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The Delta Dialogue Network:
Where we have been, where we are going
Toddi Steelman
February 10-11, 2015
www.usask.ca
About Me
Toddi Steelman, Executive Director and Professor,
School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan
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What do I do?
Explore the intersections of science,
policy, and decision making
a) Role of communities and the
public in decision making
b) Socially relevant science
•
Knowledge in the service of
society
In-land Deltas in Northern Canada
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Saskatchewan River and Delta, Saskatchewan
Peace-Athabasca Delta, Alberta
Slave River Delta, Northwest Territories
Partners and Collaborators
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Slave River and Delta Partnership
Peace-Athabasca Delta Ecological
Monitoring Program
Charlebois Community School
Shaun Greer, Ducks Unlimited
Sarah Rosolen, Aurora Research
Institute
Mary Head, Opaskwayak Cree
Nation
Government of the Northwest
Territories
Parks Canada
Slave River and Delta Partnership
Peace-Athabasca Delta Ecological Monitoring Program (2014) –
www.pademp.ca
Challenges/Opportunties
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Inland deltas face similar challenges
a)
b)
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climate change
regional development upstream
Opportunities to learn from each other and share
experiences
www.wired.com
www.climate-change-guide.com
Problem
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Research and monitoring by scientists
a)
b)
c)
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water
air
wildlife
Information does not always reach the the people who
need and want it
Isn’t always heard by decision makers/policy makers
www.intlalliance.org
Delta Dialogue Network Goal
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To: understand and
build upon the best
practices of how
knowledge is shared
across the deltas so
that it is accessible,
meaningful and useful
to communities,
decision-makers and
academics
http://pademp.ca/
Three main projects:
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Evaluate existing knowledge sharing efforts in
the Slave River and Delta (Master’s student
Veronica Mauel);
Sharing knowledge with managers and policy in
the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Master’s student
Sarah Baines); and
Sharing different perspectives on water quantity
in the Saskatchewan River Delta (Master’s
student Evan Andrews).
Interdisciplinary Co-Investigators
Toxicologist
Ecologist
Engineer
Policy Scientist
Geographer
Social scientist
Political Scientist
Social psychologist
Systems
Analyst
Environmental Scientist
Chemist
Delta Dialogue Network
Goals:
1) Synthesize, bridge,
translate and mobilize
knowledge from
existing monitoring
programs
2) Engage youth
3) Support local, regional
and national decisionmaking
4) Create an inland delta
network
5) Identify potential
knowledge gaps
ORNL DAAC
•
PAD-EMP
Peace-Athabasca
River Delta
DDN
Saskatchewan
River Delta
www.garthlenz.com
Slave River
and Delta
CPAWS: Saskatchewan Chapter
What we’ve done so far
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Received grant March 2014
Summer 2014: Toddi had face-to-face meetings (Sask River, Slave
River, and Peace-Athabasca Deltas)
Summer 2014: Evan collected data in Sask River Delta, worked on
culture camp
September: Two Master’s students brought on to Slave River and
Delta and Peace-Athabasca Delta projects
October: Program Manager brought on - Kiri Staples
November: Kiri and Sarah visited with partners in the PeaceAthabasca Delta
December: Launched DDN website:
http://www.usask.ca/research-groups/ddn
January: Kiri and Veronica visited Slave River and Delta partners
What we’re going to do next
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Hire community coordinators – Fort Chipewyan, Fort
Resolution, and Fort Smith (April 2015)
Develop research questions with partners in the Slave
River Delta and Peace-Athabasca Delta – data collection
in summer 2015
Applying for grant to pursue more opportunities for
engaging youth in the Saskatchewan River Delta
-- how do we create the next generation of cultural stewards?
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Collaborative workshop to share experiences and
results in 2016
The Next Generation of Delta
Stewards
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How do we create
greater cultural
awareness among
youth?
• Identify culturally important
practices used and observed by youth
in Saskatchewan River Delta
• Use the “Circle of Courage” as a
way to talk about these culturally
important practices
• Have youth from Sask River Delta
go to the Slave River and Delta and/or
Peace-Athabasca Delta to tell stories
about what is important to them and
meet other youth with similar
interests
Thank you!
Contact:
Kiri Staples
(306) 966-7135
[email protected]
Toddi Steelman
(306) 966-1499
[email protected]
Don’t forget to check out our website:
http://www.usask.ca/research-groups/ddn