We The Forest’s Post

Why Communities Leadership Matter in conservation and are we failing to empower them. Earlier this week, I visited the Dandenong Ranges National Park - established in 1987 but in particular to look at the Coles Ridge Pine Plantation experience. This was a schools plantation that was removed as part of the establishment of the National Park - it was a very experimental approach both in a adaptive management approach (before that was even considered a conservation concept) and a partnership with the community. In fact driven by the Community. 40 years on, it is clearly a success. The attached article captures the concepts and ideas that were driving the approach in the 1980's. And there are still Lyrebirds (and sadly too many deer but that is another story). In the 1980's as these approaches emerged ( and including the ParkCare and LandCare concepts) and were being successful, why haven't we established Park Conservation Trusts driven by Community Leadership - similar to the public partnership models like the Golden Gate Conservancy or Central Park Conservancy or even our version - Bush Heritage Australia. As I wandered thru the forest, I can only praise the community leadership that created such a change. Our companies EcoFutures Alluvium Group Mosaic Insights are all committed to advancing the conservation innovation to make such an impact and modern Network Governance to sustain long term change. https://lnkd.in/gEJ3iErn

The Ontario government's investment of over $925,000 in Pickering's wetland restoration projects reveals a crucial alignment between public funding and ecological stewardship. Spearheaded by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, these projects are integral to the five-year, $30-million Wetlands Conservation Partner Program. This investment goes beyond mere #conservation. It transforms previous aggregate extraction sites into natural heritages and recreational destinations, enhancing habitats for native species like Atlantic salmon and brook trout 🐟. Importantly, it also serves as a blueprint for how multi-stakeholder initiatives can improve water quality and climate resiliency across urban and agricultural landscapes. https://lnkd.in/gSDtucjj

Woodland restoration project connects forests and communities in County Durham

Placer County, California continues to be one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. Beginning in 1994, the county General Plan aimed to accommodate this growth while conserving productive agricultural lands and protecting many of its natural communities and rare species. After numerous assessments and stakeholder engagements, a draft Placer County Conservation Plan (PCCP) was released in 2011. For the western foothills portion of the county, the PCCP focuses on protecting or restoring various oak woodland communities as well as habitat for identified aquatic and terrestrial covered species including Central Valley Chinook salmon, California red-legged frog, northwestern pond turtle, and many more. Implementing the plan is underway and involves integrating high-value lands made available by willing sellers. The biggest challenge is finding suitable habitat to mitigate the projected impacts of new growth in a way that maintains landscape ecological integrity. CBI was asked by the Foothills Conservation Strategy Ad Hoc Committee to integrate the available spatial data pertaining to the natural community and species targets listed in the plan and create a flexible spatially explicit model to assist county staff in identifying and systematically evaluating potential lands for protection or restoration to meet plan goals. To learn more, check out our June newsletter (link in bio)! Placer County

At 4th Corner, we're all about rewilding 🌱 Rewilding is a progressive approach to conservation, repairing damaged ecosystems, restoring degraded landscapes, and creating more biodiverse habitats. To find out more about how we're rewilding our local area, check out the link below 👇 #Rewilding #Biodiversity #Conservation

Good news just came out for Ohio's forests! On January 10, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill which provides funding for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to create a tree seedling nursery. The nursery will initially supply up to 500,000 tree seedlings annually for three years, increasing capacity afterward, for use on public and private lands. Replanting and restoring native trees is a crucial strategy in conservation efforts in Ohio to increase forest cover, enhance the quality of our forests and mitigate climate change. However, a nationwide shortage of seedlings, combined with a lack of different species available in tree planting stock, have negatively impacted forest conservation here in Ohio. Establishing a new statewide nursery with a variety of native species will tackle both sides of this problem. It increases both the availability of tree seedlings and the number of species available for planting to landowners and conservation practitioners. Join us in celebrating this bright future for Ohio's forests! 📸: fotoco-istock/Getty Images

📅 One year ago today, NEWT and partners published the groundbreaking report, "Wildlands in New England: Past, Present, and Future," which issued a clarion call for accelerated wildlands conservation in the Northeast. The first-of-its-kind analysis quantified the extent of permanently protected landscapes in New England. The results were sobering: Just over 3 percent of the region enjoys the promise of a future free from development and exploitation. NEWT strives every day to increase that number. By conserving wildlands alongside working forests and farms, and supporting sustainable, resilient communities, we can secure a brighter, more hopeful future for humans and wildlife. Read the report here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ecY2vn-y

This article spotlights the collaborative and two-decade-long Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP). KCP is part of a nationwide shift towards landscape-level and holistic conservation efforts. Also mentioned is the Center-commissioned paper _Build Back a Better National Landscape Conservation Framework_, which urges governments to provide more support for large landscape conservation endeavors such as the KCP. https://lnkd.in/gk8zpYnS

"There is no one model for this; in terms of method or funding. Some are about planting trees; others letting them regenerate. Some talk of ‘natural capital’, others of a ‘nature-led’ approach; some of carbon credits, others of apex predators; some of ecosystem markets, others of community benefits." A great piece about rewilding with some fantastic examples of nature restoration and #rewilding in Scotland. There are a diverse range of approaches to rewilding and each site is unique - but they all have one thing in common and that is restoring nature. https://lnkd.in/eFzdb4uE

Fragmentation is one of the nation’s most urgent conservation challenges. As land is sub-divided, so are its natural resources: clean air, clean water, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, biodiversity and more. Smaller units become progressively less productive until they finally lose their connectivity to the larger ecosystem and cease to function. In this interview with Land.com Network, the Alliance vice president of conservation initiatives, Erin Heskett, answers five questions about land trusts and their work to prevent land fragmentation. This is a great read for those interested in learning about how land trusts work with landowners to keep land intact in perpetuity.