Location: University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Attendees: Kent Holsinger, Dick Goodwin, Les Mehrhoff, Dave Wagner, Eric Schultz, Steve Broderick, Charlotte Pyle, Judy Preston, Ken Metzler, Nancy Murray, Tom Philbrick, David Leff, Randy Chambers
Guests: Jim Taylor, Department of Zoology, University of New Hampshire
Agenda
Jim Taylor gave background about creation of New Hampshire's Living Legacy, The Biodiversity of the Granite State, a 1996 publication from the NH Fish and Game Dept and Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program. The document targets a general audience (wiseuse to conservation community); came out of the need to let a general audience know what biodiversity is; educate non-converted general audience with some educational background (ie engineer); intelligent but uninformed public. It has been used successfully by teachers. Also to allow for more informed decision making (ie legislature). Currently trying to condense for children. Have a road show (slides) with script. 1800 copies produced in first printing, (cost:$8,000), being sold at $9.95 plus $2.00 postage; being sold to generate funds for NH Fish and Game program.
What would have done differently? Pretty pleased with document; high school graduate can get something out of it. Needs: more freshwater info, fungi, function of nematodes. Hasn't been out long enough to know if other needs. The project started with others seeing other similar documents (Missouri). Laura Falk McCarthy (Forest Service) began with a grant proposal; assessment of biodiversity (grant failed). Grew into idea of primer; principles of ecology relative to biological diversity. Grew out of small focus group. Identified who would write what; start with the obvious, suggestions from there. All contributors worked for free. Grant eventually came through that provided a small stipend to academic contributors. The executive summary is used as an op ed for newspapers; toned for foresters. Document took two years from start to finish; one year of assembly, drafts, rewriting with common voice (editors). Both Maine and New Hampshire have state initiatives (mandated) to drive these documents.
Determining audience(s) key; a variety of possibilities including conservation commissions/ wetland commissions (municipalities have most direct influence on the landscape), legislators, general audience. General audience may be more sophisticated than we're giving them credit for. Connecticut audience may not know what biodiversity is, but would be in favor of protecting it. People in a small state like CT are aware of the pressures of development. Other audiences may include: land trusts, fish and game clubs, watershed groups, land owners. Eight mile river watershed project cited.
One document vs many; possibly one umbrella document with others to follow; possibly brochure idea to target more people - short and to the point; focus on 1/2 dozen habitats that need to be identified (most threatened). May need trifold - publication to support the concept of biological diversity - begin with friendly general brochure. Information exists for smaller brochures already. Document shouldn't be too big or people won't read; broad publication identifying critical habitats that people can find in their own town. There is value of support of this group behind publication(s). May want to build grassroots public support for resources to create publications. Attach to a five year plan. Grassroots support may take too long (years); one document targeted at, for example, municipal leaders, will have a greater impact. General document would also educate municipal leaders.
Is there a size of document and audience relationship? Start with 2 page, go to larger document. What's biggest bang for buck? People in this room could produce good documents in short time; commissions are important diffusion channel. Cost of documents ($10 NH, $25 ME)could be obstacle; brochures may be better route for this reason. Create overview document, then take summaries to brochure format to distribute to larger audiences. Do we know what commissions need? Town plans of development are required in the state. There's a real value of the appendices idea for the academic community.
This idea is moving away from habitat conservation/natural communities; threats to them and the need for protection. Only a subset of this group is capable of doing this.
With help of CACIWC and Jim Gibbons, Jim Murphy, Steve Broderick could pull together what information commissions need. General audience input from Audubon representatives? Steve Kellert (Yale) may also be able to contribute general audience information.
Refer to draft report for the 16 January 1997 meeting of the Connecticut Biodiversity Forum by the Forester Education subcommittee (Steve Broderick, Kent Holsinger, Les Mehrhoff, Nancy Murray, Judy Preston)
Importance of making clear the cooperative nature of information relating to rare and endangered species; sensitivity about takings issue. Importance of teaching rare and endangered species at the natural community level (importance of community info). Most landowners are "delighted" to have information on rare and endangered species on their land. If it's do-able, they're interested in learning how to protect species. Information should extend to the value of standing dead and fallen trees to biodiversity, relative to the significant numbers of invertebrates breeding in dead wood.
There is a demand for this information. There is a foresters certification program in the state; foresters need to have continuing education for certification. Workshops of value to foresters include critical habitat types, insect forest ecology. Coop extension is doing workshops with a southern New England focus (MA/CT/RI) on forest health and diversity issues. The biodiversity forum could address the need to find people to lead workshops.
Importance of natural community/habitat list to guide efforts. Fact sheets also valuable. Fact sheets; list available through NDDB, TNC and NE Forest Consortium, providing locality of rare species and information useful to foresters. Identifying habitats is the best way to go (fact sheet subjects may be too specific). Need for critical habitat information; already identified, need descriptions. Need to be descriptions that are useful to foresters; simple descriptions, ie what are primary species, associated rare species. What are the imperiled ecosystems of Connecticut? What are the critical habitat types on forested lands? Plug this info into rare species for future meeting? There are real applications for this information. This could generate resources (NE Forest Consortium?)for larger public outreach. Possible Silvio Conte grant? Possible interest in funding from the CT Chapter of Society of American Foresters? Explaining state statutes would be applicable to this effort.
Last modified: Thu Apr 24 08:41:40 1997