Aqua’s Post

Came back from a week in Vermont with my grad program, a state that has been so very intentional about conserving and protecting its agricultural land, and opened my inbox to this months's newsletter from the Natural Treasure Alliance, one of Thrive Regional Partnership's initiatives. This line captures why I wanted to work for and with Thrive: "From 2017 to 2022, the rate of farmland-loss [in Tennessee] accelerated.  Equivalent to 86,588 acres lost per year. Or 237 acres lost per day. Or 9.8 acres lost per hour.  Tennessee is facing more threat of farmland loss than nearly all other US states." (The fourth most threatened in the US) (Source: https://lnkd.in/ea4MTwwr) I am so thankful for the work that Thrive Regional Partnership is doing through partnership and awareness for responsible growth and development as seen in the conservation blueprint: The Cradle of Southern Appalachia Initiative ( https://lnkd.in/ea_RFfAE). The Tri-State region Thrive works in is located in one of the most bio-diverse landscapes in the world, but only 15% of the region is protected currently. UTC’s Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technology Lab, one of Thrive's partners, built the blueprint identifying areas of high-quality habitat that are essential for air and water quality of the region.

Our next webinar event on October 9 puts focus on Decision Tools for Local Governments that are responding to ecosystems in distress. In other words, relevant to everyone! Vibrant Cities Lab PlanIT Geo™ i-Tree Tools #Sustainability💗 🌳 https://lnkd.in/eSjna4EV

Is anyone else hearing stories about beavers - and mimicking beavers - to achieve healthy riverscapes? 🦫 Recently, I've been part of a team helping increase the pace, scale, and effectiveness of process-based restoration and other nature-based solutions for healthy rivers and streams. We just released two resources that might be helpful to land managers, restoration professionals, and other conservation enthusiasts: 1. Education and Training Needs Assessment: This document captures key gaps and opportunities that can support a riverscape health workforce. 2. Research Agenda: A document that summarizes what research priorities practitioners feel are most important to overcoming barriers and understanding outcomes associated with process-based restoration. 🌱 Check out the resources and learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gzSvNA5G Let’s keep the conversation going on how we can support thriving, resilient landscapes! #Beavers #NatureBasedSolutions #RiverscapeHealth #ProcessBasedRestoration #PublicLands #Research #Training #Conservation #Sustainability #LTPBR

Looking forward to getting my head around this, particularly in light of review of Shaping SEQ and imminent bioregional plan, to see what we can do to better protect biodiversity in SEq.

Duke University experts Lydia Olander and Katie Warnell joined North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on stage Monday after he signed an executive order to protect and restore the state's natural and working lands. Olander (fifth from right) and Warnell (fifth from left) have worked closely with decision-makers and stakeholders on how North Carolina can make the most of forests, farms, and wetlands in the state. Natural and working lands provide numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits, such as sequestering carbon and supporting ecosystem and community resilience. The new executive order seeks to implement recommendations from the 2020 North Carolina Natural and Working Lands Action Plan and other existing efforts. More details: https://lnkd.in/eJbKZJuY "Gov. Cooper’s executive order ensures the continuity of work started across the state in 2019 by agencies, land trusts, conservation organizations and others to build a shared strategy for protecting and sustainably managing North Carolina’s natural and working lands for the benefits they bring today and into the future," said Olander, program director at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. (MEDIA: More comments from Olander and Warnell are available for your coverage: https://lnkd.in/g4pjzq6n) The Nicholas Institute has developed numerous tools to inform the 2020 North Carolina Natural and Working Lands Action Plan and make information about these lands more accessible, including:   * A collection of story maps that summarize state-level data utilized in the action plan and provide examples of using the data at local scales: https://bit.ly/nwlstorymap * A series of online dashboards with detailed information about the benefits of natural and working lands: https://bit.ly/nc-nwl * Two planning tools, developed in partnership with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, to help conservation organizations and land trusts consider an array of benefits in their work: https://bit.ly/nclandtools #LandManagement #Conservation #LandConservation #EcosystemRestoration #EcosystemServices

🌿 Post-Fire Recovery Research: A Vital Initiative! 🌿 As we celebrate Earth Science Week, it’s a great opportunity to highlight Matrix Design Group, Inc.'s commitment to preserving and caring for the environment. In September, the Matrix Team ventured to Jones Pass in Colorado, to evaluate the first-year results of our vegetation recovery study following the Williams Fork Fire that burned over 14,000 acres in 2020. Our research involved investigating various treatments—including soil amendments, seed bed preparation, and/or seed mixes—to identify the most effective combination for enhancing native vegetation cover in a highly burned, slowly recovering area, at the fastest rate. Using quadrat sampling, we assessed vegetation species and estimated cover totals across representative plots to test the entire treatment. This valuable data will aid Denver Water and the USDA Forest Service in mitigating erosion risks to critical infrastructure while also informing future post-fire recovery efforts. Post-fire revegetation is crucial for the arid West, where wildfires can devastate large areas. By advancing our understanding of effective revegetation techniques, we can ensure swift and effective responses that preserve ecosystem health and protect surrounding infrastructure. Which treatment do you think will yield the best results? Let’s discuss! #PostFireRecovery #EcologicalResearch #Sustainability #MatrixCares

Reforestation is a daunting task on landscape and watershed scale, coupled with politricks such as forest service still allowing livestock to graze in burn scarred areas.  It is obvious communication is lacking for efforts in forest management as there is no mention of Tribal people as the reforestation efforts are on Ancestral Domain. I'm open to conversation to allow dialog for complimenting joint efforts in NM.  Our Community Based Education Program at Santa Fe Indian School has contributed to transplanting estimated 40,000 mixed conifer trees in burned scarred areas on Tribal Lands.  We have greenhouse that is part of our classroom that we offer to house trees for forest restoration projects.  Tribal nations need to have a seat at the table when it comes to this topic to compliment efforts. Unity based on common goals and aspirations. 

What would it have been like, to hear the sound of those thundering hoofs? 60 million: that is the rough estimate of the population size of bison in North America before they were systematically decimated with the aim of harming the native Americans who depended on them for survival. Have a look at the map and imagine the ecosystem services such a large group of herbivores would have provided (including carbon management). What will it take to get even a shred of those herds back? Great piece by Bill Frist, M.D. in Forbes advocating for the proposed Indian Buffalo Management Act which would attempt to rectify many wrongs in one go. Read here: https://flip.it/rCeCyF The Nature Conservancy #rewilding #wildlifemanagement #ecosystemrestoration U.S. Department of the Interior #NativeAmerican #tribes Image courtesy Gates, Freese, Gogan and Kotzman, Environmental Science, Biology (2010). Link: https://lnkd.in/guCbAW4W

[CLEWS NEWS] UCI scientists are leading groundbreaking research in Dana Point, as highlighted in a recent Spectrum News article. 👉 The study delves into the dynamic coastal environment, emphasizing the crucial role of sand in ecological balance. Through cutting-edge techniques, UCI researchers track and analyze sand movements, offering valuable insights for coastal planning, conservation, and disaster mitigation. 👉 The project's success stems from collaboration and community involvement, emphasizing the collective responsibility for environmental stewardship. As UCI scientists forge ahead in sand tracking, their findings not only benefit Dana Point but also contribute to global coastal science, influencing sustainable management policies and practices. 📽 https://lnkd.in/gbGGSgZe

Rx fire plays an important role in forest health and public safety in areas where civilization meets forest. It is very challenging to accomplish in the west.