Prue Saxby’s Post

Southern Oregon Now Boasts World's Largest Dark Sky Sanctuary: Sheraz Sadiq reports via Oregon Public Broadcasting: An area that's nearly half the size of New Jersey in southern Oregon was recently named the world's largest dark sky sanctuary by DarkSky International. The nonprofit works to combat light pollution through advocacy and conservation, including a program that has certified more than 200 places around the world to protect the night sky. The Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary spans 2.5 million acres of mostly public land in eastern Lake County, and could eventually grow to more than four times that size to include parts of Harney and Malheur Counties. To win certification as a Dark Sky Sanctuary, the applicants had to work with numerous stakeholders to draw the site's boundaries, monitor night sky quality, inventory outdoor lights and replace more than 60 lights on public and private lands. With the inclusion of parts of Harney and Malheur Counties, the sanctuary would surpass 11 million acres, notes KLCC. More than half of the area is under the control of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

As you read this post, Tar River Land Conservancy, Conserving Carolina, Piedmont Land Conservancy, Catawba Riverkeeper, North Carolina Coastal Federation are educating, advocating, monitoring, and conserving critical watersheds to protect NC's waters. And they aren't alone. You can view the breadth of work and issues represented by EarthShare NC nonprofits here in the 2023 Impact Report https://lnkd.in/eNwrASNW

Southern Oregon Now Boasts World's Largest Dark Sky Sanctuary: Sheraz Sadiq reports via Oregon Public Broadcasting: An area that's nearly half the size of New Jersey in southern Oregon was recently named the world's largest dark sky sanctuary by DarkSky International. The nonprofit works to combat light pollution through advocacy and conservation, including a program that has certified more than 200 places around the world to protect the night sky. The Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary spans 2.5 million acres of mostly public land in eastern Lake County, and could eventually grow to more than four times that size to include parts of Harney and Malheur Counties. To win certification as a Dark Sky Sanctuary, the applicants had to work with numerous stakeholders to draw the site's boundaries, monitor night sky quality, inventory outdoor lights and replace more than 60 lights on public and private lands. With the inclusion of parts of Harney and Malheur Counties, the sanctuary would surpass 11 million acres, notes KLCC. More than half of the area is under the control of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Southern Oregon Now Boasts World's Largest Dark Sky Sanctuary: Sheraz Sadiq reports via Oregon Public Broadcasting: An area that's nearly half the size of New Jersey in southern Oregon was recently named the world's largest dark sky sanctuary by DarkSky International. The nonprofit works to combat light pollution through advocacy and conservation, including a program that has certified more than 200 places around the world to protect the night sky. The Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary spans 2.5 million acres of mostly public land in eastern Lake County, and could eventually grow to more than four times that size to include parts of Harney and Malheur Counties. To win certification as a Dark Sky Sanctuary, the applicants had to work with numerous stakeholders to draw the site's boundaries, monitor night sky quality, inventory outdoor lights and replace more than 60 lights on public and private lands. With the inclusion of parts of Harney and Malheur Counties, the sanctuary would surpass 11 million acres, notes KLCC. More than half of the area is under the control of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The 2024 Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative (AGCI) program will give teams from communities serving as gateways to public lands in Appalachia the skills and knowledge to leverage natural, cultural, and recreation assets; revitalize main streets and downtowns; promote arts and culture opportunities; build cultural heritage and natural resource tourism create lasting economic opportunity. This initiative was recently announced by The Conservation Fund, in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). NOTE: This Wednesday, January 10th, there is an informational webinar about this opportunity. Follow the link below to learn more. Select community-based teams from gateway communities in the Appalachian Region will participate in a program that enables them to build on the opportunities created by proximity to a public land asset and their confluence of resources, fostering economic opportunity to generate lasting health for people and places. The program consists of an in-person workshop (April 16-18, 2024, in Decatur, Alabama, with an optional tour on April 15) as well as pre- and post-workshop webinars. Following the program’s training component, community teams are eligible to apply for a seed grant for project implementation.  #appalachia #gatewaycommunities #outdoorrecreation #mainstreet #communitydevelopment #placemaking #culturaltourism #economicdevelopment https://lnkd.in/g5Xmq4wr

Discover how members of the Pech Indigenous Peoples in Honduras are developing community projects for economic self-reliance and the protection of forests. Engaging in a FSC Indigenous Foundation program, supported by Forest Stewardship Council, USAID, and Docusign, they're spearheading community development, focusing on sustainable forest management and a rural bank. This video showcases their transformative stories. Watch now! FSC Latinoamérica

During Shea Month this July, we're bringing attention to the environmental threats facing shea parklands, the impact on the shea supply chain and the communities that depend on it. This year, we're also focusing on how you can contribute to parkland restoration efforts to combat and reverse these challenges. The Global Shea Alliance partnered with its members to create a comprehensive guide for cultivating shea seedlings in community based nurseries. One of the goals of the Action for Shea Parklands (ASP) initiative is to grow 10 million trees and important to this mission is the availability of tree seedlings. By fostering the creation of community nurseries and motivating individuals to take part in shea and native tree cultivation, we can all play a role in revitalising shea parklands. ASP empowers individuals and communities to actively engage in environmental preservation, secure the shea supply chain and support the livelihoods of those reliant on these trees. Discover how you can get involved and find our guide to sowing shea seeds here: https://shorturl.at/g6hiF #WomenInShea #SheaMonth2024 #Sheaparklands #SahelParklands #Action4shea #Partnership4Shea #GenerationRestoration

Strong Indigenous and local land rights are critical for managing forests, reducing #GreenhouseGasEmissions, preserving biodiversity and culture, and improving livelihoods. Learn how #philanthropy can bolster momentum for the global movement to secure land rights: https://lnkd.in/gVz7SjW7

In 2022, the world made a bold commitment to protect and conserve at least 30% of land and water globally by 2030. To help turn this commitment into reality, the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative and Oceana are working to fast-track the creation of new marine protected areas (MPAs) and other conservation measures. Here are some recent wins on the path to 30x30: https://bloom.bg/3zmN2GX #Philanthropy #ClimateAction

What if you had land and then shared access to ranch and/farm land with a community who had these values? Service, Hospitality, Excellence, Humility, Community, Family, Friendship, Formation, Growth, Restoration, Renewal, and Conservation.