Management Plan - National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Figure V.2. Chris Feurt, the CTP Coordinator, facilitates a meeting with stakeholders of the KennebunkRiver watershed. CTP, a major system-wide education initiative, was launched in 2003.◊◊Results were met through the program andteacher’s guide.Published the teacher resource guide “What isEcology? An Introduction to Ecology throughEstuaries.”Formalized training for docent naturalists.Coastal Training Program◊◊Completed the Coastal Training ProgramNeeds Assessment and Market Analysis,Strategic Plan and Marketing Plan.Formed CTP Advisory Committee and maintainedcontact for program evaluation.◊◊◊◊◊◊Established a monthly lunchtime lecture series,as well as seasonal evening lecture series, thatbring experts to speak on natural resourcethemes.Accommodated over 40,000 visitors per year,providing them with self-guided interpretivetrails and staff- and volunteer-lead programsand events.Expanded camp program for students throughthe Junior Researchers Program.Developed the Just for Kids summer programsfor children 6 to 9 years of age.Maintained a year-round water quality monitoringprogram (Watershed Evaluation Team)with middle and high school students andcommunity volunteers.Organized or helped coordinate annual eventsincluding Winter Family Fun Day, Earth DayEnvironmental Fair, and Punkinfiddle: ANational Estuaries Day Celebration, as wellas a Discovery Tent at the Laudholm NatureCrafts Festival.◊◊◊◊Planned, designed, and implemented CoastalTraining Program events including: conferences,workshops, skills trainings and collaborativeproblem-solving processes. CTPevents focused upon water quality, watershedmanagement, open space planning, habitatprotection, coastal governance and biodiversityconservation.Provided information and trainings to, andpartnered with, state, federal and local decision-makers,scientists, resource managers,land trusts, and community groups addressinga range of issues.During the 2005 training schedule more than750 decision makers participated in WellsReserve CTP events for a total of more than5,000 contact hours.CTP facilitated the creation of two regionalwatershed councils as part of the ProtectingOur Children’s Water project. The watershedcouncils focus attention on implementingwatershed management plans developed by theReserve Stewardship Program.Management Plan: Accomplishments35