Staff Hike

2018 New York Land Trust Symposium: Investing in Healthy Communities

Image Credit: Joe Holland

Join OSI staff at the 2018 New York Land Trust Symposium: Investing in Healthy Communities, 
on April 23-24 in Albany, NY. For more information on the event, click here

Monday, April 23 - 1:15 – 4:00 PM

Field Trip: Helderberg Escarpment Conservation Stories and Hike

Join the Open Space Institute’s Senior Vice President, Erik Kulleseid, and Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s Conservation Director, Sarah Walsh, for a visit to Thacher Park and a tour of the new Thacher Park Center. Located atop the Helderberg Escarpment, the new visitor center is a prime location to highlight and learn about the partnerships and land protection success stories that have built and protected this popular Capital District park, as well as its viewsheds, local habitat connectivity and working lands. Attendees will tour Thacher Park center, take a short hike along the limestone escarpment, and end their visit with refreshments at Indian Ladder Farms, a jointly conserved, active farm, complete with trails, cidery and brewery. Sneakers or sturdy walking shoes are suitable.

Tuesday, April 24 

Assessing and Mitigating Common Risks - 9:00 am - noon

All land trusts face the challenges of addressing risks in fee land acquisitions and conservation easement amendments. Come and interact with panels of your peers as they provide real-world examples of issues that they face in their day-to-day work. This session is divided into three segments; the first focuses on risks posed by contamination on potential fee lands and how to understand and mitigate those risks. The second looks at common title problems that arise during due diligence and how to address those problems. The third and final segment features a mock tax court trial that will delve into the implications of amending conservation easements. 
Moderator: Mark Pennington, Attorney, Mark Pennington, LLC
Jeff LeJava, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Open Space Institute
Seth McKee, Land Conservation Director, Scenic Hudson, Inc.
Phillip Oswald, Attorney, Rupp, Baase, Pfalzgraf, Cunningham, LLC
Lisa Wachtel, Real Estate Closing Manager, Streamside Acquisition Program, Catskill Center

Exploring New Technologies for Conservation Professionals - 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

New technologies are presenting opportunities for land trusts to increase their impact and improve efficiencies. This mixed-format session will provide an interactive overview of the best new technologies for land trusts. All experience levels will benefit from an up-to-date comparative review of features, accuracy, prices and user-friendliness of applications, digital forms, databases, storage and hardware. A panel of stewardship and land acquisition staff will present their optimal work flows and address how Land Trust Standards & Practices inform smart choices about what technology to use. A "tech speed dating" session will give hands-on experience, including stations for advanced data management and “my first app” installation. Following a review of data stewardship, the session will close with a lively Q&A with the panel. 

Moderator: Nicole Wooten; Stewardship Manager, Hudson Highlands Land Trust
Charles Burgess, Land Steward, Open Space Institute
Mikael Cejtin, Wildlife Monitoring Technician, Lake Placid Land Conservancy
Emily Hague, Land Project Manager, Scenic Hudson, Inc.
Shelby Perry, Stewardship Director, Northeast Wilderness Trust


 


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