Barred Owl, by Derek Stoner
From the Summer 2021 edition of the On The Trail newsletter:
Over 50 years ago, when the Lancaster Conservancy was born, the issue at stake was a loss of fishing and hunting opportunities in the far-flung corners of our county. Out-of-control development prompted our founders to create this organization. As years have passed, the Conservancy has stayed true to the basic ideal of protecting our natural and forested lands, even as the environmental issues we faced evolved—and evolved they have. Almost daily, headlines speak of smoke in our air from distant forest fires, rising temperatures, unending droughts, flooding, extreme weather, and the irrevocable loss of birds and insects.
The motivation for the Conservancy’s work has shifted, even as our mission holds true. Protecting clean water and natural parcels of land for our community still provides opportunities for outdoor recreation, as it did 50 years ago, but today it takes on the weight of a larger global importance: we are permanently protecting and restoring the forested lands and waterways that play such a significant role in the mitigation of climate change and habitat loss. Our mission has never been more critical. Now is our time!
Now is our time!
When public institutions and private organizations come together, a hopeful future emerges.
You may have heard of the current administration’s 30 by 30 plan. The goal is to protect 30% of all U.S lands by 2030 in an effort to restore biodiversity and mitigate climate change. Nationwide, polling shows 4 out of 5 Americans back preserving our natural world. Our government is in a place where they are finally recognizing what we have all known for a long time—protecting natural land is vital. When public institutions and private organizations come together, a hopeful future emerges. Now is our time!
While the government’s commitment is inspiring, it can’t stop there. Public and private organizations, landowners, and individuals need to collaborate, be bold, take risks, and think carefully about the legacy we want to leave behind for our grandchildren. Now is our time.
In the most recent issue of the On the Trail newsletter, we highlighted some of the key components that will take this small organization, made up of passionate staff, volunteers and members, and turn it into an exceptional organization that has the capacity to change this landscape forever as we tackle the large issues of climate change and habitat loss that threaten us all.
