|
Enhancing Wetlands and Upland Habitats "Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience." The backbone of the Wildlife Habitat Council’s programs begins with our corporate members, who help conserve land and promote environmental outreach in the surrounding communities. Tapping into this interest, responsible corporate citizens encourage hundreds of employees to take part in conservation practices that increase community awareness, environmental education and wildlife habitat. No matter the size of the project, all efforts lead to the protection of natural resources for future generations.
Wetlands are important elements of any watershed because they link land and water resources and provide essential food, water and shelter resources to thousands of species of flora and fauna, including striped bass, peregrine falcon, otter, black bear, raccoon and deer. (Beavers may actually create their own wetlands.) Many breeding bird populations in the U.S. feed, nest and raise their young in wetlands. Wetland values to humans include food, recreation, education and research; indirect uses arising from the functions that occur within the ecosystem include water quality, flood protection and erosion control. Since they are located between uplands and water resources, many wetlands can intercept runoff from the land before it reaches open water. Uplands near or directly adjacent to wetlands can be tremendously valuable as a refuge during high water events, a source of foraging habitat and as a buffer to treat runoff. Upland habitats can host large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds during the winter and spring migratory periods and may support several rare or endangered plants and invertebrates. Uplands associated with habitats outside wetland areas may include native grasslands, shrublands and woodlands. The value of these habitats as filter zones for the wetlands, refuges for wetland-related wildlife, nesting habitat and other functions is immense. Many of these lands were previously converted to other uses. Restoration has begun on many types of associated uplands, often to create buffers for wetland creation projects. Habitat projects such as installing nest boxes and planting buffers protect natural uplands suitable for native species. In 2002, the Three Rivers Habitat Partnership launched Backyard Buffers, which uses corporate lands as demonstration sites to teach landowners about the importance of streamside buffers. One of the pilot sites in Pittsburgh is used to provide hands-on learning through workshops held for both watershed groups and area residents. Buffers offer water, food and shelter and require little maintenance, as they become stronger in time once established. As plants mature and become more numerous and diverse, they become more capable of holding the soil in place, filtering and slowing runoff. Wildlife further helps establish buffers by spreading seeds they consume or carry on their bodies. In addition to the many environmental benefits, riparian buffers have an aesthetic advantage by creating a colorful, private landscape. Approximately one-third of U.S. endangered and threatened species require wetland areas. An additional 20 percent rely on these habitat areas at some point in their life cycle. Over all, the areas in and around wetlands play a critical role in water resource and wildlife protection. For these reasons, WHC initiated and broadened partnerships for water conservation across North America and beyond in 2002.
Over 60 new sites have each received a tailor-made Opportunities Report for Wildlife Habitat Enhancement over the past year from WHC’s team of biologists. These valuable manuals provide the means for constructing and implementing a well-balanced and effective wildlife management program and help corporations emerge as leaders in the conservation effort. Reports are created based on information gathered from a site visit by a WHC biologist, discussions with employees and independent research. WHC then recommends habitat enhancement opportunities, and provides extensive tables and indexes of native plant and wildlife species that can benefit from a Wildlife at Work program. The report also includes contact information for local natural resource professionals and outside organizations like the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) that can help with conducting wildlife inventories and providing educational experiences to employees. Some initial, easy-to-implement recommendations might include the following:
"Through the work of certified WHC corporate sites and through the work of others, we have a significant opportunity to expand on the importance of wetlands to the public, within our workplaces and communities." As a site program gains momentum, it receives stronger community support, increased public recognition and the potential for cost savings that can lead to the establishment of global programs. In the last year, WHC has welcomed new programs in the Caribbean, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam. A site in the Bahamas coordinated a meeting with local community members to celebrate the start of their Wildlife at Work program. Senior management professionals, volunteer wildlife team members and local stakeholders were some of the excited attendees at the meeting. In addition to beginning habitat enhancement projects on-site, employees partnered with a local state park to help increase the park’s educational and outreach potential. The results: An observation platform that provides visitors with an up-close/low-disturbance view of the Caribbean flamingo—a species in serious decline in the 1950s.
Certification WHC certification adds value to programs by providing third-party credibility and an objective evaluation of projects. Sites with just a small amount of acreage have opportunities for diverse projects ranging from tree plantings, creating pollinator gardens and building nest boxes/raptor perches to controlling and removing non-native and invasive species and even beautifying parking lots with native trees and shrubs. Large-scale programs cover restoring prairies or wetlands, controlling game species populations, planting acres of food plots for wildlife, diversifying the number and amount of native plant species on-site or creating an entire green roof that will provide natural stormwater management and restore a living, productive environment. Corporate Lands for Learning Of all the habitat management techniques, education is a critical and lasting component. Over the past six years, the Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) program has grown within the conservation arena. At its start, six corporate facilities incorporated the CLL program into their business initiatives to provide a "hands-on" learning alternative within environmental education. Today, more than 50 sites participate in the CLL program. The program’s future looks bright as increasingly corporations are starting to think outside the box when linking communities, conservation, education and science. Most of the students enter the program with a limited understanding of ecology. The remarkable educational approach gives learners, both adults and children, a clear understanding of the interdependence of ecology, economics, social structures and political processes in both urban and rural areas. Hands-on experiences, such as seeing a baby eastern bluebird in a nest box or hearing the music of bullfrogs on a warm spring morning, provide rapt audiences with a vehicle for studying local wildlife habitat. At CLL sites, students have the opportunity to be a field biologist—to monitor a stream, observe wildlife, inventory species or participate in a conservation activity. Classroom teachers become excited about their subject matter when teaching in this real-world environment and often get to participate in courses to enhance their own professional development. In many instances, corporate members provide the funding and materials for the design and implementation of habitat projects, which not only teach students but also maximize their educational experiences. These outdoor labs provide an atmosphere where youth from local schools and community groups can participate in on-site wildlife habitat projects while learning about the natural functions of ecosystems. Classroom concepts come alive when students can apply their classroom learnings to the real world through the kind of standards-based, interdisciplinary study CLL sites provide.
These highly effective learning experiences are the result of collaborative partnerships between the corporate sites and the schools or community groups. The programs are designed together based upon the needs of the students as well as the natural amenities available on the sites. This cooperative program development process not only builds an enduring education program, but also serves to build and strengthen community ties. And CLL has learned that those ties can stretch across the street or across many, many miles. The Wings of Wonder program crossed international borders this year, uniting two cultures for conservation and education. The "Teacher Migration" to Mexico took students, educators and corporate partners to the overwintering sites of the monarch butterfly where different challenges and potentials for environmental education were exchanged. During the upcoming year, CLL will be increasing outreach in many ways. For example, look for the use of electronic communications and distance learning for education projects and volunteers through an enhanced Web site. The CLL program will build on its past success while applying innovative ideas to reach new audiences with high-quality education programs and services. "The experiences of our butterfly garden will have a lasting impact on the lives of students and adults alike. The hardworking volunteers and dedicated teachers - we've all had our eyes opened to the wonders of nature through this incredible project. And working together, we’ve seen that dreams can indeed become realities!"
|
