Setting the Stage: Understanding the Conservation Partnerships Working Paper and its Implications for Climate Change Solutions

‘How Landscape Conservation Partnerships Are Working to Address Climate Change’ is a working paper created by The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, in partnership with the Network for Landscape Conservation (NLC) and the University of Montana that explores the role of large landscape conservation in providing nature-based climate solutions. It presents effective practices and recommendations that can accelerate and broaden the benefits of landscape conservation and restoration in meeting climate goals.

In this webinar, several of the architects of the paper will discuss how the research was conducted and analyzed, their motivation for embarking on this journey, and their hopes for what impact the report will have for the environment.

Speakers: 

Ernest Cook, Network for Landscape Conservation 

Ernest (he/him) worked for the Trust for Public Land from 1980-2018. He served in positions as varied as top budget manager, head of institutional philanthropy, senior real estate negotiator, and director of government relations and public finance. He is particularly recognized for founding a “conservation finance” program that has played a leading role in generating over $90 billion in new state and local government funds for parks and land conservation through legislative advocacy and ballot measures. Ernest is known for innovation, confident leadership and team building, with strengths in marketing, research and program development. As a grant maker, grant seeker and donor advisor, he has a keen understanding of the transformational potential of philanthropy.

Jim Levitt, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy 

Jim (he/him) is the director of the International Land Conservation Network (ILCN) at the Lincoln Institute. The ILCN, which Levitt cofounded in 2014, now has partnerships with leading civic sector (NGO) and private land conservation organizations on six continents, including organizations based in nations as far-flung as Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain and Romania. The mission of the ILCN is to connect organizations around the world that are accelerating voluntary private and civic sector action to protect and steward land and water resources.

Stefanie Covino, Blackstone Watershed Collaborative

Stefanie (she/her) manages the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative based at Clark University, which serves to improve climate resilience and watershed health through capacity building and technical assistance in the bi-state watershed’s 39 communities. She has an MS in Environmental Science and Policy from Clark University and is a Keystone Cooperator and MVP Certified Provider. Her interests include land use planning, natural resource protection, stormwater management, ecological restoration, and equitable nature-based solutions to reduce climate hazards and improve community resilience.

This webinar is part a the series: Case Studies in Collaborative Land Conservation: Lessons on Tackling the Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss Crises