We hope you’re having a wonderful summer and spending plenty of time outside! We’ve been busy working on conservation outreach, and putting together a fall hike-a-thon fundraiser that we hope you’ll attend. Save the date on September 24, and stay tuned for more information and a link to register!
Kittatinny Workshops: community outreach & collaboration
Ridge and Valley Conservancy co-hosted two community conservation workshops with The Nature Conservancy as part of our Appalachian Trail Viewshed Initiative. This initiative will increase our capability to preserve the Appalachian Trail Landscape and the Appalachian Valley and Ridge region and is funded by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Wild East Action Fund.
The public workshops held last month and in April were attended by more than 60 people, including government officials, local open-space committee members, and concerned citizens interested in environmental preservation.
Conservation experts presented on the ecological significance of the Kittatinny Ridge and Valley region, preservation funding, and an ongoing local preservation project. The final presentation provided a look at the New Jersey Conservation Blueprint, a public mapping tool that will help conservation stakeholders focus their efforts on the most critical sites.
Attendees broke into small groups following presentations to discuss conservation concerns and goals in their own communities. Their feedback from this and future sessions will be incorporated into our conservation plans moving forward. We are excited to continue these community conversations.
If you or your organization is involved in conservation and interested in participating in future workshops, please contact lynda@ridgeandvalleyconservancy.org.
Thank you to our presenters: Lynda Tower, Ridge and Valley Conservancy; Tricia Aspinwall, The Nature Conservancy; Dr. John Hasse, Rowan University; Bill Rawlyk, Open Space Institute; Sandy Urgo, The Land Conservancy of NJ; and the workshop committee members who made the event possible.
Landowners and their legacy
We met with local landowners who expressed interest in making land preservation a part of their lasting legacy. The event was hosted by RVC trustee Chris Hepburn, who spoke about her personal journey to preserve Birch Ridge Ravine and Lightning Bug Hollow. Our legal counsel, Matt Dank, and estate lawyer Jennifer Skarda-McCann shared information about the process and benefits to landowners of incorporating conservation into their estate and legacy plans. Participants enjoyed the views protected in perpetuity through RVC action, asked each other important questions, and learned from each other.
If you or a family member is interested in learning more about supporting land preservation through planned or legacy giving, you can find more information here, or contact susi@ridgeandvalleyconservancy.org