So now that we have addressed the upcoming task unwittingly bestowed upon our Klub's corps of volunteers,  we should try and make some sense of the idea of Stewardship.  What exactly is it?  The word 'custodian' or 'caretaker' once meant someone who had responsibility for something or someone. - a keeper, a guardian, a warden, a protector, an overseer.  Historically, stewardship was the responsibility given to the person who's job it was to oversee the operation of the house and grounds.  It is also reflected in the theological belief that humans are responsible for the world, and therefore are responsible for taking care of it.  The ethic of stewardship embodies co-operative planning and management of resources in the interest of long-term sustainability.  So, you might be asking, what does this have to do with me as a park user?  Well, the only way to achieve long-term success for our off-leash areas is for park users to become park stewards.   It's a shift in how we view ourselves.  Each and every person who benefits from the off-leash area as a community resource needs to feel a sense of ownership and personal responsibility for its success or failure.  Our generous volunteers donate their time to help keep the area clean and safe for everyone but the major onus should always fall on each of us as park stewards to do our fair share. 

Some may be wondering about the role the K9 Klub plays in all of this and why they don't take care of the stewardship of the park.  I have to ask who people believe 'they' (the Klub) actually are?  Besides taking the primary responsibility of leadership for this and future off-leash areas,  The Klub per se, serves as a resource to the City in providing informed feedback, recommendations and insights regarding issues impacting us all as park users.  They also help to provide education and foster awareness about responsible dog ownership.  However, there seems to be this strange perception that the K9 Klub is this intangible entity that lurks behind the scenes 'taking care of business' at the park, quietly making things happen.  Actually, the K9 Klub is you and I.  We are the Klub.  By that I don't just mean members.  Some park users have seen fit to join our membership to show support for our mandate as an organization, but anyone who enjoys using the park is reaping a direct benefit from someone else's time, effort or funding.  The more people we have sharing the responsibility of stewardship, the lighter the burden on any one individual.  That's how sustainable communities work.  It's truly that simple.  Membership, although not a prerequisite for using the off-leash area, helps us to accomplish our stewardship goals by providing tangible resources such as volunteers and funding.  It also gives us strength and presence in our numbers at council meetings when important decisions must be made.  We all draw from those resources to sustain the longterm success of the park.