Winter 2013

Newsletter Archive

Is your work focused on ecosystem services in the Crown?

Natural ecosystems, like the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (CCE), provide essential services for human communities. For example, native grasslands feed the food we eat (such as cattle and sheep), support insects that pollinate our crops and provide important habitat for wildlife. Projects that aim to better understand the link between natural capital (rivers, wetlands, grasslands, biodiversity, etc.) and human well-being can be placed under the umbrella of ecosystem services (ES) programming. ES offers a framework for considering the health of an ecosystem through a service-oriented lens and may help with the development of solutions and strategies to maintain and restore natural ecosystems.

Miistakis and the Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent, which aims to connect people who share a special interest in the region, are exploring the use of ecosystem services (ES) programming in the region to gain a better understanding of which ecosystem services that stakeholders are most interested in maintaining. To document the types of ES programming occurring in the CCE Miistakis is developing an on-line survey for stakeholders in the region. If you know of a project in the CCE that links natural capital to human well-being we would love to hear from you. The Roundtable may use this information to further dialogue around ES programming in the region, such as hosting a forum on the topic. Please email Tracy if you have any suggestions.