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 Registration for the virtual 2021 RCP Network Gathering is now open! The event will take place on Thursday, November 18th from 9:00am - 3:00pm via Zoom. Please register for the event here.

The theme for this year's gathering is "Land Justice," which asks how can we form meaningful partnerships with historically excluded people to build more resilient regions and communities? How can RCPs support, amplify, and replicate the successes of neighborhoods, grassroots groups, communities, networks, and

Join Highstead, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,  Audubon Vermont, and the Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative for the upcoming Bird-friendly Forestry webinar series focused on best practices in habitat restoration and forestry management for birds in New England, with a focus on at-risk species. These webinars are designed and open for Regional Conservation Partnership leaders, partners, and forestry and conservation professionals.

Steve Hagenbuch, Senior Conservation Biologist and Fo

The Network for Landscape Conservation (NLC) (RCP Network and RCPs are members) have a Virtual Policy Forum coming up in a few weeks that will focus on science, knowledge, and networks.  This event from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm on May 19, 2021, is being jointly hosted by the NLC and the California Landscape Stewardship Network.  It will address aspects of the 30x30 initiative, knowledge diversity, disciplinary diversity in the sciences, and the role of--and needs for--science/knowledge in collaborati

Illustration by Marc Boudreaux

Dear RCP Network partners, 

Conservation mapping models can inform conservation decisions, provide a better understanding of natural resource distribution, and prioritize areas for conservation. The Norwalk Urban Conservation Mapping Project is a new tool developed by the Hudson to Housatonic RCP, the Norwalk Land Trust, and Highstead. 

As a follow-up to H2H's 2018 rural and suburban strategic conservation mapping efforts, we decided to dig deeper into one of our

Join ALPINE for our upcoming webinar:
Assessing Local Economic Impacts and Opportunities for Land Protection in New England

Thursday, December 3rd, 12:30pm-1:30pm

Katharine Sims will present research about the economic impacts of land protection in New England, conducted in collaboration with partners at the Harvard Forest and the Highstead Foundation. The project uses data from towns and cities across New England between 1990 and 2015 to understand how new land protection has affected local are

There’s still time to register for the day-long 2020 RCP Network Gathering (9am - 3pm, November 19th) focusing on building resilient communities on regional, state, and municipal levels. 

Register here to be part of a dynamic day of learning, discussion and brainstorming about plans and goals for collaborative land protection efforts in the region for the next 10 years! Click here to learn more about the panel topics. Registration closes on November 17 at 3 pm. 

Check out our in-depth Story Map

Is all conserved land created equal? For many animals and plants facing warming temperatures and dwindling habitats, the answer is no. One of the greatest challenges in conserving biodiversity is that coveted plants and animals are often already on the move, fleeing habitats that will become inhospitable in the near future due to rising global temperatures, increased flooding, and other climate changing forces. 

So where will these organisms go? And where should we prioritize conservation? For t

What do Stamford, CT; Bethel; ME, and Grand Lake Stream, ME have in common? They were able to bring communities together to invest in conserving land by focusing on – and delivering on – the economic value to the community.

Highstead has developed three case studies centered on the stories and experiences of these three New England communities. The case study summary and the individual case studies can be printed and downloaded as a communication tool to help translate the true economic value of

AMC's Conservation Conversations Webinar Oct. 14, 7 pm - 8 pm

Register here: https://outdoors.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kCChEH2IQk6-u4PVpdBDQg

Forests, trees, and green spaces make up 71% of the land in the Northeast. They protect communities—urban, suburban, and rural—in countless ways and are vital to our health and wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened our dependence on nature as people look to the outdoors for exercise, recreation, relaxation, and connection. Now more than ever w

The Northeast Forest Network (NFN), our sister network which is also coordinated by Highstead Foundation, is excited to launch the STAND UP FOR FORESTS campaign and wants to invite you to investigate our new website and the Forests Make Us Healthier messaging toolkit.

We consider protecting and stewarding forests, trees, and green spaces as the most important things we can do to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the Northeast. With your help we can expand our reach and urge all of our pr

The Long Island Sound Regional Conservation Partnership Program (LISW-RCPP) has announced its 2020 healthy forest reserve program grant round for Vermont only. The enrollment period runs from June 23 to July 24, 2020.

The purpose of the LISW-RCPP Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) grant round is to assist landowners, on a voluntary basis, in helping to restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private lands through permanent conservation easements. The LISW-RCPP has developed this

It's #NationalDrinkingWaterWeek! Thank you to all of our partners who make #sustainingthesaco and protecting our drinking water sources possible! We appreciate you and all the work that you do.

National Drinking Water Week 2020

Do you speak at conferences, public meetings, or other events where you need to convey a specific message? Have you ever felt like you couldn't quite hold the attention of your audience members? Would you like to learn a simpler, more effective way to design your slides? Join presentation coach and trainer, Cathy Angell, for a fast-paced and entertaining class that will show you how to:

In many Zoom meetings I've been attending, when there is a check-in, people talk about how they're dealing with the pandemic, with social distancing, and trying to balance their work and family life under these extraordinary circumstances. In these sharings, I hear concerns for others, uncertainty, and anxiousness punctuated by gratitude, strength, hope, innovation, and resilience.  

According to resilience researcher Lucy Hone, resilient people have three strategies that help them get through t

Call for presentations! The RCP Network invites submissions of highly interactive and results-oriented workshop proposals for the 2020 RCP Network Gathering, which will be held on November 19, 2020, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The theme of this year’s gathering is Resilient Regions and Communities, and we’re especially looking to members of the RCP Network to share their expertise on the role which land protection and other collaborative conservation activities can play in slowi