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One of the recovery measures included in the Recovery Plan for upper Columbia River white sturgeon is the ongoing provision of information, education and outreach regarding the plight and recovery of this species. - (UCWSRI photo)
Rena, a CWG member, talking to school kids about how to release a juvenile
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Initiative Partners began public awareness efforts in 2000. Activities focus on the need to protect and recover Columbia River white sturgeon by developing and distributing information and education materials on the plight of the sturgeon and its ecosystem. - (UCWSRI photo)
Jim Clarricoates, Fisheries Restoration Technician, at a public event with life-sized sturgeon model
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The Community Working Group’s role includes actively reporting on issues and findings to all interested parties. Public awareness and education is designed to help gain the support of the people and organizations that played a part in the upper Columbia River white sturgeon's decline, and/or can assist with recovery efforts. - (David R. Gluns/UCWSRI photo)
Community Working Group members
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The Community Working Group has endeavoured to communicate the strategies and goals of the Recovery Plan, since 2002. The Recovery plan was adopted after 2 years of development and consultation. - (David R. Gluns/UCWSRI photo)
Viewing adult white sturgeon in holding tanks at hatchery
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The Community Working Group’s (CWG) Communications Sub-Committee, working with community and public relations experts, has been developing various communications materials to help disseminate information about the Initiative. - (David R. Gluns/UCWSRI photo)
White Sturgeon model at outreach event
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One form of outreach has been this web site! Other projects include the production of Education Resource Kits for Grades K-3 and 4-7, informational brochures, newsletters, selling sturgeon toys and caps, providing outreach presentations for youth and community groups, and attending public events such as BC Rivers Day and the Lake Roosevelt Water Festival to share information about white sturgeon and the Initiative. - (David R. Gluns/UCWSRI photo)
Technical Working Group member Colin Spence presents at CWG Meeting
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The newest project has been the development of a display panel about upper Columbia white sturgeon and an interactive kiosk and web cam for visitors to view young white sturgeon. These are displayed in the viewing area at the Kootenay Trout Hatchery, near Cranbrook, BC, which is the site for the Kootenay Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery. For fish health and safety reasons, the public can only view the fish culture area for white sturgeon complex remotely. - (David R. Gluns/UCWSRI photo)
Kootenay Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery viewing area
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The Community Working Group also strives to identify needs and opportunities for public action and stewardship, and encourage and support necessary stewardship action. The Initiative is grateful to partners who support outreach and education by providing travel and expense support to assist volunteers in providing public education and outreach at community events. - (UCWSRI photo)
Initiative Display Booth at BC Rivers Day event at Gyro Park, Trail, BC
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By utilizing various communications strategies and mechanisms, Initiative partners help provide awareness of the upper Columbia white sturgeon, and the support necessary to bring this ancient fish back from the brink of extinction. After several years of concerted efforts provided by Initiative partners, the upper Columbia white sturgeon population was officially listed as Endangered by the Canadian federal government under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) during 2006. - (UCWSRI photo)
Hatchery Manager Laird Siemens talks with school kids prior to releasing juvenile sturgeon
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The Recovery Plan objectives for information and education also include supporting the facilitation of Community Working Group meetings and other public group efforts to recover white sturgeon. - (David R. Gluns/UCWSRI photo)
Community Working Group Meeting
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