[BNS_members] Get Involved: Protecting 20% of Kings County Strategy Group

[Caroline Beddoe]

Good evening,

As you may know, the BNS is involved in discussion & actions to protect 
the ecosystems of our local region - and we are seeking engagement in 
this issue! Read on for more details & ways to get involved.

Protecting 20% of Kings County...

The Government of Nova Scotia has made a commitment "conserve at least 
20% of the total land and water mass of the Province by 2030." In this 
time of climate crisis and biodiversity decline, the strong and 
dedicated protection of our natural ecosystems is imperative. But, Kings 
County lags behind comparatively with only 4.5% of our area protected. 
How can we reach this 20% target? The government is preparing a 
_collaborative_ strategy by the end of 2023, which provide impetus for 
us as naturalists, ecologists, & citizens to get engaged, speak up, get 
outside and working for the dedicated protection of the natural 
ecosystems we love & depend upon!

Learn More:

Alain Belliveau, Kings County resident and botanist, has given two talks 
(2022 overview of protected areas [1]; 2023 update [2]) to the Blomidon 
Naturalists Society about the state of protected areas in Kings County, 
his work surveying for biodiversity, old-growth habitat and species at 
risk across the county, and his proposals for how Kings County can 
achieve 20% protected areas by 2030. If you missed them, you can view 
these talks on our website [3] to learn about the state of protected 
areas, potential keys areas to protect in the area (such as the 
old-growth and intact wetlands habitats of Shell Camp and Gully lakes 
regions), gaps in research or surveying needs for species at risk, ways 
to help, and more.

We are compiling details about this topic on our website here, including 
resources & further reading: 
https://blomidonnaturalists.ca/protecting-20-of-kings-county-by-2030/ 
[3]

Get Involved: Join Our Dedicated Strategy Group

Following Alain's talk on February 22nd, energy for further local action 
has developed with the identified need for a cohesive strategy of 
actions to ensure the effective protection of this region's 
biodiversity. _BNS Board members Alan Warner & Celes Davar are talking 
the lead to chair and form a strategy and action group to work on the 
protection of Kings County._

We are seeking interested, diverse, & committed volunteers to become 
part of a strategy working group to develop key actions as part of a 
campaign to protect 20% of Kings County.

This strategy may include diverse citizen science and surveying trips to 
determine habitat and areas in need of protection and to foster an 
understanding of nature; advocacy campaigns of various means; and 
education on biodiversity and the need for protected areas. Ideas that 
have already been discussed within the BNS include field trips to Gully 
and Shell Camp lakes; citizen science surveying of lands for species 
richness and species at risk; letter writing campaigns; photo campaigns; 
a campaign "pledge to protect 20% in our own backyards"; and more. Key 
actions will be determine by this working group.

This committee will be co-chaired by BNS Board Members Alan Warner & 
Celes Davar, with organizational support from me (coordinator, Caroline 
Beddoe).

As of now, the commitment of this work is emergent and undetermined. We 
hope to work in a dedicated team to outline a strategy and determine 
next steps for such a campaign.

_We hope that this working group and their determined strategy will 
provide opportunities for broad engagement of local citizens in many 
ways - so there will be key ways to help out without being involved in 
the strategy group_. (And of course, as Alain reminded us, getting 
outside and paying attention as naturalists is a great way to support 
this initiative by noticing species richness & good areas for designated 
protection, opportunities for restoration, or threats to 
biodiversity...)

_Why volunteer as part of this group?_

  	* An opportunity to both learn about, and contribute to actions and 
advocacy to help build a larger understanding of the role of protected 
areas in carbon sequestration, maintaining biodiversity, and climate 
resilience.
  	* There may be opportunities to lead/participate in field trips to 
old-growth habitats and intact wetlands; opportunities to organize and 
engage in citizen science surveying of lands for species richness and 
species at risk; letter writing campaigns; photo campaigns; and more
  	* An opportunity to help and support the Blomidon Naturalists Society, 
as a respected naturalist & conservation organization, reach a broader 
and more inclusive citizenry.
  	* To contribute and help develop citizen science activities and 
opportunities that will help Kings County begin the process of 
monitoring and increasing the amount of land dedicated to protected 
areas.

If interested or for more info: Caroline 
coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca, Celes celes.davar at gmail.com; Alan 
alan.h.warner at gmail.com

-- 
Caroline Beddoe
  She/her
  613-619-1098
  Program Coordinator
  Blomidon Naturalists Society
  Wolfville, Nova Scotia

_ Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the 
traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. We 
acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about 
their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of 
reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable 
relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other 
organisms, with the land and with the water._

Links:
------
[1] https://youtu.be/WbE1m8a62uw
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa0D7epmVRk&feature=youtu.be
[3] 
https://blomidonnaturalists.ca/protecting-20-of-kings-county-by-2030/
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