International Land Conservation Network Newsletter, November 2020
In this Newsletter:
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Launches the Center for Geospatial Solutions
ILCN/ELCN Webinar Recording now Available: The Natura 2000 Protected Areas Network
COVID Recovery in Australasia- Searching for Silver Linings for the Private Land Sector
Eurosite-ELCN to Launch new Project on Private Land Conservation
COVID-19 and the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders
Beijing Forum on Ecological Civilization and High-Quality Urbanization
Montis Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Support Conversion of Their Properties to Native Woods
Upcoming Events
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy launches the Center for Geospatial Solutions
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has launched the Center for Geospatial Solutions, a new enterprise to expand the use of advanced technology for land and water conservation. The center will provide data, conduct analysis, and perform specialized consulting services that enable organizations of all sizes in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors to deploy geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and other geospatial technologies.
By providing people and organizations with the tools they need to manage land and water resources with precision, the center will confront pressing challenges such as climate change, loss of habitat, and water scarcity.
The center will be led by Anne Scott, who has implemented and evaluated large-scale health and environmental programs around the world. Joining her on the center’s management team are Jeffrey Allenby, formerly the director of conservation technology at the Chesapeake Conservancy, and Breece Robertson, formerly head of the Trust for Public Land’s GIS team.
ILCN/ ELCN Webinar Recording now available: The Natura 2000 Protected Areas Network
On November 24th, the ILCN and ELCN hosted a webinar session focusing on Natura 2000, a network of protected areas covering 18% of land and 10% of marine waters for the most valuable and threatened species and habitats across all 28 countries of the European Union. This is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world.
This webinar explores the creation of the network; its evolving approach to integrating conservation on private lands; and its results for nature and biodiversity conservation in Europe. Speakers share reflections on the history, context, and future outlook for Natura 2000 and private land conservation, providing an opportunity for conservation practitioners, land managers, and protected area coordinators to get in-depth perspectives into the achievements, lessons learned, and broader implications from this unique effort.
COVID Recovery in Australasia- Searching for silver linings for the private land sector By Cecilia Riebl, ILCN Regional Representative for Australasia and Policy Advisor at Trust for Nature Victoria (Australia)
What a year 2020 has been. In Australia, we entered it in a fog of smoke, with the most extreme wildfires the nation has ever seen decimating an area the size of Syria (18.6m hectares or 46 million acres) and killing billions of animals. By January, the smoke had travelled to New Zealand and then across the South Pacific Ocean to Chile and Argentina.
Hot on the tail of Black Summer came COVID-19. Both Australia and New Zealand responded relatively swiftly to this threat, imposing physical distancing measures and in parts strict lockdowns that have left the region almost COVID free (for now). Both these disasters have brought into sharp focus the interconnectedness of humans with their natural environment. They have highlighted the urgent need to reverse the degradation and fragmentation of natural ecosystems: not only to ensure human health, but also to protect wildlife and biodiversity and support a more sustainable economy.
Eurosite-ELCN to launch new project on private land conservation
Eurosite - the European Land Conservation Network (ELCN) is set to start a new four-year project by the beginning of December. With the help of a LIFE project grant from the European Commission, the project intends to expand the use of private land conservation tools in the European Union, to improve the financial incentives and funding for private land conservation, to foster citizen engagement in private land conservation and to continue the existing networking among organisations and individuals engaged in private land conservation with the aim to establish a durable governance structures for private land conservation in Europe.
The project is unique as, for the first time in Europe, it will bring together two existing networks representing private landowners (ELO) and conservationists (Eurosite) as well as many of their respective member organisations. These two communities have previously investigated the potential of private land conservation in the EU in parallel, but separate projects - LIFE L.I.F.E. and LIFE ELCN. As one the first steps in the new project, Eurosite and ELO will create a “Conservation Landowners Coalition”, representing a permanent platform for the exchange of ideas and development of joint initiatives of these two stakeholder groups.
In close partnership with the ILCN, the project will also strive to exchange experience and knowledge with private land conservation organisations from outside the EU - so you! For instance, it will continue to investigate and adopt successful models for private land conservation, such as the US land trust approach.
Eurosite - ELCN will make sure to link and communicate all relevant project activities to the ILCN through its regional representative programme and will make relevant outputs accessible to its members. For further information, feel free to contact our European ILCN representative and project coordinator at Eurosite Carolina Halevy (chalevy@eurosite.org).
COVID-19 and the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders By Shawn Johnson, University of Montana Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and ILCN Regional Representative for North America
COVID-19 has disrupted our lives, exposed ruptures in our institutions, and left too many families with an empty seat at the table. In the middle of this disruption, anxiety, and loss, I recently had a chance to participate in something antithetical to the global pandemic – something hopeful, healing, and nurturing. It took place in a now-familiar meeting space, the gallery view of a Zoom meeting. But it almost immediately felt different. There were 32 of us, most seeing one another for the first time, full of anxiety for being together in a new space, yet surrounded by familiar environs, and cocooned in the yellow outline of our box on the screen. We were welcomed by our young facilitators to this new meeting space for emerging conservation leaders to come together to explore our shared interests, share our anxieties, and consider what we might do simply by sharing our life journeys and hopes for what lies ahead.
The provocative start to the meeting posed the question of whether any of us needed another Zoom meeting or another networking opportunity in our lives just now. As many of us were surely thinking the answer was no, the facilitator said that she thought this gathering, this network, this conversation was exactly what we needed right now because its only purpose was to help us all find our voice and find our path as conservation leaders.
Beijing Forum on Ecological Civilization and High-Quality Urbanization Shenmin Liu, ILCN Regional Representative for Asia and Research Analyst at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
The Peking University — Lincoln Institute Center for Urban Development and Land Policy (PLC) co-hosted a sub-forum of the Beijing Forum, on the main theme of ecological civilization and high-quality urbanization, on November 6 Beijing Time.
The Beijing Forum is an annual international academic event co-sponsored by Peking University, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, and Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies.
Montis launches crowdfunding campaign to support the conversion of their properties to native woods
Photo Credit: Montis. Montis, a nature conservation organization based in Vouzela, Portugal, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the conversion of abandoned eucalyptus plantations to native habitats. Controlled removal of overwhelming eucalyptus vegetation on these areas allows for the expansion of biodiverse native woods, but requires a time and labor intensive series of manual removal efforts, as well as several years of direct management and regeneration.
Landscape Dialogue: Integrated landscape strategies to reach post-2020 biodiversity conservation goals 7 December, 2020 09:00-10:30 Eastern Time
Online
Join the next Landscape Roundtable convened by FAO and EcoAgriculture Partners to gain insights from distinguished speakers as they discuss and share their vision for how integrated landscape approaches could guide major initiatives pursuing post-2020 biodiversity goals. Originally scheduled to follow the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (now scheduled for May 2021 in Kunming, China), this dialogue aims to set the stage for a sprint over the next decade to reverse global biodiversity decline.
During the Roundtable, Midori Paxton, UNDP Head of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, will give a keynote presentation on translating biodiversity goals into practical action in landscapes. Distinguished panelists will respond to the presentation and share their own thoughts and ideas on achieving biodiversity goals.
GLP Webinar: Social-ecological Land Systems of South America, a presentation of the LASELS Working Group 10 December, 2020 15:00 Central European Time
09:00am Eastern Time
Online
In this webinar you will hear about the concept of Socio-Ecological Land Systems (SELS) for South America presented by Dr. Sebastien Boillat. You will also be introduced to a novel spatial characterization of SELS for South America by Ms. Lucía Zarbá. The SELS maps and their descriptions will be open for discussion afterwards.
The webinar will conclude with a presentation of the LASELS Working group and the upcoming agenda by Dr. María Piquer-Rodríguez, which will be then open for discussion.
Thaidene Nëné—How North America's New 6.5 Million Acre Protected Area Became a Reality 10 December, 2020 12:00-13:00 Eastern Time
Online
Join The Nature Conservancy for a Nature Connects webinar with Tracey Williams, Nature United's Northwest Territories Conservation Lead. Learn how The Nature Conservancy, along with its Canadian affiliate, Nature United, helped Thaidene Nëné become a reality by providing the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation with strategic, financial and technical support for over a decade. This support provided the First Nation with the resources to manage the land according to their values, a true gamechanger that enabled indigenous leadership to protect the 6.5 million-acre Thaidene Nëné, which includes Canada's newest national park.
Protected Areas Under Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities 19-21 January 2021 Online
Protected areas (PAs) have long been the cornerstone of conservation. However, some authors question their utility in a world where species distributions are changing in response to climate change. New species of conservation concern may move into reserves, meaning PAs will remain valuable but for different reasons.
This therefore raises the question of whether the current system of designation is fit for purpose. Can a new system be designed to allow for species movement and community change? Could this allow protected areas to remain effective in a changing world, balancing the increased demand for Nature Based Solutions and considering management options to aid adaptation to climate change?
The Stewardship Network Conference 2021 27-29 January, 2021
The Stewardship Network Conference is where theory meets practice and curiosity leads to solutions. Each year, hundreds of professionals, students, and volunteers from an array of environmental fields connect to share their setbacks and successes; technological advancements and analytical techniques; diverse perspectives and artistic expressions as we collectively find the best ways to care for our land and water. The Stewardship Network provides the structure, space, and catalytic resources for meaningful collaboration that benefits our natural world. This interdisciplinary conference harnesses the power of the network to build bridges between knowledge, culture, and community in order to support the ecosystems around us that are continually threatened and changing. Sessions include topics such as restoring oak openings, heat islands, wild rice, community engagement, invasive species management, project case studies and an entire track on collaborative leadership. The Stewardship Network Conference prides itself on cultivating a welcoming and accepting atmosphere. Come as you are and be ready to explore new thoughts and perspectives. Whether you’re new to the environmental field or seasoned veteran, there’s something for everyone at our Network’s annual gathering! See the full agenda for more information.
We are excited to share stories from ILCN members. If you have a successful conservation initiative, story, event, or webinar to share, then please contact us at ILCN@lincolninst.edu.
The mission of the International Land Conservation Network is to connect organizations and people around the world that are accelerating voluntary private and civic sector action that protects and stewards land and water resources.
Learn more at landconservationnetwork.org.
On November 24th, the ILCN and ELCN hosted a webinar session focusing on Natura 2000, a network of protected areas covering 18% of land and 10% of marine waters for the most valuable and threatened species and habitats across all 28 countries of the European Union. This is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world.
What a year 2020 has been. In Australia, we entered it in a fog of smoke, with the most extreme wildfires the nation has ever seen decimating an area the size of Syria (18.6m hectares or 46 million acres) and killing billions of animals. By January, the smoke had travelled to New Zealand and then across the South Pacific Ocean to Chile and Argentina.
The Peking University — Lincoln Institute Center for Urban Development and Land Policy (PLC) co-hosted a sub-forum of the Beijing Forum, on the main theme of ecological civilization and high-quality urbanization, on November 6 Beijing Time.
