PRESS RELEASE
October 23, 2006The Trustees of Reservations to Hold 4th Annual Conference
Managing Land & Visitors: “Engaging People in Successful Action"
November 3, 2006
Sponsored by the Putnam Conservation Institute
Doyle Conservation Center, Leominster, MA
Leominster, MA – October 23, 2006 – The Trustees of Reservations’ Putnam Conservation Institute announced today it will hold its 4th annual conference entitled: “Managing Land and Visitors: Engaging People in Successful Action” on November 3, 2006 at the Doyle Center in Leominster. This year’s conference is designed to connect staff and volunteer leaders from organizations like state conservation and recreation departments, land trusts, watershed associations, local parks departments, conservation commissions, nature centers, and more, to discuss effective strategies for engaging individuals in the care of natural and historic places. In addition to providing opportunities for professional development, conference attendees will learn new strategies to awaken a new generation of leaders, advocates and volunteers.
The need to engage more people in successful community action is imminent. Many individuals and families are disconnected from the land and unaware of how their involvement-whether it is through advocacy or stewardship-is crucial to protecting quality of life in their communities. People often don’t realize that the special places they love require effort to conserve them and fail to put needed pressure on state and local governments to act in favor of community interests.
“Even though population is not increasing in Massachusetts, the amount of land being developed per person continues to grow. The more over-sized homes, stores and parking lots there are, the less green space there will be. This will continue to erode the ecological and cultural fabric of our communities unless more of us join together and become active stewards and advocates on their behalf,” says Andy Kendall, President of The Trustees of Reservations. “When a person takes action, whether it is to vote at a town meeting about saving a cherished neighborhood farm from development, to clear debris from a beach, or to rebuild a hiking trail, the reaction is very likely a greater understanding and appreciation for what it takes to maintain that special place, and, in turn, continued action.”
This year’s Managing Land & Visitors program committee was comprised of leaders from: the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, The Trustees of Reservations, the National Park Service’s Conservation Study Institute, the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Mass Audubon, the Groton Conservation Trust, Historic New England, and Outdoor Explorations.
Workshop tracks include: Planning and Leading, Emerging Ideas and Approaches, Connecting People to Places, Volunteer Projects with Multiple Benefits and New Thoughts on Perennial Problems. For a full schedule of lectures and speakers, call Angel Vega at 978.840.4446 x1934 or visit us online at www.TheTrustees.org/PutnamConservationInstitute.cfm. Registration is limited to 150 and spaces fill early.
About The Doyle Conservation Center and Putnam Conservation Institute.
The Trustees of Reservations launched the Putnam Conservation Institute at The Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster, MA, in 2003 to provide training and encourage cooperation and joint action among organizations and individuals who share similar concerns about protecting special places. Having just received the U.S. Green Building Council’s “gold rating” as a green building the Doyle Conservation Center is one of only three buildings of its kind showcasing this degree of sustainable architecture and design. It draws hundreds of visitors from in and out of state to learn more about conservation and sustainable design.
About The Trustees of Reservations
Founded in 1891, The Trustees of Reservations are the nation's oldest regional conservation land trust. Supported by more than 40,000 members, The Trustees protect Massachusetts' natural and historic resources for everyone to enjoy. From working farms to historic homesteads, barrier beaches to mountain vistas, The Trustees own and manage nearly 25,000 acres on 96 reservations in 70 communities across Massachusetts, including four National Historic Landmarks, a National Natural Landmark, and seven properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Trustees hold perpetual conservation restrictions on nearly 16,000 acres—more than any other conservation organization in Massachusetts—permanently protecting scenic and natural areas from development, and have assisted in the protection of nearly 16,000 additional acres.
With the support of more than 13,500 donors, The Trustees recently completed a landmark capital campaign, raising $63 million in cash and receiving more than $35 million in land in just five years—the largest campaign by an environmental organization in Massachusetts’ history. Funds raised have been used to establish ten new reservations on 1,685 acres—all are open to the public.
In addition, The Trustees just finalized a permanent affiliation with Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN), to act with one voice for conservation in Boston. Established in 1977, BNAN is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together Boston residents, city officials, partner organizations and foundations to preserve, expand and protect open space, including community gardens, greenways and urban wilds. The partnership will enable BNAN and The Trustees to expand conservation efforts in Boston and impact the development of other urban locations in the future.
The Trustees employ 150 full-time and 400 seasonal staff with expertise in many areas, including ecology, education, historic resources, land protection, conservation, land management, and planning. To find out how you can interview Trustees’ experts on important topics and issues, volunteer, seek employment or become a member, please call The Trustees of Reservations at 781.784.0567, visit our website at www.thetrustees.org, or email us at membership@ttor.org.