Vol. 3, No. 3 Contents
Headline Back Issues
Summer 99
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The next decade: Collaboration, flexibility, youth involvement
In recognition of our role in developing awareness of the Gulf of Maine, we will continue to support our primary outreach tools --- the Gulf of Maine Times and our homepage, www. gulfofmaine.org. Additionally, we look forward to branching out into other initiatives that build awareness of the Gulf of Maine and its valuable resources. The Council must remain adaptable as we continue our involvement in long-term, collaborative initiatives to maintain and enhance the Gulf of Maine. The ever-changing and intertwined worlds of government, community, and the private sector demand flexibility, as do short-term circumstances. Such was the case when a labor strike at our June meeting site in Yarmouth required that we relocate most of our semi-annual sessions and events, including a Mini Fair and a discussion forum. The fair and forum had been organized with a great deal of assistance from the Integrated Coastal Planning Project at Dalhousie University and the Coastal Network of the Gulf of Maine, and participants in those events were extraordinarily accommodating in responding quickly to the change of venue. The Mini Fair featured diverse groups involved in partnerships addressing environmental issues in the Gulf. Exhibitors included funding agencies as well as community groups making efficient use of available funds to work at the local level on initiatives that also meet many of the Council's goals. Several of the displays conveyed the theme of the power of youth involvement in moving environmental issues forward. In particular, the Clare Salmon Education Program, a partnership of the Salmon River Salmon Association and École Secondair of Clare, in Digby County, Nova Scotia, has developed a program to teach elementary students about the protection and restoration of salmon habitat. The youth awareness theme also arose during presentations made at the Council's meeting session. The Gulf of Maine Institute Without Walls presented the concept of electronically linking youth educators and students throughout the Gulf. This idea has captivated the imagination of the Council, and we will be working with the Institute to incorporate it into the our tenth-year anniversary celebrations in the upcoming months. Reaffirming the importance of pooling our energies on behalf of the Gulf was the subject of our June forum, entitled Sharing Information Among Neighbors. The degree and diversity of participation in that discussion indicated an extraordinary presence of will among communities, governments, First Nations, and the private sector to collaborate on behalf of the Gulf environment. What we now need is for all of us to transform that strength of will into concrete commitments to work together on behalf of the environmental health of the Gulf of Maine. Cooperation, coordination, and partnerships remain the foundation of the Gulf of Maine Council. Being open to new ways of creating those relationships, and incorporating youth into our methods will surely bring progress as we prepare to move into our second decade of working on behalf of the Gulf of Maine marine environment. |
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December marks the Gulf of Maine Council's tenth anniversary, and as that milestone approaches, the Council has been reflecting on our identity, growth, and our future.