Social Capital Yields Economic Capital

In 1998, the residents of Redberry Lake R.M. (town of Hafford) applied to have Redberry Lake designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The designation was obtained in January 2000. Redberry Lake had already been designated as a Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary since 1925, which generated approximately 5000 tourists per year for bird watching, boat tours, hiking and other recreational activities at the Regional Park, but it was believed a biosphere reserve designation would increase exposure and therefore increase tourist numbers. In addition to tourism expansion, the community felt the designation would position Hafford and area as an ecologically responsible place to raise a family and would attract new residents.

Redberry Lake is the only biosphere reserve in Saskatchewan and one of just fifteen reserves in Canada. Redberry Lake has a centre to promote research and provide information and education on the ecologically significant waterfowl and shorebird populations to residents and visitors alike. The biosphere reserve is a community initiative to "develop and promote innovative approaches to conservation and economic development" (CBRA website). New initiatives are underway including working with farmers on individual farm stewardship plans, creating new signs on the highways and trails leading to and within the biosphere reserve, and engaging young people in environmental initiatives in their School. All these activities require collective decision-making and action that hinges on strong social capital.

To facilitate different activities, different kinds of social capital are required. Social capital refers to the norms, networks, and bonds of trust that help individuals and groups to work together towards a common goal. Social capital can facilitate collective action. Researchers sometimes distinguish among three kinds of social capital - bonding social capital that takes place among family, close friends and neighbours; bridging social capital which helps establish relations among people who are demographically similar but are not as closely related; and linking social capital that provides for alliances between people within a community and people in positions of power.

The establishment of the biosphere reserve in 2000 was achieved through strong forms of bonding social capital within the community. During the early years of implementation, however, there were fewer resources available to bridge and link the biosphere reserve with other initiatives in the province and across Canada. While strong community spirit provided the momentum to achieve biosphere reserve designation in record time, a lack of networked connections outside the community limited the activities associated with the reserve's implementation plan. By its third year, limited financial resources, volunteer burnout and waning community interest were challenging the biosphere reserve (Mendis, p. 146). Furthermore, research about wildlife and the aquatic environment that had helped to justify the creation of the biosphere reserve had declined. New researchers began to conduct studies about community capacity for the biosphere reserve to meet its objectives, but the researchers themselves were not well linked to decision makers in Regina or Ottawa. Furthermore, the biosphere reserve committee also had difficulties establishing partnerships with conservation organizations or government agencies that could assist in creating awareness of the biosphere reserve and in implementing specific projects. Initial funding from government sources dried up in the first three years and organizations like Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada that were active in the region were not able to make connections with the local biosphere committee. Thus, bonding social capital was not sufficient to maintain the momentum of activities promised by the designation process.

An opportunity to turn things around occurred in 2005 when the provincial government's push for a "green economy" resulted in a 5-year operating grant for the biosphere reserve. A director was hired and the former interpretive centre was renovated to become a research centre. However, specific projects have been slow to materialize. Although many of the projects first outlined in the 2001 community plan have yet to be completed, the funding has helped revitalize the committee. A new director was hired in 2007 and has recently received funding for new signage on highways and trails to give the biosphere reserve greater public profile. In addition, the Redberry Lake Watershed Agri-Environmental Project is a regional agricultural environmental farm planning exercise that encourages producers to establish individual plans for livestock that will protect surface water and riparian areas. As the administrator of the program, the biosphere reserve may be able to use this opportunity to broaden the base of local involvement and demonstrate to government its capability in environmental stewardship. The community committee continues to seek new projects and opportunities for funding, including the opportunities for partnerships with other organizations.

A number of inferences can be made from the Redberry case. Social capital is a key dimension of continuous success in rural community initiatives. Bonding social capital - the ability to come together - was a primary reason for success at the designation stage of the Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve. To remain players, however, communities must also develop and demonstrate their ability to bridge and link with both similar and dissimilar organizations and agencies in positions of power that can help advance their aims. While bonding social capital is needed to get an initiative underway, economic capital is needed to sustain initiatives. A way to access economic capital is through bridging and linking with partner organizations. Thus, different forms of social capital are required to attract economic capital and to maintain the momentum generated by the designation of the biosphere reserve.