Wetland Heritage Park Cultural Ecological Outreach

2020

$75,985

$15,000

The New Beginnings Benevolent Society (NBBS) is raising awareness of the important role small wetlands play in water quality, conservation and climate change adaptation by offering programs at a constructed two-acre wetland heritage park on Pleasant Valley Road in Spallumcheen. WCQI contributed to the creation of a cultural ecological outreach at the park to encourage youth to become wetland ambassadors. Going forward the goal is to embrace the historical significance of the wetland heritage park and surrounding areas by restoring the two-acre park to the way it was 150 years ago and to add historical climate and land use information to the cultural ecological outreach. This sets a standard and adds perspective to the traditional ecological knowledge of culturally important native plants, trees and shrubs and the science of wetland monitoring through the lens of climate change. The Society plans to share what we learn with other communities in the Okanagan-Similkameen watershed to encourage them to engage their community members and connect with like-minded wetland conservation groups. NBBS is working to ensure this initiative is not a duplication of the effort that established conservation organizations already contribute to wetland conservation. It will serve to complement, to raise awareness and to connect the dots between organizations, programs and resources, as well as adding a local stamp to ensure that it is relevant to Okanagan communities.