Grace Farms Foundation’s Post

Could this be of interest to you? Check out what John Burgess is offering below 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Recent clearcut proposals from Pacific Woodtech and Stella Jones threaten a combined 608 hectares of endangered mountain caribou habitat and old growth forest in B.C.’s interior. Almost all of the proposed clearcuts overlap with core habitat for the Columbia North herd, which is the only one of B.C.s southernmost herds with a shot at a long-term future. Seven other herds in this region have been declared locally extinct in the last two decades, due mostly to habitat destruction and fragmentation from logging. Last year, more than 400 of you sent letters and helped defer more proposed clearcuts in the Columbia North herd’s range. These animals need your help again. Can you take 2 minutes to send a pre-written letter and help stop this logging in the Seymour River watershed? Visit https://lnkd.in/g5wthHUP #mountaincaribou #endangeredspecies #SARA #saveourmountaincaribou #cariboudat

A Land Back Win for the Yurok Tribe The Yurok Tribe recently achieved a significant milestone in land management. In an unprecedented move, they entered into an innovative agreement where a U.S. national park will be co-managed by a Native nation. Here are the key details: Location: The historic agreement was signed at a property known as ‘O Rew, located in Orick, California. This area serves as the southern gateway to the Redwood National and State Parks and holds cultural and historical significance for the Yurok Tribe. Land Restoration: The Yurok Tribe, along with organizations such as Save the Redwoods League, has been actively working to restore Prairie Creek at ‘O Rew. Their efforts have created critical habitat for juvenile salmon and steelhead, which are already returning to the creek. Historical Context: ‘O Rew was once the center of the Yurok Tribe’s ancestral homelands. However, during colonization, the land was seized by colonial settlers in the mid-1800s. Later, a lumber mill operated on the site. Now, efforts to heal the land and restore its ecological balance are underway. First-of-Its-Kind Arrangement: This agreement marks the first time in U.S. history that a national park will be co-stewarded by a Native nation. The Yurok Tribe’s involvement in managing this land strengthens the relationship between tribes and the National Park Service. Joseph James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe, expressed the significance of this moment: “As we are healing the land, it’s healing ourselves. So it’s a very proud moment in the timeline of the Yurok Tribe” https://lnkd.in/g6UepPt7 #landback #yuroktribe #nationalparkservice

Protecting caribou habitat is the only way to keep these herds in Southern BC. Without a home, these herds will disappear just like the others! Together we can speak louder; check out this link to help protect this crucial habitat:

Let's celebrate our most important Ice Age survivor, the juniper. Towards the end of the 18th century, the commercialisation of woodland management on many Highland estates started the disastrous trend towards diversity loss that we now strive to reverse. Some of the greatest impacts were on the least valued wood species, including juniper. It had been in natural decline for millennia - out-competed by the more aggressive birch - but it remained widespread in and around the Cairngorms, in Strathspey, Strathdearn, and the northern Highlands. In 1803, the poet Coleridge noted ‘a good deal of low cowring Juniper with its fruit of various years, purple and green’ as he traversed Strathdearn. Later in the century, when plans were drawn up for a road through the Coignafearn deer forest at the head of the strath, the surveyors noted the abundance of juniper wood there. Although juniper wood is said to have been valued alongside peat as a ‘smokeless’ fuel by illicit distillers, it is almost invisible as a resource in estate records and unmentioned in the Statistical Accounts. This perception of uselessness, also extended to alder and aspen as expressed by respondents to the OSA, meant no effort was made to conserve juniper. Indeed, juniper was rooted out to make way for Scots Pine plantation on the Grant and Mackintosh estates in Strathdearn and Strathspey from the 1790s onwards. Increasing numbers of grazing animals – and from the 1840s onwards uncontrolled deer numbers - accelerated natural decline by halting regeneration through seed dispersal. It is only in recently, with the inclusion of juniper amongst species being planted in upland conservation and restoration programmes, that the populations of this undervalued species have begun to recover. This picture is of my favourite juniper, an over-browsed veteran clinging on near Achnahyle in Stratha'an. #scottishwoodlandhistory #scottishenvironmentalhistory #woodland #cairngormsconnect #traditionalwooduse

The #housefinch (Haemorhous mexicanus) is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae. The attractive house finch is one of the more common and recognizable species throughout the United States. Males vary in shades and intensity of red. Some males are yellow or orange. Females are drab gray-brown overall with plain faces and blurry streaks on underparts. It is native to western North America and has been introduced to the eastern half of the continent and Hawaii. It has become very common in suburban areas and is easily attracted in large numbers to seed feeders. The human modification of natural habitats, particularly the increase of seed feeders throughout the east, greatly benefits the house finch populations. Only natural island populations appear to be threatened. Source: National Geographic Graphics: #scientificillustration #scienceillustration #naturalillustration #scientificillustration #procreateapp #wildlifeconservation

Hello everyone! Today we are giving you another edition of “Historical Marker Highlights”, where we highlight a historical marker related to Ohio STEM history. Today’s historical marker is fitting given that we are at the height of the summer season, making it a great time to take advantage of the recreational opportunities offered by Ohio’s many nature parks. We hope that you not only learn from this post, but that you check out this place for yourself on a day that you are bored or are not sure what to do. Today’s historical marker is located in Holland, Ohio and commemorates the Oaks Openings Regions¹. The Oak Openings Region is a vast area covering roughly 130 square miles that encompasses seven counties that include not just Northwestern Ohio, but also Southeast Michigan¹ ². The area was formed more than 12,000 years ago, when a vast lake receded at the end of the last glacial age². That lake left behind an immense amount of sand that created ridges and dunes². The dunes, in particular, with their high elevation enabled the formation of a variety of plant communities such as woodlands, oak savannas, and wet prairies². Along with this diversity, five of these plant communities are considered to be rare on a global scale². On top of this, the region is home to more than 180 species that are classified as endangered or rare¹. For these reasons, the Nature Conservancy has called the Oak Openings Region one of the “Last Great Places” in the United States¹ ². Despite all of this, very little remains of the local ecosystem, less than 1% in fact, according to the State of Ohio². Aside from the area’s ecological significance, there is also a great deal of history. In 1794, according to local legend, Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket and Miami Chief Little Turtle passed through the area on their way to a council held near the Springfield Township Cemetery with Wyandot Chiefs prior to the Battle of Fallen Timbers¹. When settlers first came to the Village of Holland and Springfield Township pursued agriculture despite the area’s sandy soil, growing fruits like cranberries¹. Hope you learned something new today and stay tuned for our next post on August 3rd! Sources: ¹"38-48 The Oak Openings Regions." Remarkable Ohio, https://lnkd.in/erSptU_E. ²"Welcome to Oak Openings Region." Ohio, The Heart of it All, https://lnkd.in/eQa_FvTX.

Acadia National Park is in existence today because of the #foresight of several men back in 1916, who realized this pristine area should remain as such. As a result, Acadia National Park was the first national park created from private lands gifted to the #public through the efforts of #conservation-minded citizens. If you could concieve of a way to contribute to the future so the area in which you live is better when you leave it, what would you do?!? A few details about the park: It encompasses approximately 49,052 acres in three main areas: 🦞Mount Desert Island 🦞The Schoodic Peninsula 🦞And to the Southwest (accessible only by boat) the Isle Au Haut 🔥There was a major fire in 1947 referred to as “The Year Maine Burned,” that burned more than 10,000 acres within the park - 17,188 acres total acres on Mount Desert Island, which explains why so much of what we explored during our hikes seemed like young forest land! 🔨Much of the physical labor required to build the park's carriage roads and trails was provided by the Civilian Conservation Corps beginning in 1933 - much like all other national parks. ⛰️Cadillac Mountain is the highest “mountain” on the eastern seaboard at 1530’ and “once upon a time” was 2 miles higher before the glaciers came through Of course - when in Maine, you eat lobster!! Apparently, Maine lobsters have sweeter meat than other lobsters because they grow in cold water, which prevents them from absorbing salt and makes their meat sweeter. #working #family #vacation #thinkstrategically #sustainibility #conservation #growthmindset

Partners from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Siuslaw Watershed Council, and McKenzie River Trust are kicking off a second season of restoration at Waite Ranch on the Siuslaw River. Started in the summer of 2023, the tidal restoration project aims to return around 200 acres of estuarine wetlands to the Siuslaw River system. In 2010, McKenzie River Trust purchased the property, which had been identified as a high conservation priority by regional partners working to address immediate threats to native Coho salmon whose numbers fell from more than 450,000 adults returning annually to spawn in the Siuslaw in the early 1900s to as few as 500 by the 1990s. Restoring tidal access to its floodplain will create several miles of additional habitat for salmon on the site, located roughly 3 miles upstream of Florence, OR. This reconnection of the land to the river, which was cut off to support agricultural use in the 1800s, is an important step toward increasing off-channel habitat for resident fish who utilize tidal wetlands for food and cover as they transition between fresh and saltwater environments. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gT4wEwQe

Happy National Forest Week!  As North Carolina’s population grows, the need for recreational land increases. Expanding public lands is a major part of Three Rivers Land Trust's mission. In 2 years, we’ve added 400 acres to the beloved Uwharrie National Forest and connected 4 out of the 5 gaps in its historic trail. Celebrate our national forests - hit the trail and enjoy this beautiful land! #ConnectedToTheLand  #CommittedToConservation #Uwharrie #NationaForestWeek #UwharrieNationalForest #UwharrieTrail #NationalForest See less