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PROGRAM AND PARTNERS
For over ten years, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, with support from our partners, has been offering watershed tours as part of our Fish Habitat Education Program. The purpose of these tours has been two fold; to provide participants with a unique perspective and understanding of the whole watershed system; and to provide participants an opportunity to connect with others who live, work, and are responsible for managing resources and communities in the watershed.
In order to expand the program to a larger audience we have developed this new web based virtual watershed tour program. It is our intent that this tool will meet the same goals as our actual watershed tour program, by providing participants with a whole watershed perspective, and resources and contacts to others involved on the ground. Although it might not seem as exciting for some to access this information from the web, these virtual tours provide a forum that is accessible to more people, less expensive, and more predictable than our actual watershed tour program. It should also make it easier to use and share the information with others. In addition we won't have to cancel web based tours due to poor weather (a frequent challenge in the Pacific Northwest). In an attempt to reflect the actual beauty and complexity of this watershed we have presented the tours in easy to use format with colorful graphics and images, relevant text, and useful links. Over time we may be able to improve these watershed sites with video clips, audio, advanced graphics, and interactive options. While we would like these virtual tours to provide the same degree of inspiration that our actual tours do, we also hope they will empower and encourage participants to go out into their own watershed to explore, learn, and participate in efforts to restore and protect it.
Fish Habitat Education Program (Watershed tour program home) |
The program is very popular and has been instrumental in helping forge cooperation and action in protecting fish habitat amongst diverse interest groups in the region. Program participants have been particularly appreciative of the watershed information packets provided to them. These packets include maps and information, resource, and contact sheets regarding the particular watershed. The materials have been used by participants to share their watershed experience. However the demand for watershed flights, ground tours, and watershed materials vastly exceeds our capacity to provide them to all interested parties.