In 2021, the symposium served as the first major public convening focused on next steps for the Biden administration’s America the Beautiful initiative. Top-level officials from the U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture, as well as the White House Council on Environmental Quality, explored how to conserve 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030.

The two-day event featured researchers, practitioners, and political leaders from Canada, Mexico, and Indigenous territories, who—along with their U.S. counterparts—explored the state of progress toward similar large landscape conservation goals at the continental scale, and highlight lessons learned from other national-level efforts, such as Canada’s Pathway to Target One. A variety of keynote presentations and panels events focused on transboundary partnerships, the role of Indigenous nations, and best practices to achieve large landscape goals in the face of climate change in North America. Together, we looked at science and data, policies, and case studies to better understand the benefits that transboundary work can deliver for biodiversity, climate, and human resilience.

You can watch the full recording of Day 1 and Day 2, and session recordings from the symposium include:

Thriving Cities Challenge Finalist Pitch Fest

Contact Information

Catie Boehmer: catie.boehmer@colostate.edu

Sponsored by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Trinchera Blanca Foundation, VF Foundation, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Mighty Arrow Family Foundation, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, Great Outdoors Colorado, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Northern Latitudes Partnerships, and Wilburforce Foundation

Key Themes

  • Connectivity
  • Crossing boundaries
  • Healthy landscapes
  • Indigenous conservation
  • Large landscapes