WA'TKWANONHWERÁ:TON
FROM THE
WATERFALL UNITY ALLIANCE
WATERFALL CENTER FOR BIOREGIONAL LEARNING
Introduction
The Waterfall Center for Bioregional Learning will serve as a virtual information and community organizing hub which will facilitate collaborations, partnerships, and collective decision making for the protection of the land, water, ecology, cultures and communities of the Ioskóhare / Schoharie Valley and connected BioRegions.
The goal of the Waterfall Center of BioRegional Learning is to bring diverse people and organizations together to study, create and maintain a climate resilience strategy for the Schoharie Valley.
The Center, whether it be virtual or place based in the future, will provide a transdisciplinary workspace and knowledge networking hub for theory-building, civically engaged research, innovation, communication and meaningful local action.Ultimately, we would like to see a flourishing, climate-resilient Bioregion. We aim to engage and empower citizens to care for their unique environments.
With community input and participation, we would like to explore what the designation of the Ioskóhare / Schoharie Valley as a “BioRegional Sanctuary” and “Unique Protected Ecosystem” might look like; and what appropriate programs and community stewardship for the protection of the culture, food, water, forests, and wildlife in the bioregion can be developed.
RESEARCH
We have begun our own research on what constitutes a BioRegion, mapping our watersheds, understanding our geologic features that make up our valley, culture and economy and the history the land has witnessed throughout ages and eons. Click the link below to see what we have begun mapping to better understand the elements that can come together to define what our BioRegion can encompass. This is ever evolving as we learn more and community begins to form and flourish around this work.
Phase I : Scope
The initial focus of the Center is to identify partnership opportunities, organize, connect and facilitate conversations between governing bodies, NGOs, education centers, faith groups, experts and community members to address community needs, ideas, and identity within the Bioregion.
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During this process we would also initiate a few small-scale projects which would create practical, hands-on opportunities to build an active community and work collaboratively towards our goals of ecological and economic resilience inherent in protecting and maintaining a flourishing bioregion.
