NEW YORK, NY (Sept. 28, 2023) - Bringing expertise and leadership, the Open Space Institute (OSI) played a key role in the success of the Land Trust Alliance’s (LTA) 2023 National Land Conservation Conference. Held each September, the event—known simply as “Rally”—is a valuable opportunity for the land trust community to learn from each other, share knowledge, and build connections.
As in previous years, OSI’s expertise as a national conservation leader was on full display at Rally. Staff lead several educational workshops—some standing-room-only—during the four-day event. OSI-led presentation topics included:
- Establishing best practices for watershed protection in land conservation work;
- Protecting and maximizing forested land for carbon emission capture and sequestration;
- Special considerations when saving coastal lands;
- What to know when working with outside legal counsel on land matters;
- Creating successful funding applications for coastal projects.
Julia Feller, OSI’s geographic information system (GIS) associate, led a successful session on OSI’s use of high-tech mapping software to communicate about projects. “It was great to share how easy it is to integrate new technologies and modernize the land trust community. I also enjoyed getting to chat with people at Rally, which is crucial for future partnerships.”
This year’s Rally, held in Portland, Oregon, drew the largest in-person audience to date, with more than 2,200 people attending from land trusts, government organizations, and other groups. While most attendees hailed from the United States, members of land organizations from around the world attended the conference.
“I hadn’t been to Rally in more than a decade,” said Kathy Moser, OSI’s Chief Conservation Officer. “I was so proud to come back this year and see our staff leading engaging sessions in packed rooms. I actually saw people sitting on the floor so they could be in some of our workshops. People really wanted to hear what we had to say.”
Special thanks to the OSI staff members who led Rally sessions: Julia Feller, GIS Associate; Jeff LeJava, Vice President and Associate General Counsel; Hallie Schwab, Conservation Planning Manager; Lesley Kane Syznal, Outdoors America Director; Abby Weinberg, Senior Director of Research; and Maria Whitehead, Ph.D., Vice President of Land, Southeast.