The Trifinio-Fraternidad Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (TFTBR) is a land of steep mountains covered by dense tropical forest, home to iconic species such as quetzal and puma, small cities and rural villages, and a thriving coffee-growing economy. Spanning parts of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, the TFTBR is a model in transboundary environmental governance, established primarily to safeguard vital water sources that originate in the mountains and flow to major population centers in all three countries.

In 2025, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation worked with UNESCO and partners in the TFTBR on the project “Scaling up Connectivity in the Trifinio-Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve.” 

“We aimed to strengthen ecological connectivity and landscape resilience by combining science, local knowledge, and community priorities,” said Gabriel Oppler, International Connectivity Specialist at CLLC. “It also enabled cross-border cooperation for biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use in one of Central America’s most vital ecosystems.”

Oppler helped facilitate these workshops and visited reserves and national parks to better understand the landscape’s priorities and challenges. Reconvening for a trinational workshop in November, Oppler was joined by CLLC’s Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor Fernanda Teixeira. Participants worked together to prioritize ecological corridors—connections between habitat that allow animals to move and other ecological processes to flow—and identify specific land management actions in each corridor.

Production of corridor maps combining science, local knowledge, and community priorities

In between workshops, UNESCO and its scientific team at the University of Heidelberg and CLLC used stakeholder feedback to generate different structural connectivity models for the biosphere reserve. These models indicate areas which are likely to be easiest for wildlife to move across the landscape. The models integrate satellite imagery and around 30 datasets on factors like urban development, linear infrastructure like roads, or agricultural zones.

“The modelling involved determining the path of least resistance for species movement between the core areas of the TFTBR, nearby protected areas and other biosphere reserves, assuming that species move more freely across intact habitats like forests and other types of vegetation than across more modified lands,” explained Oppler.

The way forward: implementation of ecological corridors at scale in the biosphere reserve

In only eight months, this project laid the foundations for the implementation of ecological corridors by involving a wide range of actors, institutions, and stakeholders engaged in the TFTBR across the three countries. The products developed include:

• Definition of a shared vision for ecological connectivity, including key focal species, conservation values and challenges to guide corridor planning.
• 2025 land-use and land-cover map (validated on the ground) covering the TFTBR and surrounding areas to support planning and analysis.
• Structural connectivity models and maps using LinkageMapper and Omniscape to support connectivity planning.
• Co-constructed corridor prioritization framework to guide priority conservation actions to be implemented in the coming years.
• Multi-level connectivity funding plan based on sustainable development and biodiversity conservation initiatives.
• A set of indicators measuring the current state of ecological corridors to allow monitoring of changes over time.

The project has also produced colorful and informative materials to engage local communities, including a 14-page brochure and poster, as well as videos such as the one below.

Building on this momentum, UNESCO and its partners will move forward in the coming year with a larger-scale initiative to turn collaboration into actions, supporting ecological restoration, protecting biodiversity and creating durable economic opportunities for communities in and around the Biosphere Reserve.

This project was funded by the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) and Spain’s Autonomous Agency for National Parks (OAPN).

Check out this video, which features CLLC International Connectivity Specialist Gabriel Oppler and CLLC Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor Fernanda Teixeira talking about the project:

_{Top photo: Within the biosphere reserve and adjacent to Montecristo National Park in El Salvador, many producers grow coffee under the shade of banana trees and other tall trees, resulting in more flavorful coffee beans. Credit: CLLC/Gabriel Oppler}

Wildlife don’t stop at city limits, county lines, or property boundaries—and neither should local government planning. The decisions communities make today about how and where to build will shape whether future generations inherit thriving landscapes that sustain people and wildlife alike. 

That’s why CLLC created a new report on wildlife habitat connectivity and local government: to bring together the policy tools and practical strategies that every community and every community member—whether you’re a resident, planner, biologist, developer, or legislator—can consider using to help keep landscapes connected.  

The report, titled Integrating Wildlife Habitat Connectivity into Local Government Planning: Examples, Recommendations, and Resources for U.S. Towns and Counties, is a practical guide for planners and partners to weave wildlife habitat connectivity into local land use decisions. It features sample policies and ordinances from across the country, case studies of successful implementation, and best practices to support local action. 

Kylie Paul, road ecologist with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and lead author of the report, says that local governments hold land use authority across most of the U.S. and have a unique role in shaping growth, protecting natural resources, and keeping landscapes connected.  

“Planning for connectivity isn’t just about wildlife,” said Paul. “It’s a smart growth strategy that supports open space, green infrastructure, water quality, road safety, recreation, and community resilience.” 

Examples from the report include:  

• The city of Buckeye, Arizona created a Wildlife Corridors Best Practices Guide to help planners plan for future development with wildlife in mind.  

• Lake County, Florida’s Comprehensive Plan includes a Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway Corridor Overlay District, with language to establish standards to create and maintain a safe corridor for both wildlife and people, including the construction of wildlife crossing structures. 

• Scott County, Minnesota has mapped Natural Area Corridors to guide development away from the corridors through incentives and to improve natural resource functions within them.  

• The state of Vermont has a Community Wildlife Program offering technical services and information to local governments to help find natural resource information, review town planning documents, connect with other partners, and focus on a larger regional scale for planning. 

The report highlights steps towns and counties can take, such as mapping priority habitat, clustering development, securing open space, and requiring buffers around sensitive resources. It also outlines tools like conservation design, overlay zones, and wildlife crossings, along with state-level policies and partner actions that provide critical support. 

“As development pressures rise, now is the time for local governments to embed habitat connectivity into comprehensive plans, zoning, and development review,” said Paul. “We hope the practical examples and policy language in this report will help inspire and guide communities to protect landscapes for both people and wildlife.” 

If you care about strong communities, healthy environments, and smart growth, this report is for you. 

The full report is available at: largelandscapes.org/local-planning 

Support for this project was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.  

_{Top photo: A suburb of Spokane, Washington, USA – Adobe Stock}

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A plethora of evidence backs the claim that the earth and its biodiversity are at a tipping point. Yet, many feel helpless in enacting any change or stopping the trajectory of the crisis. Human beings are not built to withstand an existential threat at a constant and unrelenting battery. The term “eco-anxiety” has become common and a true mental health issue that is affecting members of society of all ages, especially those who must confront these realities daily through their work. 

Conservation professionals, volunteers, and others on the frontlines of fighting the impacts of climate change encounter a unique exposure to this type of exhaustion. Countless individuals, communities, tribes, governments, and organizations—including ours—dedicate their time towards remediating the damage done to Earth’s ecosystems and mitigating impending harm, but the burnout from saddling the steady stream of loss is ever-present.  

The first step in tackling a predicament is defining the issue at hand. Two terms encapsulate this type of overwhelm: solastalgia and eco-anxiety. Solastalgia is the existential anguish and pain felt as a direct result of environmental change. Eco-anxiety is the fear or worry surrounding climate change and environmental disasters. Once we delineate our emotions, we can proceed with understanding, self-compassion, and ultimately, practices of relief.  

So what are these methods? How do we keep up the good fight and not get bogged down by the endless to-do list or paralyzed by the magnitude of the issue? Why not ask the conservation professionals at the Center whose lives are steeped in this work? Here are some of their thoughtful answers on their ways of recharging and then re-engaging. 

1. News cycle breaks

Part of being a contributing member of society is to educate oneself on community matters and international affairs. But taking a reprieve from the steady stream of despair does not make you completely inactive. The river of reported catastrophes will be waiting for you to jump right back in after a couple hours, a few days, or a week if possible! So hit pause, delete an app, and turn off the TV. As International Connectivity Project Specialist Melissa Butynski puts it: 

“When the weight of publications and news articles spelling doom and gloom for the future of our natural world becomes too heavy, I try to prioritize time in nature. Cycling through intact ecosystems or floating along wild and scenic rivers reaffirms that while there is work to be done, there is still abundant joy to be found.” ~ Melissa Butynski 

Melissa’s prioritization of time outside brings us to our next tool for respite.

2. Recreate

Nature is the gift that keeps on giving, and when we spend time recreating in outdoor spaces, it is evident. Not only does nature assuage mental health problems—a proven byproduct—it allows us to disconnect from the chatter and buzz of a productivity-focused world. One goes from being on top of the food chain to being at the mercy of nature’s blessings and unpredictability, which is incredibly humbling.

However, we want to acknowledge that many have limited access to the outdoors, a growing concern that deserves action and attention for its unjust and compounding inequity. Read an article about the importance of green spaces and corridors in urban areas.  

When Conservation Project Director Megan Parker and her son grapple with despair about global geo-political conflict, land conversion issues, and climate change, they address their anxiety in the same way:  

“We walk, ride, and paddle our breath and brains to let go. We head to the hills.” ~ Megan Parker 

Center CEO Gary Tabor copes in a similar manner and returns to the Adirondack Park in Upstate New York to run in the foothills and explore the mountainous, wild areas. 

“The area was designated Forever Wild, and it has been that way for me for over 55 years. Here are the photos of the same spot I’ve gone to since I was 11, Silver Lake Mountain.” ~ Gary Tabor  

The photo at the top of this page was taken in this location when Gary was 18 years old.

3. Meditation and mindfulness

Although an ancient practice, meditation is now a widely used modality. It is incredibly useful in separating what we can control from what we cannot, relieving ourselves from the burden of the latter. There are many types of meditation, such as mindfulness, loving-kindness meditation, Zen meditation, transcendental meditation, and more: a buffet of choices on how to get yourself grounded again. If you are curious about learning more or how to get started, visit your local public library as there are many resources and materials on each kind.  

Senior Conservation Director Katie Deuel exercises a brew of these meditative approaches, releasing the things that are out of her mastery.  

“I enjoy every day for what it is, not just what it should be or was before climate change.  Acknowledge and give gratitude for the plants, the birds, the animals that are here singing and moving and eating and living each day as it comes…I can experience eco-anxiety so easily when I look at miles of asphalt, or sit in a sea of cars, or notice the weeds where wildflowers used to be dominant. I have spent enough time in my life mourning those things and, oddly, also denying them. Now I try to celebrate what is right here right now, all the complex beauty and brilliance and connectedness of people and place…” ~ Katie Deuel

4. Books or other writings

A host of books offer advice and tools for quelling eco-anxiety or finding a more productive landing space for it. All We Can Save by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is another great read for those seeking eco-anxiety mitigation tools. The collection of essays and poetry, written by women from all walks of life, validates the sense of overwhelm we all feel, nudges us gently along, and nurtures our seeds of hope. Center staffers read it in our Racial Justice & Climate Equity Book Club.  
 
One Green Thing by Heather White, with a foreword by Erin Brockovich, is a trusted guide for saving your sanity while contributing to remediation. White is a lawyer, author, former Senate staffer, and environmental nonprofit professional, so certainly qualified to guide others on this topic.  

Or, you can always transport yourself temporarily to another world and read a fantasy novel.

5. Enact visible and tangible change in your local community

To reiterate, sometimes our empathetic reach can extend only so far, for so long. When this occurs, shift your attention to your local community. Where are opportunities for tangible change? What causes can you rally behind? While we often feel powerlessness at a global scale, our impacts within our neighborhood can ripple far larger and longer. Let your local impact fuel your re-engagement for larger-scale issues. Practice what you preach and set an example for the next town over.   

The Center’s Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor Fernanda Teixeira exemplifies this very concept. Her home country and current residence Brazil has undergone treacherous and cataclysmic floods. She recounts the experience of hopelessness that eventually spurred action.

“We stayed a couple of days without energy and almost a week without water supply–we still had water from our water tank. Then, after the first week, we decided to take action to avoid feeling so useless, so we reorganized ourselves to be able to provide the security and attention our daughter needed at that moment AND also help other people in our community.” ~ Fernanda Teixeira 

The listed methods facilitate reprieve but could not possibly cover all the possible pathways for respite since it is deeply individually based and personal. However, we should embrace others’ ideas as the future challenges are still unknown and more remains to be done and will in perpetuity. From the gleaners to the business executive, every person has a role to play.  

We hope this list stokes reflection on your end about your relationship with the climate crisis and means of rest and recovery.    

_{Photo, top: CEO Gary Tabor at age 18 on Silver Lake Mountain, the Adirondack Park, New York.}

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Stretching from the rolling Appalachian Mountains to the rugged Atlantic coastline, the landscapes of Northeastern North America feature bustling population centers, recreational havens and productive farms and timberlands as well as vast forests, abundant freshwater and impressive biodiversity. These are some of the most socio-ecologically complex landscapes in the world, increasingly recognized as critical for ecological integrity and climate adaptation at the continental and even global scale.

The Indigenous peoples who have lived here since time immemorial refer to this region as “Turtle Island” after a shared creation story. On maps it appears divided by the national border between the United States and Canada. Yet as Indigenous peoples remind us, these lands and waters are healthiest when we define them not by built barriers and political borders but by ecological connectivity—the unimpeded movement of species and flow of natural processes that sustains life on Earth. Northeastern North America/Turtle Island is more accurately, and more importantly, an interconnected network of mountains, forests, rivers and wetlands that transcends our human-made boundaries.

With this view in mind, and at a time when we find ourselves increasingly imperiled by biodiversity loss, climate change and political divisions, the Staying Connected Initiative (SCI) is doubling down on efforts to conserve and restore connected land and waterscapes in this cross-border region to ensure a livable, healthy future for all.

Co-convened by SCI partners the Quebec-Labrador Foundation (QLF) and Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) on behalf of the Staying Connected Initiative partnership, the Northeastern North America / Turtle Island Landscape Connectivity Summit (June 11-13, 2024) marked a watershed moment for connectivity conservation efforts in this region.

More than 170 individuals gathered in Montreal / Tiohtià:ke, Quebec, Canada, the unceded territory of the Mohawk Nation / Kanien’kehá:ka, for this first-ever cross-boundary gathering focused on advancing landscape connectivity conservation and restoration in the five eastern-most Canadian provinces, seven northeastern-most U.S. states, and Indigenous territories of the region. Attendees included a diverse mix of representatives from provincial, state, and federal agencies; Indigenous groups; non-governmental organizations and academic institutions, and public and private funders.

Opening and closing ceremonies, featuring Mohawk elder Sedalia Kawennotas and dancers Owen Mayo and Kwena Bellemare-Boivin, grounded the event in place and reminded all present that effective and equitable conservation and restoration is only possible through genuine partnership with the original inhabitants and stewards of this place.

Remarks from government officials underscored renewed commitment from elected leaders. Representatives from the Biden and Trudeau administrations expressed resolve to further forefront landscape connectivity in national efforts to reach “30×30”—a global effort to protect and connect 30% of the planet by 2030—while states and provinces voiced support for the principles of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers’ (NEGECP) Resolution 40-3 on ecological connectivity, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation, adopted in 2016.

Headline speakers included:

• Steven Guilbeault, Minister, Environment and Climate Change Canada (recorded)
• Brenda Mallory, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality (recorded) 
• Benoit Charette, Minister for Biodiversity, Wildlife, and Parks, Quebec Ministry of the Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks (recorded)
• Julie Moore, Secretary, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources

View Full Summit Program

Connectivity conservation is a wide-ranging topic with many facets. The Summit wove together diverse themes such as connectivity and climate science; Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing (weaving Indigenous knowledge and western science); linear infrastructure; land use; and policy and funding. Through plenary presentations and panels, as well as breakout discussion groups, participants traded insights based on their expertise and shared thoughts on how to work across borders and communities.

Particularly exciting for many participants was the opportunity to connect local projects, programs and initiatives to global conservation priorities (i.e., the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and other international policy mandates) and vice versa. Representatives from globally focused entities (e.g., the International Union for Conservation of Nature) brought to bear illuminating examples of large landscape conservation success and lessons learned from far afield.

Perhaps most importantly, the Summit afforded all an opportunity to broaden and strengthen relationships. Many in this field abide by the mantra of “connecting people to connect landscapes.” Whether in the hallways and elevators, over lunch, or around town, some of the Summit’s most valuable conversations surely took place outside the formal program.

In fact, one of the most dynamic parts of the week was a “Connectivity Films” evening hosted by the Québec Ecological Corridors Initiative. Attendees were treated to short films from around the region, all of which demonstrated the profound importance of communicating conservation work in an accessible way to the public.

As the Summit wrapped up, handshakes and hugs preceded pledges to stay in close contact and to increase coordination and collaboration through the Staying Connected Initiative and other partnerships. On a practical level, outcomes from the Summit will contribute towards the development of a high-level, regional connectivity “road map” that identifies key opportunities, strategies, and potential actions by each sector to connect and restore ecological connectivity across Northeastern North America / Turtle Island.

Less tangibly, but perhaps just as importantly, all can agree that the Summit provided inspiration to return to the desk, the field, or the classroom more resolved to sustain and restore ecologically and culturally well-connected landscapes for a healthy and resilient future.

Check out some photos from the Summit:

_{All slideshow photos courtesy of Audrey Huffman
Top photo: Montreal from Mont Royal – courtesy of G. Oppler/Center for Large Landscape Conservation}

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NEWS RELEASE

BOZEMAN, MT, October 11, 2022 – This is a watershed moment for conservation in the United States. The Biden administration’s America the Beautiful initiative—along with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Law—is driving unprecedented levels of funding into the restoration, stewardship, and conservation of our lands and waters. But this reveals a gap that needs to be filled: the on-the-ground capacity to get the work done. The Catalyst Fund, with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, aims to build capacity and help local and regional partnerships contribute toward achieving national conservation goals.

The Network for Landscape Conservation recently announced its newest round of Catalyst Fund grants, with 13 partnerships from throughout the United States receiving awards totaling more than $320,000 in support.

“These grants are aimed at strengthening the collaborative capacity of partnerships that demonstrate a genuinely collaborative approach to protecting the landscapes they call home, so that these partnerships can accelerate the pace and scale at which they realize successful conservation outcomes,” says Jonathan Peterson, Program Manager for the Network for Landscape Conservation.

Launched in 2019, the Catalyst Fund has now supported 55 landscape partnerships, distributing a total of more than $1.3 million in grants nationwide across four annual grant cycles.

These investments are timely: The scope and urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises and the legacies of environmental injustice require action at a landscape scale. The emerging federal funding recognizes this, focusing on getting projects with landscape-level impact completed on the ground. There is a missing piece though: investments are needed to support the processes of bringing people together across jurisdictions and perspectives, and of integrating the appropriate sciences and knowledge to imagine, develop, and be ready to deliver projects. Supporting the collaborative capacity of landscape partnerships is critical to maximizing the impact of the federal funding.

“The Catalyst Fund grants provide a unique opportunity to accelerate collaborative conservation projects across the country,” says Sacha Spector, program director for the environment at Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “Tackling complex challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental injustice requires ambitious and innovative action that brings people together across geographic and institutional boundaries. We’re excited to support the Catalyst Fund’s effort to sustain capacity, foster collaboration and develop solutions that result in strong partnerships and connected landscapes.”

The Catalyst Fund is based on the belief that deep approaches to collaboration—in which understanding and connection is built across difference, and power is shared with those that have been historically excluded—are critical to efforts to sustain the ecological health of our landscapes and foster a more just, equitable future for our communities. A portion of the Fund is specifically dedicated to supporting Indigenous leadership in landscape conservation.

“At the core of the Catalyst Fund is the idea that people across the country care deeply about the places that they call home—the valleys, watersheds, mountain ranges, prairies, bays and estuaries that together make up the heirloom quilt of America’s lands and waters,” says Andrea Keller Helsel of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. “There is lots of evidence that the diverse interests within those places are willing and able to work together to conserve the natural and cultural values they cherish. Catalyst Fund grants provide the wherewithal, particularly for underserved communities, to convene partners to discuss and shape their future and to chart a path forward.  These grants express faith in the wisdom of people to gather good information to make wise decisions about the conservation of our national landscape legacy.”

The 2022 Catalyst Fund grant recipients are:

• Bi-State Tribal Natural Resource Committee (California/Nevada—ancestral homelands of the Paiute, Washoe, and Western Shoshone)
• Blackstone Watershed Collaborative (Massachusetts/Rhode Island)
• Butte Creek Watershed Restoration Collaborative (California—ancestral homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria)
• Cold Hollow to Canada Regional Conservation Partnership (Vermont)
• Greater Chilkat Watershed Advisory Group (Alaska—ancestral homelands of the Jilkaat and Lkoot Tlingit)
• Nesika Wilamut (Oregon—ancestral homelands of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz)
• Salt Valley Watershed Landscape Conservation Partnership (Nebraska)
• Shoal Creek Watershed Consortium (Missouri)
• Stewarding the Asqinaq (Alaska—ancestral homelands of the Yup’ik)
• Tri-Pueblo Coalition (New Mexico—ancestral homelands of the Cochiti, Jemez, and Santo Domingo Pueblos)
• Upper Arkansas Watershed Partnership (Colorado)
• Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (California—ancestral homelands of the Karuk)
• Yuba Forest Network (California)

Learn more about the 2022 grant awards

About the Network for Landscape Conservation

The Network for Landscape Conservation advances collaborative, community-grounded conservation at the landscape scale as an essential approach to connect and protect nature, culture, and community. The Network connects people to ideas and innovations – and each other – building a community of practice for the field of landscape conservation. Its rapidly growing network currently includes more than 250 organizational partners and nearly 6,000 individual practitioners. The Network for Landscape Conservation is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. Learn more at landscapeconservation.org

About the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation:

The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and child well-being, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties. The mission of the Foundation’s Environment Program is to ensure a thriving, resilient environment for wildlife and people, and foster an inclusive, effective conservation movement. Learn more at: ddcf.org

About the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation:

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world. For more than 50 years, they have supported efforts to advance education for all, preserve the environment, support vibrant performing arts, strengthen Bay Area communities, make the philanthropy sector more effective, and foster gender equity and responsive governance around the world. Learn more at hewlett.org

 
Contact:

Christine Gianas Weinheimer
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
(406) 578-1579
communications@largelandscapes.org

Photo, top: Members of the Taos Valley Watershed Coalition discuss project priorities during a field trip to El Salto del Agua Association lands near Taos. TVWC is a 2021 Catalyst Fund grantee. Credit: Taos Valley Watershed Coalition.

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Nonprofit leader in connectivity conservation will enhance the network’s efforts to connect people with nature

BOZEMAN, MT, May 31, 2022 – Biosphere regions are special places recognized internationally for their unique beauty, cultures, and economic value to society. They also contain landscapes and seascapes important to the well-being of humans and wildlife alike. Recently, these regions gained a new champion in their stewardship: the Center for Large Landscape Conservation announced today that they will support the United States Biosphere Network (USBN), a voluntary network representing the 28 biosphere regions located in the U.S., as a fiscally sponsored project.

The Center—the leading nonprofit organization focused on restoring ecological connectivity—will lend their science, policy, and capacity-building expertise to help strengthen the network of biosphere regions. As the fiscal sponsor of USBN, the Center will “incubate” the network and provide them with strategic counsel, infrastructure, access to their other national networks and partnerships, and organizational management.

“Caring for these biosphere regions is critical for helping to preserve biodiversity, and building stronger, healthier communities that are resilient to environmental change,” says Deb Kmon Davidson, VP for Partnerships & Advancement at the Center. “We look forward to sharing and applying best practices from our worldwide conservation experience to help raise USBN’s work to the next level.”

By positioning the network under the umbrella of its 501(c)(3) organization, the Center can receive tax-deductible donations and grants on behalf of USBN, which receives limited government funds. The network was recently awarded its first grant from the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The CAN$160,000 grant is intended to help USBN, in collaboration with the Canadian Biosphere Regions Association, implement model environmental initiatives in North American communities that will help build long-term partnerships and promote a shared responsibility and stewardship for the environment.

Brian Houseal, Chair of the U.S. Biosphere Network, says that “while public lands are at the heart of each U.S. biosphere region, these regions are unique because they also focus on partnerships with private lands and local communities with working farms, forests, fisheries, and recreation and tourism opportunities.

“Good examples of people caring for their lands can be found across the country. Our public lands are beloved by millions for their treasured landscapes and seascapes, but these precious natural systems connect across the park entry gates. They extend well beyond borders and support vibrant human and wildlife communities,” says Houseal.

Biosphere regions are based on the idea that people and nature are not separate. In these spectacular places, citizens and organizations cooperate to enhance quality of life by maintaining the beauty and benefits of nature for local economies.

“This collaboration with the Center will strengthen on-the-ground efforts to address environmental change, loss of biodiversity, and development of local communities and their economies,” says Houseal. He adds, “the USBN is a voluntary, non-regulatory, grassroots network. Communities and organizations in biosphere regions are showing how people and nature can thrive together and provide local solutions to global challenges.”

The 28 U.S. biosphere regions are located throughout the continental United States, the U.S. Caribbean, Alaska, and Hawai’i. They encompass a wide range of landscapes including deserts, forests, grasslands, rivers, mountains, oceans, and coasts.

Learn more about US Biosphere Regions

Biosphere Region FAQs

Map and list of US Biosphere regions

About the Center for Large Landscape Conservation

The Center for Large Landscape Conservation is the hub of a growing global movement to reverse fragmentation of the earth’s large landscapes. It works to connect natural areas, support healthy wildlife habitats and safe migration for wide-ranging animals, and safeguard nature’s resilience to climate change. The Center accomplishes this by sharing science, policy, and network-building expertise with partners around the globe, with a vision of creating a world where humans and wildlife thrive in healthy, connected ecosystems.

About the U.S. Biosphere Network

The US Biosphere Network (USBN) is made up of 28 internationally recognized areas across the continental United States, the U.S. Caribbean, Alaska, and Hawai’i. Their beauty and value stand out in national parks, state parks, national forests, national marine sanctuaries as well as tribal and private lands, from deserts to forests, grasslands to rivers, and mountains to coasts. Biosphere regions are voluntary and nonregulatory. Private property rights and the respective jurisdictions of local, state, tribal, federal and local governments are not affected. Communities and partners within them work together to advance positive relationships between people and nature at large geographic scales. As part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the USBN fosters national and international connections among biosphere regions, facilitates their sharing of best practices, and supports their work toward connecting people and nature.

Contact: Christine Gianas Weinheimer
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
(406) 578-1579
communications@largelandscapes.org

_{Photo: Green River, Mammoth Cave Biosphere Region, Kentucky – NPS Photo}

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Tribes Take the Lead in Climate Change Planning

The Aaniiih and Nakoda peoples of the Fort Belknap Indian Community are completing a comprehensive climate adaptation plan that will protect the Tribes’ natural and cultural resources in the Little Rocky Mountains of north-central Montana. The community has already started to put the plan into action to restore the forest ecosystem, enhance wildlife habitat, and preserve traditional ways of life for future generations.

Read more

The Tribal Coalition Fighting to Save Monarch Butterflies

The migration pattern of the monarch butterfly can stretch as long as 3,000 miles, from the northern to southern reaches of the North American continent, but now many are dying before they complete the full trip. The Tribal Alliance for Pollinators—a 2021 Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund grantee—is working to find solutions to the monarch butterfly’s population decline and restore its epic migratory path.

Read more

Blackfeet Nation’s Ksik Stakii Project Receives Watershed Stewardship Award

Known as Ksik Stakii in the language of the Blackfeet (Amskapi Piikani) people, beavers play an important role both culturally and in the protection of streams, rivers, and wetlands. The Blackfeet Nation led the Ksik Stakii Project, which—by mimicking the dam-building behavior of beavers—enhances stream health, water storage, and drought resilience. The Center was happy to partner with the Tribe to plan this climate-adaptation strategy.

Read more

Termaine Edmo and Gerald Wagner recently discussed the innovative project with the Montana Watershed Coordination Council, which selected the Ksik Stakii Project as a 2021 Watershed Stewardship Award recipient:

Learn about the Center for Large Landscape Conservation’s Community Resilience Program

Photos, top to bottom: The Little Rocky Mountains, Fort Belknap Indian Community, Montana – Dennis Longknife; Monarch butterfly – Adobe Stock; Blackfeet environmental staff conduct a water quality assessment as part of the Blackfeet Nation’s Beaver Mimicry Project.

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This is a pivotal moment for conservation in America, as the climate, biodiversity, and environmental justice crises are only accelerating. At the same time, we are seeing a national discourse coalesce around ambitious conservation visions—like the Biden Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which recommends a ten-year, national, locally led campaign to restore the nation’s lands and waters.

While an overarching national framework is critical to ensure the scale of conservation efforts meets the scale of the 21st Century challenges we face, conservation at its most basic is a human endeavor based on knowledge, relationships, and trust—factors that are most effectively built and stewarded at a smaller scale. Thus, local and regional action is necessary for translating national goals into on-the-ground success in conserving landscapes that straddle political, geographic, and cultural divides.

The Catalyst Fund, in aiming to accelerate the pace and effective practice of collaborative landscape conservation, is a critical mechanism for making investments in the “vehicles” that will drive the needed local and regional action.  Grants are intended to serve as strategic investments in strengthening the collaborative capacity of place-based, community-grounded Landscape Conservation Partnerships, especially those at turning points in their development when an infusion of funds can be most impactful.

The 2021 Catalyst Fund grant recipients are:

• Black River Water Trail and Park Network (South Carolina)
• California Central Coast Joint Venture (California)
• East Yellowstone Collaborative Working Group (Wyoming)
• Kittatinny Coalition (Pennsylvania)
• Kali’uokapa’akai Collective (Hawaii)
• Lands Between Partnership (Utah)
• Little Sioux Watershed Conservation Partnership (Iowa & Minnesota)
• Lower Gila River Collaborative (Arizona)
• Moloka’i Wetlands Partnership (Hawaii)
• Ohio River Basin Restoration Partnership (multiple states)
• Taos Valley Watershed Coalition (New Mexico)
• Tribal Alliance for Pollinators (Oklahoma)
• Tulare Basin Watershed Partnership Network (California)
• Western Apache Working Group (Arizona)
• Wind River Conservation Office (Wyoming)

Launched in 2019, the Catalyst Fund has distributed a total of $1 million in grants nationwide across three annual grant cycles. The next anticipated Catalyst Fund grant cycle opening will be in early 2022. 

The Network for Landscape Conservation is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. Generous support for the Catalyst Fund is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Learn more about the 2021 grant awards

Photo: Gela del Rosario via Pexels

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Led by Fort Belknap Indian Community’s (FBIC) Climate Change Coordinator Dennis Longknife Jr., FBIC is moving to complete a comprehensive climate adaptation plan to protect the Tribe’s natural resources in the Little Rocky Mountains of north-central Montana. The Center is working with Longknife to provide technical expertise to the community to help them both develop this plan and also identify key implementation actions such as the forest health project. This builds on the Center’s earlier, similar work with the Blackfeet Nation to support the development of their Climate Change Adaptation Plan.

Longknife has an extensive background in forestry and natural resources and as a forward-thinking leader he has served as climate change coordinator for the Tribes since 2015. As a result of their climate adaptation planning process, Longknife, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, and Longknife’s colleagues in the FBIC Fire Management Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Forestry Program identified a crucial need for climate adaptive forest management in the Little Rocky Mountains.

“The Aaniiih and Nakoda people have a long history of using fire to manage forests for game, production of food and medicinal plants, and open residence sites,” explains Longknife. “But the suppression of natural fires following colonization of the western US interrupted these patterns and led to a buildup of flammable growth, leaving the Little Rocky Mountains at risk of devastating wildfire.”

Longknife adds that such fires threaten not only wildlife and hunting but also cultural and recreational opportunities. The forest is home to the Tribes’ powwow grounds and a large, out-of-control fire would be disastrous for the community.

In addition to increased fire risk, cooler habitat at the top of these mountains will heat up in the coming decades and some native plant and wildlife species will no longer have suitable habitat in the Little Rockies. Without careful planning and intervention, climate change will reduce species viability and harvest opportunities for the Aaniiih and Nakoda communities. Preserving suitable habitat in the only mountains on their reservation lands by preventing widespread wildfires is crucial for maintaining species important to these communities.

Protecting Forests and Biodiversity for a Healthy Future

The Little Rockies Forest Resilience (LRFR) project seeks to increase forest resilience and keep carbon that has been captured from the atmosphere stored in the trees of the Little Rocky Mountains. The Fort Belknap Indian Community will do this by applying adaptive management techniques, such as thinning, and restoring ponderosa pine forests. Thinning overgrown stands will reduce the risk of catastrophic fire.

The forest thinning project operates through a partnership of the FBIC Environmental Department, FBIC Fire Management Department, BIA Forestry, and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, who are collaborating to restore up to 300 acres of forest in the Little Rocky Mountains.

In addition to forest thinning, another action identified during climate adaptation planning was to address the climate impacts on a traditional food source—wild berries.

“The Aaniiih and Nakoda Tribes heavily rely on our serviceberry for our diets and cultural ceremonies. Our Tribes call them Juneberry, and we make Juneberry soup, which is offered at ceremonies and community gatherings,” explains Longknife. “With climate change, our gathering times have changed over the years, including having our berries affected by fungus, blight, frost, hail, and late-season snowstorms.”

Longknife says that future plans include developing a nursery for the Tribes to grow their own serviceberries and other berries, so they can continue being resilient in the face of climate change.

The efforts of the Fort Belknap Indian Community highlight how imperative it is for communities across the globe to take the lead in climate adaptation planning and climate mitigation strategies in order to remain healthy and resilient in our changing world.

Learn more

The Fort Belknap Indian Community, home of the Nakoda and Aaniiih Nations

Rising Through the Ranks

Gerald began his career at Montana State University, earning a degree in Biology and a minor in Native American Studies. After graduation, he moved to Seattle to conduct research for two years before moving back to Browning, Montana where he worked as a substitute teacher in the public school system. When a position opened with the Blackfeet Tribe’s Environmental Program, Gerald jumped at the opportunity to work as the Wetlands Program Manager. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Environmental program, becoming Active Director after just two years. Gerald has held the title of Director three times over the past 28 years, each tenure lasting 5 years.

Gerald’s accomplishments and titles transcended the boundaries of the Blackfeet Nation. He represented 28 Tribes in leadership roles with the Region 8 Tribal Caucus and the National Tribal Caucus, in the roles of Secretary, Vice Chair, and Chair—the latter of which he still holds. Gerald also works with the American Indian Environmental Office at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington D.C. to elevate the concerns of tribes and help prioritize actions and policies that address the needs of Indigenous communities.

These connections and interdepartmental partnerships were paramount in accruing funding from the EPA and receiving climate change specific grants to grow the Blackfeet Environmental Program. Gerald was quick to adapt and identify new avenues for funding and resources when the administration shifted in 2016. When funding from the EPA halted, he developed a relationship with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and continued to build the Climate Program through private grants. Gerald remarked, “At a time when it was taboo for federal agencies [to address climate change], we were doing great work.”

Gerald chose the environmental field for its cross-program relevance. The Environmental program exists at the intersection of every other Tribal program.  Gerald noted, “Environmental work touches on a lot of different areas. I’m in on our forestry program. I’m in on our fish and wildlife program. I’m in on planning. I’m in on land.”

A Roadmap for Success

Looking back over his career, Gerald credits his staff for the accomplishments of the department. He acknowledges, “When you have longevity of staff people, the program tends to prosper and does well. It’s not just me, I have good staff people.”

In branching out, Gerald has developed partnerships with the Department of the Interior, conservation non-profits and landscape collaboratives like the Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent. Next, he would like to work with other Tribal environmental directors in the state that need guidance. Gerald believes “We are only as strong as our weakest link. We have some Tribal Nations that are struggling so we need to help them become as strong as the rest of us so we can keep our circle connected and keep everybody moving in a positive direction. If we can do this regionally, we certainly can do the work nationally.”

With plans of retirement around the corner, Gerald’s priority is creating a smooth transition for his successor. “I want there to be a road map for someone so they can see what’s been done and take it further. I want to complete a comprehensive management plan that shows where we overlap with other programs and agencies so other tribes that have high turnover can see a good example.”

Turning points

When asked about significant turning points in his career, Gerald reflected on the significance of the Climate Change Program.

“In the environmental arena, you can feel sometimes like you’ve reached a stalemate and you’ve done all you could but when I hooked in with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and the Crown of the Continent work, it opened up a whole other arena.

“It opened my eyes and turned on the lightbulb. I just knew there was a segment of the environmental work that I had been overlooking. I was able to work with some good people and develop this Climate Change Adaptation Planning document to work on health impacts of climate change, to bring the young people in. It was good timing. It reinvigorated me.”

Advice for outside partners

Gerald has worked extensively with non-tribal partners throughout his career and has advice for those interested in engaging with Tribal Nations. “Look and see where there’s a need. Approach tribal leadership and program directors and explain what you have to offer.”

While Tribal Nations are rich in knowledge, they are often resource poor, so Gerald advises that organizations “come with resources to get things started.” Approach a potential partnership with an idea that benefits the land, the Indigenous people, and those that are non-Native as well. Demonstrate the compatibility of working together and forming a partnership—a partnership that’s genuine.

“There’s work that can be done. If you come here and we’re able to develop something, we learn from each other and both sides can benefit. We can live in two worlds as long as we understand both worlds.”

Resources

If you are interested in learning more about the Blackfeet Nation, please visit blackfeetclimatechange.com for information about the culture and traditions of the Blackfeet Tribe. Additionally, the Climate Change Adaptation Plan includes historical narratives that tie Blackfeet tradition, culture, and history to stewardship and highlight the land-based nature of the Tribe. The Blackfeet Community College is another excellent resource for learning about the Tribe’s history. 

Exploring these online documents is a great place to start, but it’s just that. Gerald commented that “By using technology, you can learn a lot about a group of people, but it takes conversating with someone and sitting down one-on-one to really get to know the people.”

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