9.1. How a Professional Can Help You Contact a NSSA Adopt-A-Stream habitat professional to discuss your ideas for your watercourse. By this time you should have a written report that includes: - A map of the area as it once looked - A map of what it looks like now - A survey of the watercourse The goal of joint planning is to weigh all available options in order to enhance the habitat of the watercourse you have adopted. - A list of what you think the problems are in the watercourse - A list of proposed solutions - A tentative plan of action - A group organized and ready to work Most likely you have had preliminary discussions with a habitat professional while completing the steps above. Now the professional will evaluate your report and help you develop a more detailed action plan. While doing this he/she will balance the needs of the watercourse against the time and resources your group has to offer. You should consider this stage as "joint planning". The professional, although an expert in fish and water ecosystems, is not an expert in your community or even the particular watercourse you have chosen. You can contribute ideas based on your experience and the information you have gathered. Your input is important, as there are limited resources available to study watercourses in our province. Observations, surveys, and interviews you have collected are invaluable to the habitat professional in assessing the individual situation of your watercourse. Please remember that every watercourse is different and must be evaluated separately. What works on one watercourse may be totally inappropriate on your watercourse. If you haven't completed a plan for your watercourse, go back and re-read previous sections of this manual.