THE STEWARDSHIP NETWORK IN MINNESOTA: EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES MEETING OUTCOMES (3/12/15)

Transcription

1 THE STEWARDSHIP NETWORK IN MINNESOTA: EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES MEETING OUTCOMES (3/12/15) CONTENTS Agenda...1 Opportunity for Involvement/Next Steps...2 Meeting Notes...2 Welcome and Introductions, History...2 The Stewardship Network: Creating Collaborative Conservation Communities...2 Small Groups Exploring the Possibilities...5 What are the ecological issues the network project could address?...5 What are the potential barriers to a network in our area?...5 Why do we need the network?...6 What is a potential geography?...7 One Word to Describe Your Interest...8 Meeting Attendees...8 AGENDA March 12, Vermillion College - Ely, Minnesota I. Check-in and Registration II. Welcome and Introductions III. History The Stewardship Network Creating Collaborative Conservation Communities IV. 11:45 a.m. Break/Lunch/Networking V. Small Groups Exploring the Possibilities VI. Opportunities for Involvement/Next Steps VII. 2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. Thank you and stick around for networking 1

2 OPPORTUNITY FOR INVOLVEMENT/NEXT STEPS - On Tuesday, May 5th at noon central/1pm eastern The Stewardship Network will host an online webcast presentation about the cluster model and answer questions of those who were not able to make the March 12 th meeting in Ely, MN. - Log-in Instructions o Log-in on Tuesday, May 5th at noon central/1pm eastern by visiting This link will become live on the day of the meeting (though feel free to explore our webcast archive in the meantime). MEETING NOTES WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS, HISTORY Bill Tefft introduced Lisa Brush and Spencer Kellum from The Stewardship Network. Bill discussed his work with the Ely Field Naturalists, City of Ely to control invasive species for the past 10 years. Bill noted changes in invasive species through time, particularly in towns (buckthorn especially). He was approached by 1854 Treaty Authority to help the on-the-ground effort, which added the ability of invasive species control efforts to begin working with landowners and on private property. Jeffrey Flory with 1854 Treaty Authority connected with Lisa Brush of The Stewardship Network last fall and noted the goals of pooling resources, working together, and aligning interests. A question was raised about what the list of invasive species lists represents. Bill noted that the list was of possible species of concern, and is not a list of what we should be doing. It was shared as an example. Bill turned the presentation over to Lisa. THE STEWARDSHIP NETWORK: CREATING COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION COMMUNITIES Lisa led a round of introductions and each participant provided a brief background of who they are and the organization (if applicable) he or she represents. Lisa defined the words Stewardship and Network. Stewardship is defined the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one s care. Network is defined as an interrelated chain, group, or system. Keep those definitions in the back of your mind throughout the presentation. Lots of challenges exist for land and water - invasive species, climate change, toxic pollution, fragmentation, habitat destruction, etc. For those lands and natural resources that we do want to preserve or restore, different groups are the experts for different pieces of the ecosystems. Some groups focus on water health, some on land issues, some on plants, some on animals, some on laws, some on volunteer engagement The work of caring for our 2

3 lands can be as fragmented as the landscape itself. So in the face of these major challenges, what are our biggest opportunities? If we can affect change, that means we can also affect positive change. Because our landscapes are fragmented, no one person or one organization is burdened with the overwhelming task of restoring all of it many hands make light work. And having so many different groups working on environmental issues means that deep specialization can happen, in a place or in a topic, that wouldn t be possible if each and every one of us had to be a generalist. By knitting together these different elements these different parcels of land, these different bodies of water, the efforts of the many individuals and organizations working on environmental issues, we can have a positive effect that s greater than the sum of our individual actions. Lisa asked the question how? How do we come together? How do we stay together? How do we work together? There are a number of challenges to overcome if we are to effectively work together. These are all really tough questions. These are the questions that The Stewardship Network wrestles with every day and the reason TSN was formed. Lisa shared the history of The Stewardship Network. Started in 1998 as Huron River Watershed Volunteer Stewardship Network to build the capacity of organizations, individuals, and businesses to preserve, restore, and manage natural lands and waters. Due to overwhelming interest from neighboring communities, the Cluster model was born and first cluster launched in Mission is to connect, equip, and mobilize people and organizations to care for lands and waters in our communities. We re a national award-winning 501(c)(3) non-profit organization consisting of volunteers, coordinators, staff, board, partners, and passionate stewards. We have been called "THE up-and-coming conservation organization with the right trajectory by a national foundation official. We offer Community-based Workshops & Training, Monthly Webcasts, Garlic Mustard Challenge, Annual Conference, Signature Leadership Training, Peer-to-Peer Training and much more. Lisa then handed over the presentation to Spencer to talk a bit more specifically about collaborative conservation communities. Spencer talked about how collaborative conservation communities could be organized. People in room decide issues to address, leadership, geography and focus. The Clusters consist of organizations (businesses, governmental agencies and units, nonprofits, etc.) and individuals. Clusters have defined geography, identified leader, broad community representation. There are a lot of people in the room and it is not always clear how we are going to work together. You could have a private business who works on invasives control, and university interested in education and research, a township interested in volunteers on their properties, a land trust interested in protection. So, then what can happen is they break off into subcommittees that allow groups to focus on their areas of interest in smaller groups. Subcommittees can come back together to steering committee; the control committee comes to education committee to share educational topics. It is working together while focusing on your strengths. 3

4 Spencer ran through WMC and its structure. Five subcommittees (education, early detection and rapid response, garlic mustard disposal, cooperative weed management area, cooperative invasive species management area). In essence Cluster work falls into two categories - education and outreach and conservation action on-the-ground. We have 9 Clusters up and running, 17 in the pipeline, regional initiative called Stewardship Network: New England working in the northeast US Stories - Headwaters Cluster & Raisin Cluster teamed up to create one proposal to receive funding from National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. Received funding to do pale and black swallowwort control and education in the Headwaters Cluster which is main vector for swallowwort in the region and transfer that knowledge to the Grand Raisin Cluster. Mid-Michigan Cluster working with a township park and private property owners to control phragmites around a lake that had public access, but also private properties. So, if the township park controlled it without the private property owners, it wouldn't be effective. Key strengths - transfer of knowledge (so as we develop these relationships, we can begin to share lessons learned); clarity; flexibility; holistic; positive; deep connections, strong relationships. 4

5 SMALL GROUPS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES Following lunch, we broke into four small groups to discuss and work together to answer the following questions. Each group rotated through each question and a facilitator recorded responses. The images indicate the topics/answers that received the most interest from the whole group. The larger the word size, the more agreement there was from all groups. Below each image is a record of what question facilitators reported back to the group at the end of the exercise. What are the ecological issues the network project could address? Report Out on General Agreements Rebecca Reiss - Invasive species (specific species, aquatic & terrestrial difference was discussed) - Water quality - Loss of biodiversity - Early Detection Rapid Response - Education (on many of these issues) All ecological issues responses: Report Out on General Agreements Jack Greenlee - Funding What are the potential barriers to a network in our area? 5

6 - Conflicting interests/differing priorities - Getting going - Choosing the right geography - Data collection/sharing - Public education (lack of) - Having the right leader for the group - Trust - Do we have all the partners at the table? - Time constraints - Jurisdictional boundaries - Lack of continuity within partners - Politics - Bureaucracy All potential barrier responses: Report Out on General Agreements Jodi Chaffin - To not duplicate efforts (all groups said this) - New ideas - Education of the public Why do we need the network? 6

7 - Expand funding opportunities, partnership grant writing opportunities - To build trust - To realize we re not in this alone All responses for why we need the network: Report Out on General Agreements Bill Tefft What is a potential geography? - St. Louis County was too large to include whole county - Greater St. Louis and Lake County might be separate from Duluth o Use ecological, watersheds as the dividing line - Start small and scale up - Discussion of Ely area Cluster - Duluth area Cluster, possibilities of starting two clusters at once - Continue to ask who else should be at the table All potential geography responses: 7

8 ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR INTEREST What is one word to describe if you are interested in continuing to proceed with launching a Cluster (or Clusters) in your region?" How would you answer? Yes? No? Maybe? Need more info? Don't know? Pass? <Note: Larger word size indicates larger number of responses.> MEETING ATTENDEES First Name Last Name Organization Name (if applicable) Bruce Anderson bruce.d.anderson@state.mn.us MN DNR Carol Andrews andrewsc@stlouiscountymn.gov St. Louis County Public Works Dept. Ron Brodigan courses@schooloflogbuilding.com Great Lakes School of Log Building 8

9 Lisa Brush The Stewardship Network Jodi Chaffin Scott Collver Mndot Shawn Conrad Jeffrey Flory 1854 Treaty Authority Jenny Foley Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Judy Gibbs City of Duluth, MN Jack Greenlee Superior National Forest Dave Hanson MnDOT Bert Hyde Mark Kailanen St. Louis CVounty Lands& Minerals Spencer Kellum The Stewardship Network Rod Kuehn Mr. Doug Lande Troy Lindgren St. Louis County Land and Minerals Dept. Joe Majerus MNDNR Parks and Trails Norma Malinowski Jason Meyer Emily Nelson Nancy Powers Beckie Prange Rebecca reiss St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department Hubachek Wilderness Research Center, University of Minnesota Teresa Sagen White Iron Chain of Lakes Association Chris Severson Conservation Corps MN & IA Bill Tefft Ryan Timmerman City of Duluth AmberBeth VanNingen Join us for the next stage in this process! - On Tuesday, May 5th at noon central/1pm eastern The Stewardship Network will host an online webcast presentation about the cluster model and answer questions of those who were not able to make the March 12 th meeting in Ely, MN. - Log-in Instructions o Log-in on Tuesday, May 5th at noon central/1pm eastern by visiting This link will become live on the day of the meeting (though feel free to explore our webcast archive in the meantime). 9