The NWMB’s main purpose for the establishment of an NWMB Willdlife Conservation Education Program is to establish an in-house program to undertake initatives that are of direct interest to the NWMB to assist the Board in carrying out its wildlife management roles and responsibilities as per the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA).
Conservation Education initiatives will be:
- Restricted to projects and intiatives that are led and developed by the NWMB;
- Focus on conservation initatives applicable to the NWMB’s wildlife management functions;
- Conducted in manner that involves Inuit and Co-management partners in its development and application; and
- Administered in the most cost and time efficient manner.
For the fiscal year 2012-2013, the NWMB will pursue the following initiaitves for it's Conservation Education:
- Colouring Book
- Calendar Competition
- Public Service Announcement video
- Establish a Regular Contest via NWMB website (with NWMB swag as prizes)
Past Projects of NWMB's Conservation Education:
- Participation in publishing the original “Birds of Nunavut” and assisting with a more complete, revised version of the book.
- Contribution towards other the publications in the series of books on Nunavut’s wildlife, including “Terrestrial Mammals of Nunavut”, “Marine Mammals of Nunavut”, and “Common Plants of Nunavut”.
- Contributing to “Qaummallakatuk: Science Ideas for Nunavut Primary Teachers (K-3)”.
- Providing funding assistance towards the publication of books aimed at increasing awareness of wildlife for Nunavummiut children including:
- Uumajat II – for young children, the book features 10 species of wildlife. Inuktitut and English versions were printed.
- Kaakululk – a bilingual magazine for elementary school children,
- Uumajut Makuktunut – a book on wildlife for older children, printed in Inuktitut.
- Presentation on various conservation issues affecting Nunavummiut at schools, colleges, and other community organizations.
- Providing contributions to research on “Gender and Decision-Making in Arctic Fisheries”.
- Assisting with the “Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut Report”; a report documenting Inuit knowledge on polar bears from elders in the community of Gjoa Haven.
- Developing brochures to increase awareness about the NWMB’s role in wildlife management in Nunavut.
- Producing a fun, educational tool that lets children learn about marine mammal vocalizations and communication.
- Contributing funds towards an initiative to establish a community based caribou and musk-oxen management program for Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord.
- Assisting with the costs of projects to help improve marine mammal harvest reporting rates, including pamphlets and posters on strandings and disease in marine mammals and information binders for the local Hunters’ and Trappers’ organizations.
- Providing funding towards the production and distribution of additional children’s books on arctic wildlife:
- Avati – a bilingual book on elders’ perspectives on wildlife and the environment with a focus on the IQ principle of Avatikik Kamattiarniq (environmental stewardship).
- Maulirniq – a book to be produced in English and Inuktitut that looks at traditional values as they relate to hunting, with emphasis on hunting at the aglu (seal breathing hole). This book will be will be developed in cooperation with respected Nunavummiut harvesters.
- Pivut Volume #4 – a bilingual magazine for high school students; this edition will focus on traditional knowledge of seals and the importance of the species to Inuit culture.
- Contributing towards the production of a deck of playing cards featuring 52 birds of Nunavut to be produced in Nunavut’s three languages (Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, and English)
- Participating in various events and presentations at various educational institutions as requested.
