Communities Collaborating to Conserve Southern Forests
This year, Keeping Forests partnered with Impact by Design to help us understand how to develop, test, and implement community-based solutions that lead to forest conservation in the U.S. South. We've launched a pilot in the Saluda River Basin (SC) to design a methodology that can be scaled across the region.
Why This Matters: The goal of the Emerging Markets workstream is to catalyze and replicate payment for ecosystem services water markets in high-priority watersheds across the U.S. South. In order to do that, we need to understand how to rally corporate and community support for these markets. Our work with Impact by Design takes a social science approach to develop campaigns that motivate conservation action.
What our partners are saying: “Collaboration is key,” said Holly Welch, Environmental Program Manager for the South Carolina Forestry Commission. “Having the ability to bring in partners from across the South has been eye opening for this work. Being a part of Keeping Forests has been great because they’re a solutions-oriented group full of positive people.”
Laura Calandrella, Executive Director of Keeping Forests, connected with Dr. Lauren Watkins to discuss the status of the project and what to expect next.
Backing Our Mission
This project has been made possible with the financial support of the USDA Forest Service, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Southern Group of State Foresters, and Texas A&M Forest Service. Their commitment drives our work forward.
Our June workshop was sponsored by our partners at the South Carolina Forestry Commission, The Longleaf Alliance, and Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
Join Us in Making a Difference
The collective power of our partnership is what catalyzes change across the southern landscape. It's clear that when we pool our strengths and resources, we can achieve what might be impossible for any single organization. By championing market-driven conservation efforts in the U.S. South, we're growing the potential for a thriving ecosystem and forest-based economy. But the journey doesn't end here.
Imagine the impact we could make with your added support.
Reach out today: If you're inspired to play a pivotal role in these transformative projects, connect with Laura Calandrella at laura@keepingforests.org. Together, we can shape the future of our forests.
