SCEP - Reconnecting the Community to the Land

8/12/2019 SCEP - Reconnecting the Community to the Land

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Reconnecting The Community

To The Land

2007 - 2008


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eport #2008-4

March 2008

Kim Reeder

St. Croix Estuary Project Inc.

St. Stephen, NB, Canada

Occasional Report No. 2008-4

NB Wildlife Trust Fund

rov nce o ew runsw c

t ant c oas a c on rogram

nv ronment ana a

SCEP


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Introduction

Brockway Adventure

Campobello Adventure

assamaquo y venture

t ro x venture

Waweig Feast & Traditions

Ministers Island Adventure

Kings Landing Adventure



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e t. ro x stuary ro ect nc. was esta s e nas one o t ant c oasta ct on rogram groups. e groupfosters a community-based response to environmentally-related

challenges such as water quality, air quality, ecosystem health andcommunity sustainability. A 12-member Board of Directors consistsof citizens elected from the group fs membership which is open tothe community at large. The organization carries out work in fourmain areas: environmental monitoring; restoration and remediationthrough eective planning, education and outreach and operationof parks & lands including 350 acre Ganong Nature and MarinePark (GNP) located in the lower St. Croix River Estuary and the 40acre Camp Waweig Site.

The ownership of the GNP was accomplished with a fund raisingof 610 000 in 2002 and because of the condence expressed by thecommunity, in December 2005 SCEP Inc was given an importantcommunity asset, Camp Waweig. Located on 40 acres of forestedland bordering the Waweig River, this property has served thecommunity for more than 80 years and includes 9 camper fs cabins,a director fs cabin, storage sheds, a large cook-house, bathroomfacilities and a large meeting hall overlooking the Waweig Estuary,as well as established nature trails throughout the adjacent forestedarea. The property is assessed at over 100,000.

The organization serves New Brunswick, with specic interestin Charloe County as well as outreach to other areas throughinvolvement with Atlantic Coastal Action Program and otherorganizations. The Ganong Nature Park has served up to 10 000visitors annually from diverse locations, the land area covers 170acres of forest, 10 acres of elds and 170 acres of tidal zone of theEstuary of the nationally recognized St. Croix Heritage River.

SCEP Inc board, sta and volunteers deliver annual Nature

Camps for youth each year during the summer months. Wehave also participated as a delivery partner twice for 400 local

ementary stu ents t roug t e spr ngt me uc s n m tereenw ng program . nc. as a so eve ope an e verelocal version of the Yellow Fish Road Program twice, with Trout

Unlimited and the Shell Environmental Fund a program whicheached approximately 200 students .

We have conducted scientic research as well as knowledgegeneration and community outreach programs on an annual basis,

ith the help of the NB Environmental Trust Fund, the NB Wildliferust Fund and Environment Canada. In recent years we have alsoered winter sessions including; a lecture series called Caring for

your S are of t e S ore which engaged coastal landowners to employtewardship activities on their own lands as well as encourage

hem to become familiar with the purposes for planning and publicolicies, 67 local people participated.

In another series, SCEP Inc. oered sessions which developed thekills of volunteers to help with water monitoring in the St Croix

ver. nc. a so o ere a stewar s p program encompass ngaspects o t e env ronment soc a , eco og ca , econom c o t e t

Croix River Valley, 40 people participated in this 10 week program.Also developed and delivered through SCEP Inc. was the rogramfor Estuary Steward Training, a stewardship training program for

ids, which was oered 2 years in a row.

We have most recently developed an Elderaction program oeringarious events and stewardship opportunities for elders in ourrea and an intergenerational program called Reconnecting T e

Community To T e Land, heavily supported by the NB Wildlife TrustFund and the Fundy Community Foundation. Presently, we areonducting presentations to schools, chambers of commerce, townlanners and public, regarding our communitys nature-basedssets, and a look toward the future.

Introduction


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This years events added to diversity of the already establishedprogram developed in 2005. Since 2005 we have providedopportunities for youth and seniors, both urban and rural toexperience New Brunswicks natural heritage and wildlife rst

hand.

This years events have introduced participants to nature throughspecial one day eld trips to an international park, to a local isolatedwoo s camp an r ng range, to t e oreste s te at amp awe g,to t e ana an er tage ver - t e t ro x, to n sters s an ,a national Historic Site and to Kings Landing a provincial historicselement.

We believe that introducing participants to this mix of designationswill help them to acquire a fuller understanding and appreciationof the natural environment and perspectives thereof. Events are ledby passionate volunteers and the sta of partners.Programmingincludes the opportunity for youth to learn experientially fromguided hikes and outdoor experiments and from mentors ratherthan lecturers.

The program has contributed to building the next generation ofenvironmental stewards by connecting youth to nature throughexperiential learning oered by passionate naturalists andknowledgeable environmental stewards in Canada and NewBrunswicks natural areas and historic sites. Programming alsoprov e an opportun ty or part c pants to nteract w t mentorsw o are w ng to s are t e r now e ge an pass on w t ot ers.Program activities allowed for exposure to multiple naturalsites and within those sites realize that the sta and volunteersinvolved have multiple reasons for their involvement in the areaand through this, participants learned of the many values whichnature provides. We believe that by providing various techniquesof experiential teaching including guided hikes by naturalists aswell as exposure to the sustainable living village concept, we have

ngaged and motivated a spectrum of participants.

Program activities took place in the natural world wherearticipants can see, smell, hear, and feel the subject maer. To

his experiential understanding we added a cognitive components our participants engaged the current topic through storytelling,e gu es, scuss on an ot er resources. entors e peart c pants to ga n t e s s to quest on, nvest gate an exp ore

he world around them. Key elements of our programs arenhancing participants sensory awareness of nature, developingheir observation skills and creating a solid knowledge base about

Canadian nature, wildlife and protected areas.

he program is carried out so that all learning events are safe and

un and encourage participants to understand wildlife, ecosystems, ecosystems protection the linkages between.



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The rst event this season was the trip to Brockway, NB. Thisevent took place in May and 36 individuals participated in thisevent. This event allowed mentors to guide the youth in traditionalsport and game of the 1700s, discuss selement of the area and

the wildlife that was established here at that time. They discussedhow the game laws came to be developed and why conservation isimportant. The youth were led through a pine barren as well as to alocal bog. The youth were able to locate salamanders at the bog and

a t e c ance to v ew a moose - w c most o t em a neverseen n rea e

Brockway Adventure


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The trip to Roosevelt Campobello International Park was heldwithin the rst few days of June. On this trip we had 56 participants.

e toure ower uc on , w c s a sa t water cove open toran anan anne , t e cove s a avour te stopp ng p ace or

waterfowl and shorebirds and also was a hit for the participants.

We also passed through what is called the fog forest because ofthe great number of days it is subjected to cold fog. A look at thetrees told of the great stress they must be subjected to with limitedlight, low temperatures, 100 percent humidity, and, at times, wind-driven salt spray. The fog forest was carpeted with mosses, not theusual ferns found in other sections of the Natural Area. We visitedseveral stages of bog development in the Natural Area, whichincluded beaver ponds, grassy marshes and brushy marshes - all

on their way to becoming bogs if their progress is not interruptedby ooding, draining, or burning.

We took a boardwalk that oered an excellent dry opportunityto explore the bog and to view the vegetation and birds there. Aswe walked through the bog, we encountered masses of leatherleaf,s eep aure , pa e aure , og rosemary, a ra or tea, w nter erryan sweetga e as ow s ru s among t e many sp agnum mosses.Among the shrubs, and particularly in the weer places, werecranberries, pitcher plants, sundew, coon grasses, and sedges.

Where it is drier, lichens were abundant, especially reindeer andred-tipped moss. Plants peculiar to Campobellos bogs, and toothers on the mainland within reach of the frequent fogs that rollin from the sea, are cloudberry, crowberry, and a grass called deerhair. We discussed what types of wildlife utilize the bogs for foodand habitat.

We also went through the FDR summerhome and viewed variousphotos of Franklins summer excursions into nature on the island.The youth participants were amazed at how someone could keep

so busy without a TV to watch or computer games to play.



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Campobello Adventure

On the way home from the Campobello trip we asked the partici-ants to comp ete a survey, w en as e , w at wou you e to o

o protect nature? comments included; make a park, pack out whatou pack in, leave the stu you nd in nature there for other people

o enjoy, tell stories about what I do outside to make other people ex-ited, car-pooling, use paths that are already there, pick up garbage,ant trees, own an e ectr c car, recyc e, organ ze more protecte

reas to encourage people to respect nature.

When asked what the participants learned on the trip responsesncluded; I learned alot about plants, moose, birds, bears and bogs,ome p ants actua y eat ugs an some are po sonous, earnebout the harbour seals and their home, being outside is way bet-er than watching TV, I learned why parks are important, I learned

hat this place used to be covered by really thick ice, I learned thathanges aect all kinds of things - not just the thing that changed,earne a out t e creatures e t e ar our sea an t e o ster

nd the sh, I learned about the black spruce and tamarack tree, Iearned about seaweed and pitcher plants, I learned about wildlifend plants and that I get seasick, I learned I should care about na-ure cause it helps to keep me alive, I learned that peat moss has a lot

o s, earne w y t ere s ou e par s, earne a out g ac ers,I learned that nature works to clean the air and water, I learned the

ord fragmentation, I learned we should set put more land underrotection for habitat, I learned we are losing a lot of homes forlants and animals, I learned how to be a steward.

his adventure was an exciting and very educational experience forany of the yoth and even some of the adult participants. Many of

he youth had never been to Campobello Island or a park besides aocal playground which they referred to as a park, a majority of theout a never een on a oat n t e ay o un y e t er.


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For millions of years, humans lived in direct contact with the naturalworld and our senses developed to aend to its rhythms and sounds.t s on y n t e ast coup e o un re years t at we ave nsu ate

ourselves from nature with buildings, cars & pavement.

One unfortunate result of this separation is that our senses atrophy.Through this years programming we created an educationalenvironment that helped the community to engage their naturalnte gence an awa en t e r nnate a t es to perce ve an connect

with the world around them.

In partnership with the US Parks Service, SCEP Inc. held an eventto deliver the basic lessons found in the Parks ServicesPassamaquoddy Kit. We were able to contribute to fuller understand-ing of our participants cultural and natural heritage as well as to

extend that interest into the future.

During this event, for 24 participants held at Camp Waweig, wespent part of the day learning about artifacts, how they are dis-covered, what they were used for and what they mean to us, inan eort to teach that; the rst peoples in this area, the Wabanakikeenly adapted to their changing evironment; created everythingthey needed from the natural resources around them; and craedeveryday items that were functional and showed artistry.

Using items provided in the Kit, we were able to investigate castsof archaeological artifacts. We discussed our observations and an-swered historical questions to discover what the object could tellus about the people that made and used the object. The Kit holdsmany dierent types of Passamaquoddy baskets and we were ableto convey that baskets, like other rst peoples cra was and stillis, made from natural materials such as brown ash, sweetgrass andbirchbark. Many birchbark items are useful, but as well are highlydecorative, telling stories of the snowshoe hare (mahteqwes) and

the barred owl (kokogus) as well as the Passamaquoddy trickster/culture hero Koluskap.

Passamaquoddy Adventure


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oasts are testimony to the importance of shellsh.

When thinking about how the Wabanaki lived on and with the land,e need to remember that the land wasnt the same as it is today.

Population density was much lower, and the forest and marineesources more plentiful. There were, of course, fewer clearedreas and more forest. The Wabanaki were not, however, passivenhabitants of the landscapethere is evidence that they managedhe land to encourage certain species by periodic burning.

HELTER

Wigwam is a Wabanaki word which means house or home.It doesnt specify shape or material, and several dierent types

f structures are mentioned in early accounts. By far the mostommon type o w gwam n assamaquo y terr tory was ma e o

birchbark and cone-shaped. The frame was made of white cedar orpruce poles, held together with cordage of basswood bark and tiedo a supporting wooden hoop about head high. It was covered with

ieces of winter bark from the white birch.Balsam

We provided information regarding food, shelter and clothing ofthe Wabanaki, all of the days information was summarized frominformation provided in the assamaquoddy Kit.We discussed theuse of deer, moose, caribou, bear, beaver, oer, hare, muskrat and

sea mammals, like seals, walrus, porpoise and whales. The Wa-banaki hunted birdsducks, Canada geese, swans, partridge, wildturkey and the now-extinct passenger pigeon and great auk. In ad-dition, they gathered eggs.

Dogs were the only animal domesticated by the Wabanaki, andthey were an important part of the hunt, tracking and worryinganimals like deer, caribou, moose and bear. Animals like bear andbeaver, and sometimes smaller animals like oer and mink, werealso taken in deadfall traps. Snares were used to catch small mam-

mals and birds like rabbits and partridge, and even larger animalslike deer and moose.

Snowshoes, made of white ash or beech with rawhide webbing,were important winter hunting gear. They allowed the huntersto stay on top of the snow and follow game like moose, deer andcaribou through the winter woods. Toboggans, made of plankssplit from rock maple, were used to carry the catch back to camp. Asingle person could haul about 200 pounds on a toboggan, or abouthalf a moose.

The Passamaquoddy, more than other Wabanaki groups, utilizedmaritime resources. The name Passamaquoddy roughly trans-lates to pollock-plenty-place, a reection of the abundance of ma-rine life in the Passamaquoddy homeland. Flounder, cod, sturgeon,porpoise, seals, sculpin, smelt, sea bass, sea perch, eels, salmon andsea trout, and other species were taken. Intimate knowledge of theenvironment and of the characteristics of the dierent species ofsh were important in matching the shing method to the intended

prey. Also, the shell middens found all along the NB and Maine



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and hemlock boughs were spread on the oor, providing insulationand comfort.

CLOTHINGBefore the arrival of the Europeans, clothing was primarily madeof leather from deer and the now-extripated caribou. Moccasinswere made from thick seal or moose hide. Special boots for usewith snowshoes were made from skin from moose shanks, lewhole and tanned with the hair le on, making them especiallywaterproof. Clothing was decorated with painted designs, or withporcupine quills or moose hair embroidery. By the early 20th entury,Wabanaki clothing was much like that of the Anglo population, butregalia was, and is, still worn on ceremonial occasions.



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St Croix Adventure

In August we took a group of youth and adults out on the St Croix,his is considered a Canadian Heritage River. This day was a chanceor participants to discover what makes a heritage river, to look

t res water s spec es, to try s ng, aya ng, tu ng, canoe-ng and see water-access only camping sites, as opportunities forutdoor active living. We also used this opportunity to discuss the

og drives as there are many places throughout the river that as weassed we could view the remenants of this tradition. We discussede use o r vers as trave routes, as a source o ve oo an as a

ource for residential and non-residential game shing.

Canada honours and respects its leading rivers by distinguishinghem as Canadian Heritage Rivers (CHR System) -- places of greatr e an mportance to ana ans. av ng outstan ngatural and/or cultural values, and oering quality recreationalpportunities, these rivers showcase the benets and enjoymentf healthy river environments, now and in the future. Rivers inhe CHRS must have their heritage values and integrity protected.very r ver name to t e strengt ens our ent ty as

Canadians, and enables us to beer understand, appreciate andelebrate our rich river heritage.

he St Croix forms 185 km of the Canada-United States borderetween sout western ew runsw c an nort eastern a ne,nd it is a beautiful example of an eastern Canadian maritimever.

he entire St. Croix River basin is a blend of rolling wooded hills,xtens ve mars es an a es, gran te outcrops an g ac a epos ts.he combination of the rivers strategic location, history, natural

beauty and recreational potential give it special potential as aestination area for visitors from Canada, the United States and

broad.

he St. Croix River corridor provides the opportunity for severalhort paddles and due to the relatively easy paddling conditionsnd virtual absence of hazards, the river is especially appealing to

SCEP Inc. for our educational events and we had 32 participants fors event, not a went out on t e r ver, some spun s -ta es on

he shoreline.

here are three large campgrounds located in the river area andnumber of primitive campsites along the lakes and river, wes te a ew s tes to s ow part c pants w at t e t ro x system

has to oer and we had a chance to see sh, a white-tail deer and 2orqup nes.

here is excellent game shing in the St. Croix River andurroun ng a es or sma mout ass, an - oc e sa mon, a erout, perch, chain pickerel and brook trout. Our mentors on thisrip discussed with us various types of sh habitat and behaviour.


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St Croix Adventure


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Waweig Feast & Traditionshis day was spent at Camp Waweig, some of our volunteersroug t n var ous oo s an s s regar ng out oor, pr m t vend wild game cooking.

We also set up games and music and enjoyed a large crowd (200+)n this day. At each experimental cooking station the volunteers

scusse t e story o t e met o t ey were us ng an w atgame the method would have been used for, for instance sh wereommonly cooked on fry-rocks, tripods were used and are stillsed but originally the cooking vessel would have been birch barkontainers. One participant brought with him venison and mooseer y to s are.

We had a modern dessert, cake with local fresh blueberries, andere able to discuss the various wildlife that polinate and others

hat eat bluberries.


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Ministers Island Adventure

Approximately 25 local citizens of all ages gathered at the BarRoad, in St. Andrews on Tuesday aernoon, March 4th. TheQuoddy Learning Centre (SCEP), arranged an outing on Min-

sters Island for local youth and volunteer mentors. This eventas p anne w t e p rom t e an orne state on n s-

ers Island organization, as well as the St. Andrews Commu-nity College and St. Stephen High School.

he rain held o, the day was warm, so the aernoon waser ect or eac scovery on t e way over to t e s an .he group discussed everything from razor clams and the

ong-ago introduced species, periwinkles (Liorina liorea)

nd how invasive species like this can aect marine areasarticularly protected areas such as the Musquash Marsh ande new p anne ar ne anagement zone n out west .

Upon arrival at the Island, everyone strapped on snowshoes,nly about 5 of the group had ever been on snowshoes before

but, Susan Goertzen, of Ministers Island advised that shedbeen on the Island the day prior and the snowshoes were de-n te y necessary to cross t e e s we were a out to encounter.


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Anne Noddin, sta of Camp Waweig, commented on how wonderful it was to see thateveryone in the group was excited to try something new.

Mrs. Goertzen and a commie of the Islands local volunteers led the group through thece ar e ge towar oven oven, am an ornes room summer ome. e groupstopped both to rest (many times) and to talk about why the Island is a game reserve. The

island has approximately 60 head of white-tailed deer, as well as being a fantastic place tosee various bird species. Along the trail, the youth were able to spot deer which encour-aged conversations about where the deer sleep, how they get their food in the winter anda out t e e ects o t e eep snow on t e eer.

Once the group reached Covenhoven, everyone stopped for water and a snack providedby Mary Bell, a volunteer from the Passamaquoddy Childrens Centre. When the tour ofthe mansion was done the group carried on to the barn, over the old airstrip and exploredw e t ey stene to more stor es rom erent mem ers o t e group a out tr ps to var -ous parks, and historic sites in the area. When I mentioned marshes and wetlands I was

surprised how much the youth already understood the importance of these types of areasand why they should be protected, stated Kim Reeder of the Quoddy Learning Centre.

t t e arn, ot c oco ate an coo es were serve to re-energ ze t e group an to c osethe day, the group was led through activities prepared by Mrs. Noddin and Amanda Lee,sta of the Quoddy Learning Centre (SCEP) and Camp Waweig. In one game, two teamswere created and questions about the Island were asked by Mrs. Noddin to each teammember, questions were answered with the information gained throughout the day. Thosew t no answer, or t e ncorrect answer, per orme consequences t at range rom op-ping on one foot backwards 10 times to creating crazy animal calls.

The group le the Island by 4:30 to meet parents, to avoid the tide and to prepare for bedearly aer all that fresh air and snowshoeing!


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Kings Landing Adventure , , and a

trip back in time. This site is nestled in a majestic seing in theSt. John River valley, Kings Landing Historical Selement depictsthe one hundred year transformation of a young colony into a vi-brant nation. We witnessed rst hand how ordinary people lived

and worked in the 19th century. The property has over 70 historicbuildings, complete with artifacts, furniture, tools and equipment,of which we visited 6, but we spent most of our day outdoors.

Kings Landing grew out of the massive Mactaquac Dam Projectwhich began in the 1960s. The New Brunswick government, inan aempt to meet rising demands for electric energy, decidedto build a dam across the St. John River at Mactaquac and cre-ate a headpond that would extend 100 kilometres up river toWoodstock. It was obvious that the ooding of the Valley would

disrupt long established communities and farms on the banks ofthe St. John River. The rst selers used the river as a highwayand therefore built their homes along its banks. Any trace of theseoriginal selements would be wiped out by the ensuing ood.We discusse how this may have aected the ares wildlife andwe also discussed the Muskie, a more recent inhabitant of thearea.

Due to the dam project a new selement was created by mov-ing historically and architecturally signicant buildings out of the

ood plain to what is now Kings Landing. Over the course of anumber of years, they were restored to their original time periodsand appropriately furnished. The purpose of Kings Landing His-torical Selement is to represent life in the central St. John RiverValley throughout the 19th century.

During the Kings Landing trip, participants met costumed stawho were boiling sap in iron cauldrons over open re, demon-strating the art of maple syrup and sugar making as it was pre-

formed 150 years ago. Horse drawn wagon rides were a hit aswell.


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Congratulations!This Certicate Attests To Your Participation In TheMarch Break at Ministers Island Learning Day

e work to foster the next generation of environmental stewards by providing opportunities to youth

to experience nature and its inhabitants with seasoned and passionate local naturalists.

~ New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund ~ Nature Canada Parks & People Program ~ Fundy Community Foundation ~

~ St. Croix Estuary Project Inc ~ Quoddy Learning Centre ~ Van Horne Estate At Ministers Island ~ Camp Waweig ~

www.quoddylearningcentre.org ~ www.campwaweig.com

Kim ReederProgram Manager

t Croix Estuary Project Inc

An example of certicates created for participants of each event


Documents

SCEP - Reconnecting the Community to the Land