequacy of the instruction / degree of change achieved

Steps 1 & 2 • Assessment • Conduct a needs assessment • Characterize the audience • Determine needs and wants • Identify what knowledge, skills, attitudes or behaviors need to be taught • Design • What & how much content is needed • Write SMART objectives • Make evaluation part of project design

SMART Objectives • Specific – clearly define actions of the project • Measurable – amount of change produced by the specific actions of the project • Audience – is the focus of the objective • Ambitious – expected change should be significant • Realistic – about the extent to which the project can affect change • Time-bound – change will occur within a specific time frame

New York – New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program