February 2023 Update
Partners and Friends –
As 2023 settles in and the next chapter of Keeping Forests’ work gets underway, there is one word that keeps surfacing for me that describes where we are: expansiveness.
Our annual partnership meeting in December 2022 set the stage for a year of growing our relationships with new and existing partners, recognizing that the challenges of our time are powerful opportunities for the conservation community to deliver solutions, and an eager readiness to take bold, collective action.
We have capitalized on that momentum and are rapidly moving forward with implementation. A few key highlights:
We are launching a partnership with Visible Network Labs to develop a web-based tool that will map the social network (e.g. individuals, organizations, partnerships and collaborations) that influences forest conservation in the Southeast. This will be a living tool that will enable increased collaboration within our community, enhance our ability to leverage human and financial resources, design cross-boundary strategies, and identify diverse stakeholder groups.
Keeping Forests is investing in this work because it fills a gap and a long-held desire for many Southern conservation organizations. If you are interested in being engaged in this work, please reach out to me directly.
With the guidance of Conservation Investment Management, we are in the initial scoping of a payment-for-ecosystem-services market in the Mobile Bay Basin. The intent of this work is to pilot the development of a water market with an eye toward scaling this work in key watersheds across the South.
Our Emerging Markets workstream has initiated work to develop behavioral change campaigns that motivate communities to participate in voluntary water markets. Led by experts in conservation social science (Impact by Design), the team is undertaking work to develop replicable models of community engagement, strategic communication, and action maintenance. The initial pilot of this work will be in the Lake Greenwood watershed (South Carolina).
For more information on the work of the Emerging and Traditional Forest Markets, please reach out to Lauren Ward, Director of Strategic Initiatives. I am thrilled to have her on board. In just two short months, her leadership has advanced our work significantly.
Our successes are a reflection of the commitment and support of our partners. The initial years of Keeping Forests have established a strong foundation of relationship and strategy that enable us to be in this period of expansion. More is possible, more is on the horizon. We look forward to you coming with us along the way.
Until next month,
Laura
Laura Calandrella
Keeping Forests Executive Director
Since Keeping Forests launched in 2016, Laura has been an advisor to Keeping Forests on the development of collaborative partnerships and collective impact strategies.
