2022 MA Open Space Conference

The 2022 MA Open Space Conference was the 7th annual conference, and it took place every Thursday in February. The goal of this conference is to provide peer to peer learning, networking opportunities, and resources for members of Open Space Committees as well as anyone who is interested or involved in local conservation and the protection of their community’s open space. 

This year’s conference consisted of four webinars and networking sessions that were designed to help attendees think about how their communities fit within larger contexts: ecological, social, climate change, and financial. Topics covered in the webinars included a case study from the East Quabbin Land Trust on landowner outreach via the Neighborhood Outreach grant, accessible trails, climate-smart forestry, the impacts of conservation on taxes, and numerous others. We were joined by eleven fantastic speakers, and you can access the speaker bios here, and view the full conference schedule at the bottom of this page!

Below are the links to the resources page for each week of the conference. In each week’s resource page you can access the webinar recording, the speakers’ PowerPoints, along with helpful resources.

Resources & Recordings:

Week 1: The Ecological Context of Your Community, Resources & Recording

Week 2: The Social Context of Your Community, Resources & Recording

Week 3: The Climate Change Context of Your Community, Resources & Recording

Week 4: The Financial Context of Your Community, Resources & Recording

2022 Conference Schedule

Week 1: The Ecological Context of Your Community, February 3rd

Webinar: 12:00-1:30 PM, Networking 1:35-2:20 PM

Speakers:

Paul Catanzaro: Extension Associate Professor & State Extension Forester, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Melissa Cryan: Grants Program Supervisor, Division of Conservation Services 

Cynthia Henshaw: Executive Director, East Quabbin Land Trust

Webinar Description

Conservation of open space can be a great way to help protect the valuable ecological components present in a community. But how do you learn more about these components in your community, and how can you help protect them? Join us on Thursday February 3rd for the webinar “The Ecological Context of Your Community” from 12:00 to 1:30 PM. Paul Catanzaro will describe the vital role that Open Space Committees and other local volunteers have in the protection of open space, as well as share some tips and tools for thinking about natural resources. Melissa Cryan will share pointers for writing an Open Space and Recreation Plan, an important tool in open space planning that can also help you gain a better understanding of the ecological components present in your community. Lastly, Cynthia Henshaw will discuss how the East Quabbin Land Trust is working to protect resources and engage the community in the Ware River “neighborhood” through the Neighborhood Outreach Grant.

Networking Description

Join us for networking after the webinar! You will have the opportunity to answer some discussion questions, meet conference attendees, and share helpful resources.

Discussion Question Preview: 

What ecological component in your community do you think is important? Why? Do you know of any measures in your community to help protect that resource?

Week 2: The Social Context of Your Community, Increasing Accessibility for All Residents, February 10th

Webinar: 12:00-1:30 PM, Networking 1:35-2:20 PM

Speakers:

Dr. Neenah Estrella-Luna: StarLuna Consulting

Lucas McDiarmid & Jackie Dias: Latino Outdoors Western MA

Marjorie Turner Hollman: Author of Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are

Webinar Description

From pollution reduction to mental health promotion, the many benefits of open space are well-documented and widely recognized. But how “open” are our open spaces? Who can access open space? Who can do so comfortably? Which groups of people do we invite in, and which do we implicitly exclude? To more closely examine inclusivity and accessibility in open spaces, join us on Thursday, February 10th at noon for the second webinar of the Massachusetts Open Space Conference, “The Social Context of Your Community- Increasing Accessibility for All Residents.”

Networking Description

Join us for networking after the webinar! You will have the opportunity to answer some discussion questions, meet conference attendees, and share helpful resources.

Discussion Question Preview:

What factors could limit your community members’ access to open space? How can you work to make open space more equitable?

Week 3: The Climate Change Context of Your Community, February 17th

Webinar: 12:00-1:30 PM, Networking 1:35-2:20 PM

Speakers:

Melissa Peters: Director of Community Planning for the Community Development Department in Cambridge, MA. 

Joshua Rapp: Conservation Scientist at Mass Audubon

Webinar Description

Utilizing open space can be a great way to help mitigate the effects of climate change in a region. But how do you learn more about these climate mitigation tactics in your community, and how can you help utilize them? Join us on Thursday, February 17th, for the webinar “The Climate Context of Your Community” from 12:00 to 1:30 PM. Melissa Peters will discuss the utilization of open space in an urban setting and share her experiences as the Director of Community Planning in Cambridge, MA. Joshua Rapp, a conservation scientist at Mass Audubon, will then discuss how open space can be utilized in a more rural setting through a climate-smart forestry initiative.

Networking Description

Join us for networking after the webinar! You will have the opportunity to answer some discussion questions, meet conference attendees, and share helpful resources.

Discussion Question Preview:

Do you think your region has been affected by climate change? In what way? Do you think it could benefit from open space work?

Week 4: The Financial Context of Your Community, February 24th

Webinar: 12:00-1:30 PM, Networking 1:35-2:20 PM

Speakers:

Alexey Kalinin: Post-Doctoral Researcher at Harvard Forest

Jonathan Thompson: Senior Ecologist at Harvard Forest

Webinar Description

What are the financial implications of conservation in your community? Join us for the February 24th webinar “The Financial Context of Your Community” from 12:00 - 1:30 PM! Alexey Kalinin, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Forest, will discuss some key findings from a recent study “Does land conservation raise taxes? Evidence from New England cities and towns". Jonathan Thompson, a Senior Ecologist at Harvard Forest, will further the discussion describing other important findings about the economic impacts of land conservation, and sharing some helpful resources. There will be time at the end of the webinar to ask our featured speakers questions. The goal of this webinar is for attendees to gain a better understanding of how conservation impacts town finances to help inform community discussions about conservation.

Networking Description

Join us for networking after the webinar! You will have the opportunity to answer some discussion questions, meet conference attendees, and share helpful resources.

Discussion Question Preview:

Why do you think understanding the potential financial impacts of conservation is important? Is this something you have learned about, had conversations about, or have had experience with before in your community?