New York – New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program Stewardship Summit June 29, 2005

The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program Policy Committee Management Committee Toxics Work Group Science & Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) CARP Habitat Work Group Pathogens Work Group Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Nutrients Work Group HEP Office

Stewardship Program Timetable Tentative ► June 2005 Stewardship Summit:  Identify areas of focus, core audiences, messages, and desired outcomes ► July 2005 CAC Meeting  Set Priorities for 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 the Stewardship 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 & Goals April 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 & Goals April 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.

HEP Targets & Goals April 2004 ► ► 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

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

Stewardship Program Timetable Tentative ► June 2005 Stewardship Summit:  Identify areas of focus, core audiences, messages, and desired outcomes ► July 2005 CAC Meeting  Set Priorities for 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 the Stewardship 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 ( )  $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 9 th 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 (4 th & 5 th graders) & citizens on the water ► observe birds ► test water quality ► learn about the riparian zone

On-river Trips continued ► 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 & Evaluation The 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

Stewardship Program Timetable Tentative ► June 2005 Stewardship Summit:  Identify areas of focus, core audiences, messages, and desired outcomes ► July 2005 CAC Meeting  Set Priorities for 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