Birds Georgia’s Post

🌲Offering a path forward through Wildlands protection.🌲 This time last year the study, Wildlands in New England: Past, Present, and Future, was released which filled a critical knowledge gap by providing an inventory of the location, characteristics, and protection status of all 1.3 million acres of Wildlands across the six New England states. Created by Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities in collaboration with NEWT, Harvard Forest, and the Highstead Foundation the impact of this report has been a call to action to include Wildlands protection as part of an integrated approach to conservation that also includes forests managed for wood products, natural spaces for recreation and renewal, and farmlands that produce local food — all existing among communities that rely on the health and beauty of the land that they call home. Once such example of integrated Wildlands is Muddy Pond Wilderness Preserve: "The distribution of many newer smaller Wildlands in suburbs and more densely populated areas, such as Muddy Pond Wilderness Preserve in exurban Kingston, Massachusetts, halfway between Boston and New Bedford, represents a growing emphasis on increasing accessibility for broader populations, and achieving Henry David Thoreau’s vision of a natural park in every town. (Wildlands in New England page 60)" 🔗 Check out the report here: https://lnkd.in/ecY2vn-y #landprotection #newengland #foreverwild #landtrust

Why does Colorado need more funding to protect its lands, wildlife, and recreation? Read our latest blog to find out why. 👇 Nearly one-third of Colorado’s lands have already been altered by human development –placing Colorado at the highest percentage of natural areas already lost to development among Western states. And with just 13% of lands protected from new development, the gap between lands protected and lands already developed is among the highest in the West. 🏔️ 🐻 https://lnkd.in/dP8q7Bpu

Be sure to check out the recently released #30x30 Progress Report by California Natural Resources Agency! 🎉 We're proud of the progress made through partnerships between our member land trusts, CCLT, and the State. Here are some standouts: 🌎 The Eastern Sierra Land Trust received a Department of Conservation (DOC) Climate Smart Land Management grant to help tribes build capacity over the next 3.5 years. The funding will support partnerships to increase land conservation and greater tribal participation in 30x30 and climate-smart land management efforts, create a regional collaboration hub for tribes and communities. Read more on Page 9! 🌎 California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Cutting the Green Tape program supported Redwoods Rising, a collaboration among Save the Redwoods League, California State Parks, and the National Park Service with a goal of restoring 80,000 acres of Redwood National and State Parks. Read more on Page 24! 🌎 The Land Trust of Napa County acquired the 2,300-acre Walt Ranch property, located within two important wildlife corridors: the Marin Coast (Point Reyes National Seashore)-to-Mendocino National Forest and the Blue Ridge. Read more on Page 26! Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4gkiQgv

Dive into a brief history of how the Presidio Tunnel Tops came to be from WaterNow Alliance's Cynthia Koehler. The Tunnel Tops, located above CA-101, opened in 2022 and helped connect people to parks, wildlife, and the Bay. Green infrastructure, including native plants, helps capture stormwater and prevent pollution from entering our local waterways. Check out this quick clip to learn more about this beautiful and important green space!

🦉 Did you know parts of Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside are important bird habitats for Merlins, Golden Plovers and short-eared Owls? We want to ensure that new homes and businesses in these areas have safeguards in place to avoid harm to these species 🗣️ The Joint Supplementary Planning Document is a key part of this, and we want your input to help shape it. https://lnkd.in/e8nvqde9

🦉 Did you know parts of Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside are important bird habitats for Merlins, Golden Plovers and short-eared Owls? We want to ensure that new homes and businesses in these areas have safeguards in place to avoid harm to these species 🗣️ The Joint Supplementary Planning Document is a key part of this, and we want your input to help shape it. https://lnkd.in/eeivr_XS

Tune in to the Minnesota DNR’s livestream of the annual greater prairie-chicken mating ritual at The Nature Conservancy’s Bluestem Prairie in Clay County, Minnesota. Early risers can witness the intricate courtship display where prairie-chickens hop, strut, flap their wings, fill their vibrant orange air sacs, and make a low booming sound. (Late risers can rewind the stream to see what they missed!) Prairie-chickens were once abundant across the Great Plains. Today, there are only about 360,000 living in small pockets of grassland. Habitat loss is the main culprit for the greater prairie-chickens’ decline. The birds rely on large, nearly treeless grassland. Most of their original range has been converted to agriculture over the last several decades, reducing their suitable habitat to a small fraction of what it once was. At The Nature Conservancy, we’re working to protect and restore this habitat to help prairie-chickens thrive. https://nature.ly/3TNZzd5

Learn how you can help!

Simple rock and brush structures, built along streams, can create wet meadows where wildlife and native plants can thrive. See for yourself how these low-cost structures can transform the land. This short video is brought to you by the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership, a network of partners that includes federal and state land managers, nonprofits, local businesses, and landowners dedicated to the responsible stewardship of southwestern Montana's sagebrush sea: https://buff.ly/3La4vFg Feeling inspired after watching the video? This on-demand webinar called "Low-Tech Wet Meadow Restoration: Reading the Landscape to Recognize Opportunities" is a great starting point for learning more about these simple and effective projects.

🌲 Fall Trail Closures: Why They Matter for Colorado’s Public Lands 🍂 With fall in full swing, many of Colorado’s trails close for seasonal reasons, but these closures play a vital role in protecting wildlife habitats and preserving the trails we love. 🦌 Whether it’s elk migration or prepping trails for winter use, respecting these closures ensures the sustainability of our public lands. 🔍 How to Stay Informed: - Visit local land management websites (U.S. Forest Service, BLM, Colorado Parks & Wildlife). - Use trail apps like COTREX to check current conditions. - Follow your favorite parks and trails for real-time updates. When we understand and respect these closures, we contribute to the long-term health of Colorado’s wilderness. Let’s do our part to support conservation and responsible recreation! 🌄 #TrailClosures #ColoradoOutdoors #PublicLands #Sustainability #Conservation #ResponsibleRecreation