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Stewardship Needs in Our Community. a community partner protecting land, water and quality of life through conservation, stewardship and education. Stewardship: taking care of something, looking after something. …a sense of commitment. Stewardship:
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Stewardship Needs in Our Community a community partner protecting land, water and quality of life through conservation, stewardship and education
Stewardship: taking care of something, looking after something. …a sense of commitment
Stewardship: taking care of something, looking after something. …a sense of commitment How can you take care of something that you don’t know? Stewardship = Knowing something and how to take care of it
Natural Resources Provide • Recreational opportunities • Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking • …and the habitats that support the animals to be hunted and the fish to be caught and the berries to be picked… • Important human services • Clean air, drinking water, and flood control • Economic benefits • Timber and natural products • Tourism • Outdoor recreational consumers • (fishing poles, hiking boots, snowmobiles, etc.) • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • All of these contribute to quality of life in our community
But to have a high quality of life in our community and have these benefits: Recreational opportunities Important human services Economic vitality Natural Resources must be healthy …they must be taken care of …it requires good stewardship
How can you take care of something that you don’t know? Vigorous outdoor activities are being replaced by indoor, sedentary pursuits: video games internet surfing television watching all called videophilia Videophiliacontributes to obesity lack of socialization attention disorders poor academic performance Based on visits to state and federal parks, and the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, outdoor recreation has declined about 20% in the last two decades. Less time outdoors = less contact with nature = less interest in stewardship
Stewardship Needs in Our Community: Get to know our outdoor world Have fun being outside Get children out in the woods…wetlands …and by the lakeshore …In winter, spring, summer and fall Children need to know the natural world before they can learn how to take care of it
Stewardship Needs in Our Community: Using resources wisely so the next generation can enjoy this place too -recycling and waste reduction programs in schools Restoring habitats so the hunting and fishing will be good -Stream improvement projects -Invasive species/disease control Learning about places and sharing that knowledge so the community can learn about and enjoy these places too -Interpretive signage -Community education programs Helping our natural resources be healthy for clean air and water -pollution prevention -storm water control