About
The Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc. (NWAI) was established in 1995 as a not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to promote, conserve, and restore the Nashwaak ecosystem by using science-based methods, community collaborations, and advocacy for the watershed and its inhabitants. The Nashwaak watershed is a rich and vibrant ecosystem that supports a diversity of wildlife, including many rare and endangered species. Lush floodplains, ancient forests, and healthy wetlands, streams, and rivers not only contribute to maintaining the watershed’s exceptional biodiversity, but they also provide millions of dollars’ worth of ecosystem goods and services to local communities.
Challenge
While people come from near and far to visit the Nashwaak for its natural beauty, maintaining a healthy watershed is not without its challenges. Over 20 different pressures have been identified that, collectively, present a very high risk to the species and ecological communities in the watershed, including mining, unsustainable logging, aquatic barriers, and invasive species. Understanding how these different pressures interact and what can be done to mitigate and remediate them is complex and requires innovation and collaboration to achieve meaningful progress.
Solutions
With support from Global Conservation Solutions, the NWAI has developed an impressive strategic plan that is guiding the organisation’s direction over the coming decade. Through a series of facilitated workshops, the team of board members, staff, and consultants defined the organizational culture and designed a comprehensive roadmap to achieve their vision for the future. By applying an adaptive management framework, the NWAI is now able to evaluate what works and what doesn’t work, so they can adapt their practices and accelerate their impact.
Results
The strategic plan identifies 4 overarching strategies to restore degraded ecosystems, increase protected and conserved areas, remove barriers to fish passage, and promote a healthier watershed through education and engagement. Each of these strategies contains a suite of actions, including several novel ideas that the NWAI will be testing for the first time. A detailed budget allows the team to calculate the cost of implementing the plan over the next 10 years, as well as to identify appropriate funding sources to operationalize it. By having a clear and transparent strategic plan to share with partners and donors, the NWAI has been able to leverage significant additional funding to achieve their goals, and as a result, capacity has grown, and several strategies are already years ahead of schedule!
Marieka Chaplin
Executive Director, Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
“Josh’s adept facilitation enabled our Board of Directors, staff and consultants to improve our communication, collective problem solving skills, and overall effectiveness. We are extremely pleased with our new 10-year strategy that will solidify our future success in watershed conversation.”
