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Part 1: Summary

Part 2:

1.    BIOSPHERE RESERVES (or Chapter 1)

Requirements

Recommendations from previous review and follow up

 

Main conclusions of the reviewer(s).

 

The findings of this review report that the Long Point Biosphere Reserve fulfills the mandate of the MAB program, and merits continued membership in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation combines critical conservation work with active support for monitoring, research and education, while actively pursuing sustainable development opportunities.

In the past 10 years, the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation has evolved to broaden its mandate and organizational presence in the region, inject a sustainability agenda into the political landscape, and broker more collaborative initiatives, especially through the proposed expansion to encompass Norfolk County. The biosphere reserve concept has attracted hundreds of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of dollars to Norfolk County to perform important environmental work while contributing to the economic viability of the area.

List recommendations for future activities based on the findings from this review.

This report recommends that:

(1) the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation continue to seek support for additional core areas, in order for UNESCO to consider formal recognition of an expanded biosphere reserve.

(2) On the occasion of expansion, it would be timely to develop a Conservation Action Plan for Norfolk County to build on current efforts to coordinate research, monitoring, restoration, education and environmental reporting.

(3) Consideration of a biennial public conference, youth summits, or similar large-scale events is recommended, in partnership with regional government and others.

As part of these types of public education, conservation objectives can be reported on and sustainable development initiatives can be showcased.

Thematic workshops (such as climate change adaptation scenarios, ecological goods and services inventories and cultural mapping, or development of local products for quality economies) might be addressed.

(4) Finally, it is recommended that the LPWBRF pilot a sustainable tourism program as a means of modeling sustainable development to the region, while sharing knowledge across the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

 

Suggested areas of activity from last periodic review and follow up
Provide a framework to strategically view conservation efforts Priority Place – other	ü
Facilitate and promote the long-term conservation of a more or less continuous, ecologically functioning landscape of Long Point and the Norfolk Sand Plains region, as well as intact natural linkages.  All projects -  OECM, Shoreline, Priority Place – past projects?	ü
Facilitate and provide a living-laboratory for long-term environmental research and monitoring as well as a venue for education and training.   University of Waterloo MOU Road Ecology research North Shore Resilience Project Other	ü
Model and foster practical approaches and activities that integrate ecosystem conservation with sustainable development Road Ecology Phragmites Mitigation Research conference Documentaries	ü
Help network and coordinate related efforts among different organizations Priority Place	ü
Facilitate the Long Point Conservation and Research group Help network and coordinate related efforts among different agricultural organizations and groups – robust research agenda Annual Research Conference, MOU with Waterloo	ü
Support innovative and value-added sustainable agriculture
Promote the use of native grasses for bio-fuel production
Complete tourism and heritage asset inventory of the Biosphere Reserve area; and a thorough overview of the social, cultural and ecological characteristic of the region.
Engage the municipality, chambers of commerce, economic development offices, destination marketing organizations, provincial parks, private entrepreneurs and others in sustainable tourism projects
Develop eco-tourism and heritage tourism in the region Amazing Places Sustainable Leaders In Sync with Nature Podcast Eco-Adventures Partnership (MI, Turtle Hatchery)	ü
Develop a Charter of Biosphere Values
Create an integrated Sustainable Communities Development Strategy
Create institutional linkages that bring together and disseminate information and tools for sustainable community development and assist our partners and the community in sustainable community development.
Support environmental and heritage education programming   Naturehood MI Eco-Adventures Partnership Documentaries	ü
Form an Education Advisory Committee to facilitate education initiatives that will fulfill the education function at the core of the biosphere reserve concept.

 

Stakeholder engagement

Which stakeholders were involved?

Were they well attended, with full and balanced representation? (Describe participation and stakeholders).

 

What methodology was used to involve stakeholders in the process (e.g., workshops, meetings, consultation with experts).

How many meetings, workshops, etc. occurred throughout the process of conducting this review? Were  they well attended, with full and balanced representation? (Describe participation and stakeholders).

Inventory of Past Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder	Event/s	Year	Proposed PR engagement strategy (i.e. roundtable, survey, interview)
Priority Place Partners	Annual meetings
Research Community	Annual Research Conference
First Nations	MI project Other
Shoreline ·         Municipalities ·         First Nations ·         Ratepayer associations	Open Houses Committees (Steering, Technical, PAC)
University of Waterloo	MOU Research projects
Provincial Park
Grand Erie District School Board	Naturehood
County of Norfolk	Sustainability Committee Road Ecology
Provincial government
Tourism partners	Eco-Adventures, Amazing Places Sustainability Leaders
Program Participants	Wandering Wednesdays, students
Other

 

2.    SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE DURING THE PAST TEN YEARS OR Chapter 2

Updated background information, geographical coordinates, most recent census data

Update on conservation/development functions, logistic support, governance, management policy/plan, including vision statement, goals and objectives, either current or for the next 5-10 years, budget/staff/funding, communication strategy, networks of cooperation, promotion of local heritage resources, history, cultural and cross-cultural learning opportunities; cooperation with local population; reaching out to recent immigrant groups, indigenous people etc.), Use of traditional and local knowledge, Community cultural development initiatives, language spoken, management effectiveness, management plan outcomes, research initiatives, role of women and youth

 

 

 

3.    ECOSYSTEM SERVICES or Chapter 3

Update in the ecosystem services as per Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Framework and The Economics Ecosystems and (http://millenniumassessment.org/en/Framework.html and reports/foundations/)).

Changes to indicators of ecosystem services that are being used to evaluate the three functions (conservation, development and logistic) of the biosphere reserve.

Update description on biodiversity involved in the provision of ecosystems services in the biosphere reserve (e.g. species or groups of species involved).

Recent/updated ecosystem services assessment has been done for the biosphere reserve since its nomination/last report.

4.    THE CONSERVATION FUNCTION or Chapter 4

Significant changes in the main habitat types, ecosystems, species or varieties of traditional or economic importance\

Main conservation programmes that have been conducted in the biosphere reserve over the past ten years as well as current on-going ones.       

Ways conservation activities are linked to, or integrated with, sustainable development issues (e.g. stewardship for conservation on private lands used for other purposes)?

Assessment of the effectiveness of actions or strategies applied

Main factors that influenced (positively or negatively) the successes of conservation efforts in the entire biosphere, lessons learned, new strategies

 

5.    THE DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION or Chapter 5

Prevailing trends over the past decade in each main sector of the economic base of the biosphere reserve (e.g. agriculture and forest activities, renewable resources, non-renewable resources, manufacturing and construction, tourism and other service industries).

Tourism industry in the biosphere (types, level, community impact, studies, effect on BR

When applicable, describe other key sectors and uses such as agriculture

How do economic activities in the biosphere benefit local communities?

Community economic development initiatives.

Local business or other economic development initiatives especially green

Main changes (if there are any) in terms of cultural values (religious, historical, political, social, ethnological) and others

Community support facilities and services. What programmes in/for the biosphere reserve address issues such as job preparation and skills training, health and social services, and social justice questions.

Indicators to assess the effectiveness of activities aiming to foster sustainable development?

main factors that influenced (positively or negatively) the success of development efforts in the entire biosphere

 

6.    THE LOGISTIC FUNCTION or Chapter 6

Main institutions conducting research or monitoring in the biosphere reserve, and their programmes.

Summarize the main themes of research and monitoring undertaken over the past ten years and the area(s) in which they were undertaken

Describe how traditional and local knowledge and knowledge from relating to management practices have been collected, synthesized and disseminated.

Environmental/sustainability education, i.e. “formal” – schools, colleges, universities, and “informal” services for the public) that are active in the biosphere and how they are evaluated

main internal and external communication mechanisms/systems main internal and external communication mechanisms/systems (website, newsletter, social media, internal, with world network of BRs)

 Main factors that influenced (positively or negatively) the success of activities contributing to the logistic support function?

 

7.    GOVERNANCE, BIOSPHERE RESERVE MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION or Chapter 7

Technical and logistical resources for the coordination of the biosphere

Governance framework, social impact assessments or similar tools and guidelines used to support indigenous and local rights and cultural initiatives (e.g. CBD Akwé:Kon guidelines, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent Programme/policy, access and benefit sharing institutional arrangements, etc.).

Main conflicts and solutions (i.e. use of resources)

Conflicts in competence among the different administrative authorities involved in the management of the area comprising the biosphere, means to resolve, and effectiveness

Representation and consultation of community including women and Indigenous people including their structures

Procedures for representation

Consultation mechanisms and their impact

Update on management and coordination structure,

 

8.    CRITERIA AND PROGRESS MADE or Chapter 8

Conclude by highlighting the major changes, achievements, and progress made in your biosphere reserve since nomination or the last periodic review.

 

Brief justification of the way in which the biosphere reserve fulfills each criteria of article 4 of the Statutory Framework of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves

1.    "Encompass a mosaic of ecological systems representative of major biogeographic region(s), including a gradation of human interventions".

2.    Be of Significance for biological diversity conservation”.

3.    “Provide an opportunity to explore and demonstrate approaches to sustainable development on a regional scale”.

4.    “Have an appropriate size to serve the three functions of biosphere reserves”.

5.    Appropriate zonation to serve the three functions

6.    XXXXXXXXXXX  “Organizational arrangements should be provided for the involvement and participation of a suitable range of inter alia public authorities, local communities and private interests in the design and the carrying out of the functions of a biosphere reserve”.

7.    Mechanisms for implementation:

a) Mechanisms to manage human use and activities

b) Management policy or plan

c) Authority or mechanism to implement this policy or plan

d) Programmes for research, monitoring, education and training

 

Does the biosphere reserve have cooperative activities with other biosphere reserves (exchanges of information and staff, joint programmes, etc.)? At the national level:

 

At the regional level:

Through twinning and/or transboundary biosphere reserves:

Within the World Network:

Obstacles encountered, measures to be taken and, if appropriate, assistance expected from the Secretariat:

Main objectives of the Biosphere Reserve: Describe the main objectives of the biosphere reserve integrating the three functions and the sustainable development objectives for the coming years.