New England has, for nearly four centuries, been a leader in public, private and non-profit conservation innovation. With the groundswell of regional interest in Wildlands and Woodlands specifically, and in landscape-scale conservation more generally, New Englanders are again well-positioned to provide leadership in the practice of innovative conservation, this time in the twenty-first century.
Who Can Be a Partner?
Groups and individuals across New England can help make the W&W vision a reality, including:
- Landowners & Individuals: Families own most of the forests in New England. Community leaders can work to make the places they live reflect the high value they place on fields, farms, woods, treed parks, and other natural areas.
- Non-profit Organizations: Environmental groups, watershed associations, and land trusts can coordinate and cooperate to do more.
- Private Companies: Wood producers, real estate firms, foresters, and businesses have much to gain from a largely forested New England landscape.
- Woodland Councils: Regional partnerships and other groups are achieving great conservation success in their regions in support of the Wildlands and Woodlands vision.
- State & Local Governments: Agencies, boards, and commissions can all participate at the scale of their authority. Towns and cities can plan for Wildlands and encourage the conservation of more Woodlands. They can ensure that new development sustains their local green infrastructure.
- Federal Government: Federal agencies work with groups and individuals to achieve on-the-ground results consistent with national priorities.
- Foundations: Board members and program staff can foster conservation innovation and advancement via their funding priorities.
Partners work together to achieve more than they could on their own. They do so in a variety of ways, often resulting in a shift in how they do their own work. That shift comes from establishing best practices with their peers, working across boundaries, having a regional focus, coordinating activities and resources, and leading innovative activities consistent with their own mission and with the goal of realizing the W&W vision.
Share your story
Tell us what you are doing: your successes, failures and what you've learned. Share your stories and good ideas along with a photograph of yourself or your project. You can also upload video and documents. We will credit the source and share your information with other W&W partners.
Join the Wildlands and Woodlands Partnership
Help make great conservation happen by doing what you've always wanted to do but with us! Be a part of the next big leap towards doubling the rate of conservation across New England and beyond. Join us today!