DOWNLOAD: Capital Region’s ‘Bowker Creek Blueprint’ demonstrates that “Outreach is a Powerful Tool” (June 2011)
Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Restoration & Protection
The experience of the Bowker Creek Initiative in the Capital Region demonstrates what can be accomplished through a ‘regional team approach’. This unique multi-jurisdictional effort has produced the Bowker Creek Blueprint. This is a 100-Year Action Plan to systematically and incrementally restore the watershed landscape in the heart of BC’s Capital Region on Vancouver Island.
Mission Possible
The Bowker Creek Blueprint demonstrates the power of a ‘top-down and bottom-up strategy’ – that is, major breakthroughs happen when champions in local government and in the community share a vision and align their efforts.
“The arts are an effective way to engage the broader community. Community celebration events draw people out and bring them together. Our experience is that the community events are the forums for engagement,” states Soren Henrich, a community leader whose personal passion is organizing pennant printing workshops to connect people with the watershed.
“People eagerly embrace the opportunities for engagement and education. They really want to share their thoughts and experiences. Residents have a stake in restoring watershed health. There is so much experience that we can mine. We who live in the watershed are the experts.”
To Learn More:
Click on Capital Region’s ‘Bowker Creek Blueprint’ demonstrates that “Outreach is a Powerful Tool” and download an article in PDF format that:
- introduces the Bowker Creek Blueprint as a provincially significant initiative;
- elaborates on the important role of community engagement; and
- provides a perspective on the momentum that early successes are generating.
To access the Bowker Creek Forum homepage on WaterBucket, click here.
