collaboration. We work together to preserve land, parks, trails, farms, ranches, forests, watersheds, and other open spaces. We have been around since 1990. This is our blog.
Is it something you do personally but not sure how it fits in at work? A nice thing but not central to your organization's mission? Is it totally fascinating and maybe a bit overwhelming? Or would you say something more like this:
Of course social media is a huge topic - both because of its complexity and because it's so *now*.
Join us for a fully wired and completely plugged-in conversation about social media. Land conservation and environmental organizations are using the internet to engage with people, build movements, tell their stories, and achieve their mission. How can we all use these tools in our work to preserve land and connect people to it? What are the strategies we should all have in mind? What is possible?
Our Almost-Spring Gathering will be held on March 15 from 10am-1pm at the Brower Center in downtown Berkeley. Our panel will include:
From their website: Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (JRBP) is located near Stanford University's campus in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Preserve encompasses remarkable geologic, topographic, and biotic diversity within its 481 hectares (1,189 acres) and provides a natural laboratory for researchers from all over the world, educational experiences to students and docent-led visitors, and refuge to native plants and animals.
In addition to Jasper Ridge, we continue to thank our members as they renew their memberships. You can see the latest on Flickr. We want to give a special shout-out to the Chair of our Executive Committee:
California’s Rangeland Could Take a Hit from Climate Change. California’s ranchers could face a tougher economic future under climate change. The grasslands they depend on to feed their cattle could shrink by almost 40% by the end of the century, according to a study from Duke University and the Environmental Defense Fund. (KQED)
Attend a 3-day, hands-on workshop on Holistic goal setting, decision-making, and land use planning at Paicines Ranch, a working ranch since the 1800’s.
Celebration in Honor of Hulet Hornbeck's Life, February 26, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. in Tilden. Event information here. Read more about his life here.
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Every Wednesday we post a list of news - with some art, videos and fun thrown in - related to the members, partners, supporters, and friends of the Open Space Council. Scroll through all of these posts here. And let us know if we should include anything in next week's Happenings.
It's raining! The Rainy Season Gathering brought the rain to Berkeley. It's official. (for those of you reading this from out of state and wondering why this is even being talked about, it hasn't rained since mid-December. it's been bone dry. we're very excited that it's raining!)
More importantly though, we had a very full room of 100+ people to talk about cultural relevancy today at the Brower Center in Berkeley. One attendee said it was "my favorite Gathering yet." The panelists spoke from the heart - causing some in the audience to tear up at a few points - and spoke from experience in connecting people to land, and land to people. The panelists were:
A BIG thanks to Avery, Sam, Jered, Rue and Paul for their time and for telling their stories. Thank you to Back to Earth for catering a delicious lunch. And thanks to everyone for taking the time in your busy lives to participate in this conversation.
The presentations from Paul Ringgold and Sam Hodder are available on our Events page. Scroll down to Past Events to find the Rainy Season Gathering.
The next Gathering will be on March 15 at the Brower Center. The topic will be social media and registration is now open. Who's coming?
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12:04pm: Bettina is wrapping up with some themes:
So much is possible if we work together
We need to continue to listen to each other
We need to remember to connect with nature ourselves
LUNCH!
12:02pm: For the record, it hasn't started raining yet here in Berkeley.
11:57am: We have one more question and then lunch will be served. I'm guessing that there will be a swarm of people who ignore lunch and instead surround the speakers. There is a lot interest in this topic and these speakers have told some powerful stories.
11:54am: There have been so many great questions! And a rich conversation about so many aspects of connecting people and land: race, class, privilage, power, funding, scale, farming, how to get more kids out onto farms, transportation, ecosystem services, venture philanthropy, regional funding, urban spaces, rural spaces, feeling safe, ... so much more. I wish that I could type faster so I could capture it all.
11:27am: Avery is thanking Jered and opening it up to questions.
11:26am: Jered is wrapping up. Applause!
11:17am: We are watching this film about Pie Ranch:
11:16am: Jered described his upbringing and those transformative experiences he had in the natural world. I can't even try to capture what he said and is saying. He's way too eloquent and speaks too fast for my fingers :)
Because of Jered's experience as a kid, Pie Ranch has integrated all kinds of youth programming into its mission and programs. Clearly he is doing soul fulfilling work.
11:07am: Avery is now talking about how important farms and food are. And now she's introducing Jered Lawson from Pie Ranch. Do you know Pie Ranch?
11:06am: POST is very interested in working with small farmers and increase this connection between people and land. Paul wrapped up - applause!
11:02am: Paul: "How do we create mechanisms that would allow young or cash poor farmers to build equity? Keep farmland affordable? In large part this is inspired by our work with Pie Ranch which we'll hear more about soon."
POST has conducted a lot of research about what tools exist around the country and what role POST can do to support small, sustainable farming operations.
10:56am: Paul is sharing slides that show the growth of the Bay Area. The maps he's showing highlight the agricultural lands of the Bay Area, and those under the Farmland Protection Program:
"One of the concerns we hear at POST is that we are focused on the land. We haven't been focused on communities. And we're working to change that."
10:54am: Paul admitted that he is from Los Angeles. And he used to play under the Hollywood sign when he was young boy. TPL has worked recently to protect that open space and park and Paul thanked Sam and TPL for their work on that.
10:53am: Avery is now introducing Paul Ringgold from POST. Here is his bio:
Mr. Ringgold joined POST in 1999 undertaking various land acquisition projects. He continues in this role as well as being responsible for land stewardship planning and land management oversight. Prior to coming to POST he was a policy research associate at the Pinchot Institute of Conservation in Washington, D.C and served as a land manager and ecosystem research program director with the University of Washington. Mr. Ringgold holds a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University.
10:52am: "We are going in and listening," said Sam. He talked about a few of their projects. And he wrapped up. Avery thanked Sam - applause!
10:46am: Sam Hodder: "The Trust for Public Land is in its nature dependent on partnerships. This is particularly important in urban settings and that's what I'm going to talk about today."
10:42am: Sam wants to acknowledge the Open Space Council and how it took their involvement to actually make some rain. It's not here yet, but they say it's coming!
"When we think regionally and think outside the box, this regional collaboration becomes a national model," said Sam.
Here is Sam's presentation:
10:41am: Welcoming Sam to the mic!
10:39am: Avery Cleary is back at the podium and is talking about Richard Louv's new book, The Nature Principle. Have you read it? Avery then thanked Rue. And is now introducing Sam Hodder from the Trust for Public Land.
10:37am: Rue is talking about authenticity. Real relationships cannot be faked. She closed by saying that she invites everyone her to join her in this work. Applause!
10:34am: Rue is also Program Officer at the Foundation for Youth Investment (FYI). FYI used to be a part of the Stewardship Council but has split off on its own.
"Sometimes it is assumed that by getting young people outside that they will transform their family. It's not always the case. We need to include the whole family in the outdoors," said Rue.
10:29am: Rue grew up in Oakland but had a family farm in Lake County. Then she went on an Outward Bound trip and that was a life-changing experience. She has also loved technology since she was very young.
10:27am: Rue Mapp is now speaking. She has a slideshow of images going in the background submitted by Outdoor Afro community members. And she just asked the attendees - all 100+ of them - to call out their first outdoor teacher. There were lots of names and places called out ranging from Mr. Smith to ocean and many more.
10:23am: Avery Cleary is now speaking and talking about the Children & Nature Network. "Today's topic is the most important topic we could possibly talk about."
10:20am: Bettina Ring, our fearless Executive Director, is speaking to the group about the work that the Open Space Council. Our conference is coming up on May 10! More informaiton about that can be found here.
Bettina is introducing Avery Cleary, the Director of Grassroots Outreach for the Children & Nature Network. Here's Avery's bio:
Avery is the founder and Executive Director of Hooked On Nature. She is a member of the C&NN Grassroots Leadership Team and co-founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Children in Nature Collaborative. Over the past two decades Avery has been a spokesperson and advocate for reuniting people and nature. Avery has a background in early childhood education and community organizing. Her work has taken her into boardrooms, city council and law enforcement offices, juvenile justice programs, neighborhood meetings, classrooms, and living rooms where she has witnessed time and again the power people have to inspire each other when they feel hope, focus on solutions, and explore ways to integrate nature into their lives.
10:00am: Good morning! And welcome to the first Gathering of the year - our Rainy Season Gathering! This is Annie Burke and I'll be blogging this morning with quotes, photos, and links.
Today we're talking about cultural relevancy. As you know, the Bay Area is home to 7 million people. We speak many languages, celebrate different holidays, work in different jobs and professions, play and relax in so many ways, and serve an amazing array of different foods to our families. Across all those differences are some key commonalities including that we all value clean water, clean air, and healthy food. Land conservation provides those.
Also making a home in this region are thousands of farmers, local food activists, outdoor education programs, social and environmental justice organizations, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. In their own ways they are connecting people to the land. And without land, these passions and causes would look very different.
How do all of these pieces fit together? How is land conservation relevant to our communities? What can we all do to strengthen that connection? Those are the questions for today. Our panel includes:
"We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Sometimes our Gatherings focus on specific stewardship tools like grazing or on-the-ground projects like these dealing with climate change. Sometimes we pull together meetings to talk about details. Sometimes we convene groups to talk about challenges or opportunities.
At our Rainy Season Gathering this Thursday - for which there will be rain if the forecast is accurate - we are going to talk about the big picture. The "why" for our work in land conservation. Why do we do what we do? What is the connection between our daily tasks and our community? How do we stay relevant to the people who live near our parks and trails, farms and ranches?
Our panel consists of people doing a wide range of work here in the Bay Area. They are:
Ron Brown from Save Mount Diablo is going to talk about some unusual but very powerful partnerships they've formed. Do you know about Save Mount Diablo? Here's the big picture:
(Reading this on email? Click here to see this video on our blog)
This just in! Avery Cleary from the Children & Nature Network will join us as a moderator. You know the Children & Nature Network, don't you? Richard Louv? Last Child in the Woods? Of course you do.
(Reading this on email? Click here to see this video on our blog)
Jared Lawson of Pie Ranch is going to present along with Paul Ringgold of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) about how they worked together to preserve a little slice of the pie. This will give you more than just a taste of their work:
(Reading this on email? Click here to see this video on our blog)
And finally Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro and the Foundation for Youth Investment will talk about all of the work she does to connect people to the land. She was just written about in the Sustainable Business Forum and does so much to connect people and land. It's hard to pick one thing to highlight here. Look at the pictures submitted to the Outdoor Afro photo gallery:
Is your interest piqued? Appetite whet? There are 20 more spots in Thursday's Gathering. Register soon! And don't forget your umbrella. It's going to rain!
Golden Gate Bridge Birthday Party Plans. A seventy-fifth birthday is a big deal for anyone – let alone a world famous icon. This May marks the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge and of course the Bay Area rarely passes on a reason to party. (NBC)
Activists sign up in droves for Bay Area transit plan meetings. The hottest ticket in town is an unexpected draw. Seats for workshops on a plan for Bay Area development and transportation to reduce greenhouse gases have all been snapped up, and there are long waiting lists for those anxious to take part in the action. (Mercury News)
Mercury News editorial: Bay Area regional plan for growth makes sense. The movement to finally align Bay Area transportation planning with land-use plans for housing and other development has caught the attention of the tea party, and that is a very good thing. (Mercury News)
New Social Network Helps Nature Lovers Plant Urban Trees. Trees have long been the poster child of those who support environmental protection and conservation. A new social network called The Grove makes it easy to engage in sustainable living behaviors and protect the nation’s dwindling urban tree canopy. (Care2)
Deadline Looms for Solano’s Rockville Trails. With the clock ticking toward a February deadline, the nonprofit Solano Land Trust is working to purchase 1,500 acres of land known as Rockville Trails in Solano County. Located across the road from Fairfield's Rockville Park, this property has been slated for estate housing for at least 30 years. (Bay Nature)
Bay Nature Magazine Honors 2012 Local Environmental Heroes. A pioneer of the field of historical ecology, a conservation leader who is leading efforts to confront climate change, and a high school student dedicated to protecting San Francisco Bay are this year’s recipients of Bay Nature Institute’s 2012 Local Hero Awards. (Bay Nature)
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Every Wednesday we post a list of news - with some art, videos and fun thrown in - related to the members, partners, supporters, and friends of the Open Space Council. Scroll through all of these posts here. And let us know if we should include anything in next week's Happenings.
Are you coming to our Gathering next week? It's almost sold out. It'll be January 19, 2012 from 10am-1pm at the Brower Center in Berkeley and we'll be talking about cultural relevancy, how to be inclusive, and the connection of land and people. Speakers include folks from Save Mount Diablo, Trust for Public Land, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Outdoor Afro, and Pie Ranch. Come join the fun! Registration is open, but I'm not sure for how much longer.
Have you read Elizabeth Ptak's article entitled Capturing Hearts and Minds? It was featured in the Winter issue of the Land Trust Alliance's magazine, Saving Land. It was one of the inspirations for next week's Gathering on cultural relevancy, inclusiveness, and connecting people and land.
One of the examples in the article is LandPaths, a nonprofit land trust in Sonoma County and member of the Open Space Council. Surely you've heard someone from LandPaths speak... Craig Anderson presents at Rally, he spoke about State Parks at our last Gathering, Magdalena Ridley spoke at our conference in 2010 and also at the Bay Nature event we partnered on last fall, and probably dozens of other events around the Bay Area and state. Their story is powerful and if you haven't heard it yet, hop over to their website and find a way to hear it.
This group of local leaders and innovators will share stories of urban parks, local food, and new perspectives. They use videos and Facebook to connect with people. And they will be speaking at our Rainy Season Gathering on Thursday, January 19 from 10am-1pm at the Brower Center in Berkeley. Now, if it would just rain then the name of this annual Gathering would make more sense.
A local and organic lunch will be served and there will be plenty of time for seeing friends, making connections and building partnerships.
More Open Space Council members are renewing their memberships. And our online appreciations continue to grow.
We are really appreciative of our members support, their hard work to preserve land and connect people to it, but we also just had a lot of fun with the camera.
Land conservation benefits from economic downturn. Tough economic times have been a bonanza for land trusts and nonprofit conservation groups, which have recently been buying rights to California redwood groves, beaches, oak savannahs and timberland at a feverish pace. (SF Chronicle)
Richardson Bay atoll renovated as nature preserve. An all-but-forgotten island in the northwest corner of Richardson Bay has become a testing ground for the notion that a functioning ecosystem can be built out of human excavation refuse. (SF Chronicle)
Local butterfly could land on endangered list. The bay checkerspot butterfly's numbers have declined so drastically in recent years that federal officials last week recommended upgrading its status from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act. (Gilroy Dispatch) This is for you, Stu.
A Little Help from Our Friends. Local organizations are scrambling to rescue their favorite state parks. Is this the dawn of a new era of cooperation or yet another sign of the decline of California's once-proud state park system? Or both? (Bay Nature)
Bay Area artists to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. Celebrated by poets and painters, known as the “gateway to the Pacific,” the Golden Gate Bridge has been considered the the iconic symbol of San Francisco since it was finished in 1937. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this remarkable landmark. (Examiner)
Bay Area tries to rein in greenhouse gases with growth/transportation plans. Regional planners are holding public workshops this month with five alternatives for the plan being called One Bay Area. The plan will cover transportation and development planning for the nine Bay Area counties through 2035. (Mercury News)
Every Wednesday we post a round-up of news - with some art, videos and fun thrown in - related to the members, partners, supporters, and friends of the Open Space Council. Scroll through all of these posts here. And let us know if we should include anything in next week's Happenings.
Our next Gathering will be January 19, 2012 from 10am-1pm at the Brower Center in Berkeley. We'll be talking about cultural relevancy, how to be inclusive, and the connection of land and people. Speakers include folks from Trust for Public Land, Peninsula Open Space Trust, and Pie Ranch. More speakers to be announced. Registration is now open.
We are looking for photographs and art for our 2012 Open Space conference printed program. The theme of the conference is “Bridges” and we’ll be highlighting the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th anniversary. We’ll also be talking about the metaphor of bridges including those related to youth, inclusion of diverse peoples, wildlife corridors, and more. We are looking for images that work well in print, in color, and 8.5x11 or smaller.
Submit pictures of your work to our Flickr group by March 1, 2012. Entries will be selected for inclusion in the printed program by Open Space Council staff. Enter as often as you want. The winners will also be shared on our website and blog.
Questions? Email Annie Burke at annie at openspacecouncil dot org
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