A recent global report delivered a stark warning: 49% of the 1,200+ unique species protected under the Convention on Migratory Species have declining populations, up from 44% two years ago. Confronting this newest evidence that birds, fish, insects, and mammals that cross national borders are increasingly at risk, government and conservation leaders gathered in late March for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS/CoP-15) in Campo Grande, Brazil.  

These multilateral governmental negotiations, convened under the theme “Connecting Nature to Sustain Life,” reinforced the critical need to conserve the ecological connectivity of our globally shared natural heritage of migratory species. Linking ecosystems, cultures, and economies across country borders and continents, wild species undertake increasingly perilous journeys throughout their lifecycles.

Participants at CoP-15, including the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, demonstrated resolve by adopting commitments to address compounding threats to the survival of migratory species. This included agreeing on new or enhanced international protections for 40 species in danger of extinction such as the cheetah, snowy owl, giant otter, and great hammerhead shark. Read the full list of species here.

Throughout the week, participants also addressed more than 100 agenda items ranging from illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species to impacts of deep sea mining. By close of CMS/CoP-15, Parties also adopted a diversity of policies to address threats and implement actions with a strengthened focus on ecological connectivity, international cooperation, and expanding partnerships.

Campo Grande provided a fitting backdrop for this meeting of the world’s only international agreement recognizing countries as the stewards of migratory species living within or passing through their national jurisdictions. As the capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in southwestern Brazil, it is the southern gateway to the Pantanal—the world’s largest tropical wetland—at the intersection of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. This landscape supports more than 1,000 bird, 300 mammal, 500 reptile, 400 fish, and thousands of invertebrate species. It is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth and a powerful example of the importance of connected, functional ecosystems and why the work of the Convention on Migratory Species matters so much.

High-level Commitment for Wildlife 

An ambitious tone was set at the preceding High Level Segment chaired by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who was joined by the President of Paraguay, ministers, and other stakeholders. Together, these country representatives adopted the Pantanal Declaration “Promoting Connectivity to Protect Migratory Wildlife.” It highlights the need to maintain, enhance, and restore ecological connectivity; include measures to prevent negative impacts on migration routes in economic development strategies; and use available resources to support developing countries to more effectively conserve migratory wildlife.  

The importance of the Convention and key role of ecological connectivity was highlighted by President Lula:   

“The Convention on Migratory Species conveys a simple but powerful message: migration is natural. By crossing continents and connecting distant ecosystems, these species show that nature does not recognize the limits between States. The jaguar moves across nearly all preserved territories of the Americas in search of safe areas to hunt and reproduce. Like it, every year, millions of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, and even insects cross continents and oceans. These journeys connect ecosystems, preserve natural cycles, and ensure the balance that makes life possible. Protecting these animals means protecting life itself on the planet. The survival of these species depends on collective action.”  

During his address, President Lula also announced Brazil’s newest conservation commitments including the creation of a the new Córregos dos Vales do Norte de Minas Gerais Reserve, and significant expansions of Pantanal National Park and Taiamã Ecological Station, together representing approximately 145,000 hectares (559 square miles) of newly protected lands. 

CLLC’s Ongoing Leadership 

Joining more than 2,000 attendees, including delegates from 105 of the 133 country “Parties” to the Convention on Migratory Species, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation was represented by three team members: Katie Deuel (Chief Program Officer), Aaron Laur (Manager, International Connectivity Program), and Fernanda Teixeira (Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor).  

As an official NGO Observer to CMS, the Center continued advancing the aims of the convention by emphasizing the fundamental importance of conserving ecological connectivity to more efficiently and effectively achieve the great diversity of international treaty agreements for conserving nature. In preparations and over the course of the conference, the team contributed expertise and worked with partners to showcase innovative collaboration for maintaining, enhancing, and restoring ecological connectivity to conserve migratory species.  

Over the course of the conference, Katie, Aaron, and Fernanda followed negotiations, shared expertise through presentations, and participated in official events especially promoting leading joint efforts focused on conserving migratory species, their habitats, and migration routes. Aaron, who also serves as Co-Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG), represented the World Commission on Protected Areas as part of IUCN’s official delegation throughout the negotiations and associated events. 

Official Side Events Promoting Collaboration 

Among the nearly 60 official side events held in Campo Grande, CLLC was proud to lead co-organization of the event “Nature Positive Infrastructure – Avoiding and mitigating impacts of linear infrastructure on migratory species and ecological connectivity” with numerous partners. Participants learned about new and expanded initiatives around the world building capacity and mobilizing resources to mainstream biodiversity conservation into infrastructure policy, planning, investment, and development. 

Additionally, the Center contributed to back-to-back events emphasizing the growing, collaborative action that is being scaled up by the Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) titled “Ecological Connectivity: A Cross-Cutting Solution for Achieving Multiple Environmental and Socio-Economic Priorities” and “From Partnerships to Practice: Advancing ecological connectivity action on the ground”.

Toward the end of the conference, Aaron was moderator for the event Bridging the gap: Leveraging animal movement and mapped migration corridors to inform national conservation policy” that provided insights into how movement data, with a focus on migration, can be better integrated into conservation planning and policy.

Renewed Policies for Connectivity and Addressing Impacts of Infrastructure 

As part of formal negotiations, Parties considered a raft of background documents, reaching consensus by the last day to adopt new and updated policy resolutions and decisions about a diversity of issues and topics. Specific to the Center’s mission, the Resolution on “Ecological Connectivity” advances previous related commitments urging Parties to identify, strengthen, and expand ecological networks and corridors to conserve migratory species, and for the CMS Secretariat to support their establishment and management.

Additionally, the “Resolution on Impact Assessment and Migratory Species” advances commitments that migratory species, their habitats, and ecological connectivity “[…] be given high priority in biodiversity-related aspects of environmental impact assessment”  

Looking Ahead  

João Paulo Ribeiro Capobianco, in his role as President of CMS/CoP-15, and as Executive Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, made the closing speech, including the following statement: 

“From the Pantanal to the Arctic, from the oceans to the savannas, migratory species connect our planet in ways no political map ever could. They remind us that ecological integrity depends on continuity of flows that must remain alive, uninterrupted, and resilient. And this is precisely what is at stake. Connectivity is not an abstract concept. It is the difference between survival and collapse. Between ecosystems that function and those that fail. To protect migratory routes, ecological corridors, and critical habitats is to protect the very fabric of life on Earth.” 

The outcomes of CMS/CoP-15 represent meaningful and durable progress in the global effort to conserve ecological connectivity for migratory species and the ecosystems they depend upon. For the Center, CMS/CoP-15 reaffirmed that bringing high quality science, field experience, partnerships and networks, and technical expertise to negotiations and side events shapes innovative and actionable decisions. We look forward to building on these outcomes in the months ahead, in collaboration with our many valued partners.  

Additional information: 

• IISD – Earth Negotiations Bulletin with full, daily, detailed coverage including photos 

• WWF – CMS COP15 delivers progress for migratory species, including jaguars, sharks, marine turtles, and birds  

• Mongabay – Migratory species summit adopts new marine protections amid extinction warnings 

_{*Photo of presenters, left to right: Fernanda Abra (President, Reconecta Institute); Fernanda Teixeira (Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor, Center for Large Landscape Conservation); Tremaine Gregory (Senior Scientist, Sustainable Infrastructure Team, WWF-US); Steffen Mumme (Spatial Ecologist, Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration); Ruth Tiffer Sotomayor (Senior Environmental Specialist, Global Environment Department, The World Bank); Aaron Laur (Manager, International Connectivity Program, Center for Large Landscape Conservation); Kate Newman (Vice President, Sustainable Infrastructure and Public Sector Initiatives, WWF-US); Duncan Lang (Principal Environment Specialist, Nature and Environment Division, Asian Development Bank); and Katie Deuel (Chief Program Officer, Center for Large Landscape Conservation).}

_{Top image: The Jabiru stork (Jabiru mycteria), locally known as the tuiuiú, is a symbol of the Pantanal in Brazil. Adobe Stock photo.}

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This diverse group of experts and decision-makers, including representatives from the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC), gathered in the capital city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the 8^th IUCN World Conservation Congress in October 2025. Over the course of the Congress, nearly 10,000 participants from more than 189 countries represented governments, civil society, Indigenous peoples, business, and academia.

The Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) was represented in Abu Dhabi by Gary Tabor, Aaron Laur, and Gabriel Oppler who all contributed their unique and combined skillsets. As a National Non-governmental Member of IUCN since 2016, CLLC has been fortunate to have the leadership of Founder and CEO Gary Tabor also serving as Chair of the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group under the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). This has increased opportunities for CLLC to work with a broad community of experts and institutions to foster the mainstreaming of ecological connectivity conservation through science, policy, and on-the-ground implementation around the world.

CLLC’s role at the World Conservation Congress

In Abu Dhabi, CLLC actively promoted connectivity and combatting habitat fragmentation as a more comprehensive strategy to save biodiversity, increase resilience to climate change, and benefit people. Preparing for and attending this WCC provided an opportunity for CLLC to collaborate even more closely with long-time partners and friends, get acquainted with new colleagues and topics, and engage more deeply in efforts spanning IUCN.

Especially important to advancing connectivity conservation, CLLC led the drafting, co-sponsor coordination, submission, and negotiation of the adopted Motion 127 “Recognising and reporting ecological corridors”. Now an official policy Resolution, it calls on all of IUCN to strengthen global coordination and reporting on the specific location and management of corridors.

In tandem, the 2021 Resolution 071 “Wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure,” also led by CLLC, remains in effect. A growing number of efforts are implementing this first-ever IUCN policy addressing the environmental impacts of linear transport infrastructure (LTI) and CLLC will continue to engage with existing and new partners to amplify and apply solutions for avoiding and mitigating this fragmenting force.

Overall, these Resolutions now form part of IUCN’s official policy commitments and actions over the next four years until the 9th WCC.

What happened at the World Conservation Congress?

Over the course of the week, participants sought to arrest the ongoing decline of nature through a wide variety of activities. In addition to a Forum and Exhibition with events showcasing research and innovation, the IUCN Members’ Assembly—IUCN’s highest decision-making body—elected the Union’s leadership for the next four years and adopted 140+ policy motions. It also approved the Abu Dhabi Call to Action and IUCN’s 20-year Strategic Vision and 2026-2029 Programme focused on halting and reversing the compounding crises facing the planet. Additionally, the WCC emphasized the important role that youth leaders play in conservation.

With just five years left until the 2030 deadline for countries to meet commitments under several international agreements—including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—this WCC aimed to drive immediate and bold actions across all lands and waters.

Sharing Solutions and Celebrating Milestones

Many WCC attendees spent time visiting, presenting, and participating at more than 1,000 thematic Forum Events and Exhibition Pavilions. During these events they engaged in discussions about leading science, policy, practice, and innovation  focused on themes such as scaling up resilient conservation action and transitioning to nature-positive economies and societies.

Contributing toward the overall WCC theme “Powering transformative conservation”, CLLC and partners organized and participated in a diversity of these events. Some highlights included:

• Launch of the newest Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Ecological Connectivity and Land Restoration. With contributions from CLLC staff members, the Report introduces the guiding principle of ‘Connect to restore; Restore to connect’ for large-scale landscape conservation.
• Presentation of the now fully operational Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) bringing organizations together from around the world to strengthen collective and coherent action across landscapes and seascapes.
• A Youth Summit kicked-off a series of events over the course of the Congress focused on gathering and increasing contributions from young people around the world. CLLC’s Gabriel Oppler served on IUCN’s Youth Advisory Committee throughout the last four years and supported events at a dedicated Pavilion highlighting career opportunities in conservation leadership for young professionals.

Providing Hope for the Future

For CLLC, this gathering brought back memories of all the people that have devoted their time, expertise, and passion to IUCN over its nearly 80 years of existence.

In Abu Dhabi, the Union came together to take stock of accomplishments, setbacks, and priorities, while setting out ambitious plans to address international to local issues through scaled-up action and transformative change.

Before the close of the WCC, IUCN Members approved the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, concluding that:

From Abu Dhabi, we reaffirm our collective commitment to defending life on Earth. We are the voice of nature and we stand united – One Nature, One Humanity, One Future – a global movement of individuals, communities, organisations, and nations determined to turn the tide for a just, resilient and nature-positive world. Together and united in action, we will move from promises and commitments to action.

Yes, together we can – and together, we will!

CLLC commends IUCN for its ongoing leadership and inspiration and will remain persistent in its pursuit of a world where nature and people thrive across connected, resilient landscapes and seascapes.

Photos: All photos by CLLC unless otherwise indicated

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The recent UN Biodiversity Conference was held under the theme “Peace with Nature.” This 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD/CoP-16) attracted an unprecedented 23,000+ delegates attending official negotiations and side events inside the security perimeter of the “Blue Zone,” while the public “Green Zone” drew approximately 40,000 visitors each day. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation was honored to send four team members to participate at the conference in Cali, Colombia to further strengthen efforts for connectivity conservation around the world.  

It is important to point out that negotiations did not deliver all the results that were hoped for, and governments were unable to adopt all decisions before many delegates had to depart for home, as reported by The Guardian in ‘Cop16 ends in disarray and indecision despite biodiversity breakthroughs’. Nonetheless, the negotiations and related events still demonstrated a strong sense of urgency, dedication, and growing actions across society and among the 196 country Parties to the Convention to implement its objectives and halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2030.

Of great significance, CoP-16 focused on how countries can meet their commitments to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), adopted in 2022. Ecological connectivity is explicitly included in Goal A and Targets 2, 3, and 12 of the KMGBF as a key element for achieving the aims of the Convention. Following our Action Plan for 2030, the Center is helping drive actions around the world to accelerate progress across the Framework.

In the latest development since departing Cali, the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat has announced that resumed sessions of CoP-16 will be held on 25-27 February 2025 in Rome, Italy, with the anticipation of adopting all pending decisions. 

Our Participation 

The Center, represented by Gary Tabor, Deb Davidson, Aaron Laur, and Fernanda Teixeira, contributed leadership throughout the conference to advance the science, policy, and practice of connectivity, landscape, and seascape conservation with numerous presentations, matchmaking to pursue new projects with countries, and collaborative efforts. Over the course of more than two weeks, CoP-16 attendees became well acquainted with the generosity of the Colombian hosts, the interest and kindness of Cali residents, the natural beauty of the country, and the energy and endurance required to make it to and through such a large and lively conference.  

With partners, such as the new Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity, the Center helped further advance understanding and inspiring activities that were prominent in 10+ official side events and numerous presentations covering diverse topics and geographies such as mammal migration in Central Asia, marine corridors in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and flyways for birds around the world. Together, the growing connectivity conservation community was well-represented in Cali and emphasized the importance of “well-connected” protected and conserved areas as part of 30×30 efforts, as well as promoting diverse solutions across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. 

This international gathering represented the third consecutive CBD/CoP that the Center attended as an accredited NGO Observer since 2018. By utilizing this official status to participate in the Convention, our focus continues to be on elevating understanding of individual and collaborative actions for connectivity conservation to stimulate collaboration across sectors for conserving biological diversity.  

Progress Made in Cali 

With the loss of biodiversity continuing unabated, Parties to the Convention worked through an ambitious agenda in Cali to meet the urgency of the issue at hand. This included reviewing progress toward achieving the KMGBF, demonstrating alignment in National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans (NBSAPs), further developing the KMGBF monitoring framework—with multiple indicators for connectivity—and advancing mobilization of resources.  

Some of the highlights include: 

• At least 20 countries and the European Union having submitted revised or updated NBSAPs that address connectivity; 

• Release of the Protected Planet Report 2024, assessing the global status of protected and conserved areas, with Chapter 6 addressing the “well-connected” element of KMGBF Target 3 focused on achieving 30×30; and 

• Adoption of a decision on plant conservation efforts to align with the KMGBF monitoring framework, with an Annex of voluntary complementary actions with indications of how connectivity conservation can be applied. 

In parallel, hundreds of side events drove home how countries can meet their commitments under the KMGBF. Notably, the  official event on ecological connectivity led by the Center featured presenters from five countries and five collaborative efforts, and our contributions to events about avoiding and mitigating the impacts of linear infrastructure emphasized the great diversity of related initiatives, projects, and activities already underway that are driving implementation of the KMGBF around the world.

Why Does This Matter? 

The take-home message from CBD/CoP-16 is that governments, institutions, and communities around the world are ramping up activities to match commitments under the KMGBF. Although robust financial resources and technical capacities need to urgently improve, cooperation is growing and enabling whole-of-society approaches that are mainstreaming biodiversity within and across sectors at national and subnational levels. This includes the numerous examples of innovative coordination happening among conventions, ministries, agencies, and organizations taking more comprehensive approaches to halt environmental degradation, save biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change.  

With landscape, seascape, and ecological connectivity conservation increasingly recognized and applied as a key cross-cutting solution, its incorporation into relevant policies, strategies, and plans is supporting alignment of programs, initiatives, projects, and activities around the world.  

What’s Next?

Looking toward CBD/CoP-17 now scheduled for the last quarter of 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, the Center will continue its leadership engaging in discussions and planning across its networks of experts and institutions to inspire and take actions that support lasting connectivity conservation gains on the ground. 

To learn more, the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group has published a detailed news post with more information about CBD/CoP-16 developments, official outcomes, and side events. 

Grupo MaViChi playing the public “Green Zone” during the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia:

_{Top photo: A view of the Cali River from the public “Green Zone” and the Iglesia La Ermita Church constructed from 1930-1948 in the background – CLLC/Aaron Laur}

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In the 738 biosphere regions worldwide* (also called biosphere reserves outside of North America), lands and waters are designated into three zones: Core areas comprise strictly protected ecosystems where only research and education activities are permitted. National parks are often at the core of biosphere regions. Activities in buffer zones should promote sustainable use and conservation, while also providing benefits to local communities. They may include, for example, sustainable agriculture and forestry, ecotourism, and traditional practices. People live in the transition zones, which generally support the greatest use and activities, and foster socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable development.  

To promote the sharing of lessons learned, biosphere region managers worldwide organize themselves in regional networks. Sharing the focus on large landscapes, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation serves as the fiscal sponsor for the U.S. Biosphere Network (USBN), which fosters national and international connections among the 28 biosphere regions in the continental United States, the US Caribbean, Alaska, and Hawai’i. 

Managers of North American and European biosphere regions meet every year to discuss different topics and exchange lessons learned. The conference hosted at the Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve in Germany in June of this year was an opportunity for the Center to stimulate a discussion around ecological connectivity because counteracting fragmentation is vital for sustainability and resilience of all landscapes.  For example, in the Crown of the Continent biosphere region, which straddles the US and Canada, maintaining habitat connectivity for large mammals such as grizzly bears is a key concern. In the Congaree Biosphere Region in South Carolina—home to the largest, contiguous, intact expanse of old-growth forest remaining in North America—free-flowing watersheds are crucial to sustaining the forest. These same watersheds and forests also provide ecosystem services, such as clean air and clean water. 

Together with Jeremy Dertien with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, and Ancuta Fedorca at the National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry in Romania, Annika organized a half-day workshop to share guidelines and insights about connectivity conservation and discuss challenges and opportunities of establishing ecological corridors in biosphere regions. To introduce the topic, she presented the IUCN connectivity guidelines as best practices to consider for biosphere regions. Jeremy also shared the new Guidelines for Connectivity Conservation in Europe and progress towards modeling connectivity for all of Europe.  

Two case studies illustrated aspects of connectivity planning and implementation in biosphere reserves, highlighting challenges and solutions. Ancuta shared that in Romania, genetic data on brown bears help scientists plan for the locations of movement corridors and crossing structures to mitigate the fragmenting effects of roads. 

Ruth Simons explained that in British Columbia, Canada, an initiative led by the Squamish Environment Society, the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society, and a coalition of local and regional planning authorities support land managers in safeguarding and restoring pathways of wildlife connectivity that are needed to increase ecosystem resilience to climate change in two biosphere reserves.  

During a lively discussion, participants shared insights on efforts to establish ecological corridors, socio-cultural challenges and opportunities for planning and establishing corridors, and technical challenges around planning for connectivity conservation. 

In 2025, the global biosphere conference will take place in China with the goal of passing the biosphere reserve strategy and action plan for the next 10 years. The workshop participants formulated a recommendation for the global biosphere reserve community to consider for inclusion in the strategy and action plan:  

“The “Post-2025 Strategy and Action Plan” should support Biosphere Reserves in planning and implementing ecological corridors in addition to core areas, buffer zones, and transition areas, in order to maintain or restore effective ecological connectivity, reduce fragmentation and increase resilience.”  

We will keep you updated on the matter as we learn whether ecological corridors will become a tool widely promoted in biosphere regions globally. 

_{*Biosphere Reserves are designated under the intergovernmental MAB Programme by the Director-General of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and their status is internationally recognized. Member States can submit sites through the designation process.}

_{Top photo: Participants of the 2024 conference of the American and European Biosphere Regions, Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve, Germany. Credit: ©Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission/Stefanie Wetzel}

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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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Back in 2013, conservation journalist Ben Goldfarb toured the Highway 93 wildlife crossings on the Flathead Reservation with crossings expert Marcel Huijser, Center road ecologist Kylie Paul, and others. 

“As the sun set, we climbed atop an overpass and watched traffic flow beneath us, a powerful experience that both inspired and fascinated me. We do so much on this planet to make animals’ lives harder and more dangerous, often with our roads — yet here was this multimillion dollar piece of infrastructure, built thanks to the leadership and support of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, that humans had created to make things easier and safer for wildlife. What could be more beautiful than that?” 

Little did he know that that day in Montana would send him on a journey to learn more about this world of wildlife crossings, culminating in his literary feat, CROSSINGS: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet. Roads are an omnipresent form of travel, but most humans neglect to recognize them as an obstruction to nature’s natural processes as they bisect habitats and fragment landscapes.

But some are paying attention, and a few are dedicating their life’s work to understanding and dissecting the relationship between infrastructure and nature. One such individual is Ben Goldfarb, who examines the destructive effects of the 40 million miles of roadways that crisscross the earth and uproot ecosystems that took eons to establish. Listed as one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times, the New Yorker, and the Smithsonian, CROSSINGS paints a broad brush stroke upon this pervasive issue that harms wildlife populations and ultimately, us. 

Ben conducted an impressive amount and array of research for the book, including riding a bike slowly through Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, logging dead deer and other animals for a citizen-science project. He says he was thrilled to learn about the worldwide diversity of wildlife crossings, describing in the book many examples from several continents, and discovering that the movement to reconnect habitats is truly global. “The U.S. is undoubtedly a road ecology leader, but it has plenty to learn from other nations, too,” says Goldfarb.

Lucky for Western Montana folks, Goldfarb is embarking on a six-stop book tour within the state in June 2024 to spread awareness of this pressing issue. Each event will include a reading and a Q&A with Ben and experts from the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and partners. The Center, along with Yellowstone Safe Passages and Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance, is proud to sponsor Goldfarb’s Montana pilgrimage. 

Ecological connectivity, the degree to which a landscape facilitates or restricts organisms’ movement or exchange, is gaining traction within the collective consciousness and government policies as an important tool for counteracting climate change, protecting wildlife, and bolstering our ecosystems. Within the U.S., there is a growing momentum for wildlife crossings, a tool for increasing connectivity while improving road safety, with the Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program and state-specific legislation that provides funding mechanisms for such types of infrastructure. As it stands today, Montana is poised for potential wildlife crossings on U.S. Highway 191 and an initiative to increase wildlife and motorist safety on U.S. Highway 89, just outside Yellowstone National Park. 

When asked what he hopes people will take away from reading CROSSINGS, Goldfarb replies:

“I hope this book helps people realize just how much we can all do to help wildlife. We can change our own driving habits, for example by driving more slowly and carefully, and less frequently at night. We can become volunteer road ecologists ourselves, by helping to collect the roadkill data that informs future wildlife crossings. And, most importantly, we can publicly support infrastructural fixes like wildlife crossings and fencing, and encourage our elected officials and agencies to build more of them. In a sense, we all contribute to conflicts between roads and wildlife — I’ve hit animals myself. But we’re all part of the solution, too.”

See the locations and dates listed here to attend one of Ben Goldfarb’s highly anticipated readings and get involved!

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They run. They fly. They swim. Migratory species from elephants to golden eagles to sea turtles cover vast distances and often cross borders to survive. In February 2024, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation joined countries, partners, and experts in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to increase commitments and contributions to conserve migratory wildlife and their habitats around the world. Under the motto “Nature Knows No Borders,” more than 1,000 participants attended the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS/CoP-14), the first to be hosted in a Central Asian country.  

The conference centered around the 133 country “Parties” considering the endangered status and management of specific species—including fourteen new species, subspecies, and populations added to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Appendices—examining country reporting, setting priorities such as targeted conservation plans, and agreeing on a budget for implementing overall aims of the convention. CMS/CoP-14 built on momentum since adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in 2022 and brought additional focus to the vital role that ecological connectivity—which allows wildlife to move more freely—plays in conserving species and habitats across migratory ranges.  

Keeping connectivity a priority 

The Center was proud to prepare and attend as an official NGO Observer to CMS, and to elevate its work in collaboration with the IUCN-WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG) and partners promoting and mainstreaming ecological connectivity as a central focus of the convention and its activities. Among the 52 agenda items considered under 25 thematic groups on crosscutting, terrestrial, avian, and aquatic issues, the conference adopted the Samarkand Strategic Plan for 2024-2032 with Goal 2 devoted to maintaining and restoring connectivity. This post summarizes the related activities and outcomes that our leadership and collaboration supported while in Samarkand. 

Launch of the State of the World’s Migratory Species Report 

During a special event on February 12, the first-ever report on the State of the World’s Migratory Species was released by the Convention on Migratory Species. Available in English, French, and Spanish, the 88-page report reviews the status of migratory species and impacts of various threats to their survival. It includes a section on “Promoting ecological connectivity by removing barriers to migration” as a joint contribution of the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC) and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation.  

Among the findings, the report details that:

More than one-in-five (22%) CMS-listed species are threatened with extinction.

Nearly all (97%) of CMS-listed fish are threatened with extinction.

The two greatest threats to both CMS-listed and all migratory species are overexploitation and habitat loss due to human activity. 

Connectivity-related side events 

While formal negotiations feature prominently in daily proceedings of a CoP, side events are opportunities for gathering informally to learn about and discuss specific topics and projects. Prior to departing for Samarkand, the Center and partners identified 27 side events addressing ecological connectivity in one way or another.

Foremost, the Center led organization of the side event “New Frontiers for Ecological Connectivity – From Policy to Implementation,” where speakers highlighted efforts around the world  moving ecological connectivity from discourse to implementation. Contributions included an overview of policy developments and presentations from governments and experts highlighting collaborative initiatives, projects, and activities that are advancing connectivity conservation at local to global scales. The event was supported by USAID and the ALIGN Project (Asia’s Linear Infrastructure safeGuarding Nature), and co-organizers included CCSG, CMS, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Climate Chance, and the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF).

Additional contributions by team members from the Center included:

• CEO Gary Tabor presented at the event led by Climate Chance association titled “Ecological Connectivity: An Integrated Opportunity to Address Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Desertification”; 
• CEO Gary Tabor also spoke at the event “Asiatic Wild Ass (Kulan): Status, Threats, and Future Conservation Needs” hosted by the IUCN-SSC Equid Specialist Group, co-chaired by Dr. Patricia Moehlman; 
• International Connectivity Program Manager Aaron Laur provided a presentation on “Building the Foundation of Policy and Law for Ecological Connectivity” for an event led by the organization Law of the Wild; and 
• International Connectivity Specialist Gabriel Oppler presented on the work of the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group and its publications, resources, and activities.
   

Special Event: Launch of a new Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity 

The Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) celebrated its launch at a special event on February 14. GPEC aims to strengthen and facilitate efforts to address key priorities for ecological connectivity, identify and address gaps, scale-up efforts at national-levels, and drive transboundary and international connectivity conservation policies and activities. The launch was attended by approximately 100 people and members of the media, and is summarized in this press release. Initiated by CMS, the partnership is joined by several organizations, including the Center for Large Landscape Conservation as a core partner.

Policy resolutions and decisions to advance ecological connectivity conservation 

Among the many official decisions reached by close of CoP-14, Parties to the convention adopted policies that serve to update and focus efforts for more efficient and effective ecological connectivity conservation. Included among the “In-Session Documents” in English, French, and Spanish, they include:  

• ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY, including enhancement of the definition to “[…] ecological connectivity (hereafter “connectivity”) is the unimpeded movement of species, connection of habitats without hindrance and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth”; 

• IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MIGRATORY SPECIES, including passages such as asking Parties to include migratory species when revising legal requirements for impact assessment and when generating considerations for screening criteria, including the construction of barriers such as fences and walls when these might be an impediment for ecological connectivity;  

• INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND MIGRATORY SPECIES with passages directed to Parties, the Scientific Council, and the Secretariat including requesting more comprehensive cooperation on specific actions such as identifying existing, planned, and foreseen development; and taking into account ecological connectivity and ecological restoration.”
  
  
• CMS CONTRIBUTION TO THE KUNMING-MONTREAL GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK, including supporting and applying the monitoring framework agreed under the CBD for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework including promoting the status of migratory species as measurement of progress towards achieving the ecological connectivity and integrity elements of the framework; 

• SAMARKAND STRATEGIC PLAN FOR MIGRATORY SPECIES 2024-2032, including Goal 2 on “The habitats and ranges of migratory species are maintained and restored, supporting their connectivity”; and Target 3.2. “By 2032, the direct mortality of migratory species caused by human-made infrastructure is significantly reduced to levels that are not harmful to species’ viability.”

• INITIATIVE FOR CENTRAL ASIAN FLYWAY spanning 30 Range States for migratory birds, alongside the establishment of a coordinating unit with financial support from the Indian Government;

• REDUCING THE RISK OF VESSEL STRIKES FOR MARINE MEGAFAUNA including encouraging Parties “to propose core aggregation zones and known migration corridors of vulnerable marine megafauna, where there is a significant risk of vessel strikes,” and

• INITIATIVE FOR THE JAGUAR to develop a comprehensive program of work encompassing all aspects of jaguar conservation, including paragraph 6(e) agreeing to focus on adopting actions that allow and ensure connectivity between Jaguar populations (including the creation and official designation of biological corridors), as well as effective handling of protected areas, indigenous territories, and other effective area-based conservation action;
   

What comes next? 

Although many species-specific and cross-cutting decisions were reached throughout the week, extinction risk levels are rising across CMS-listed species, and climate change and habitat loss continue unabated. These challenges combine with chronic underfunding of the convention and a new budget that does not allow for even modest growth. The implementation of ongoing and new mandates will require strong, combined efforts across governments, organizations, and experts. The Center and our partners look forward to advancing ecological connectivity conservation as an innovative way for CMS and many multilateral environmental agreements to achieve their individual and joint objectives in a more comprehensive, efficient, and effective manner to stop fragmentation, reverse biodiversity loss, and increase resilience to climate change. 

View some photos from our time in Uzbekistan

_{Top Photo: The CLLC team at CMS/CoP-14: Gabriel Oppler, Gary Tabor, and Aaron Laur (Credit: CLLC)}

_{*Global Partnership group photo, left to right: Gabriel Oppler, International Policy & Partnerships Specialist, Center for Large Landscape Conservation; Aaron Laur, International Connectivity Program, Policy & Partnerships Manager, Center for Large Landscape Conservation; Frances Davis, Senior Programme Officer, UNEP-WCMC; Ingrid Coetzee; Director, Biodiversity, Nature & Health, ICLEI Africa and Global Cities Biodiversity Center; Senator Ronan Dantec, President, Climate Chance Association; Rafael Antelo (Ph.D.) Wildlife Connect Leader and PACHA Coordinator, WWF; Madhu Rao, Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas; Dr Musonda Mumba , Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands; H.E. Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan; Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary; Gary Tabor, CEO, Center for Large Landscape Conservation; Fernando Spina, CMS COP-appointed Councilor for Ecological Connectivity, Katharine Newman, Vice-President sustainable infrastructure; WWF US. © Anvar Zokirov}

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Located in southeast Turkmenistan, on the border with Uzbekistan and close to Afghanistan, the Mountain Ecosystems of Koytendag (MEK) are one of the most distinctive landscapes in Central Asia. The region extends from the hot, dry, semi-desert plains of the Amu Darya River Valley to the snow-capped peaks of

To enhance efforts that better conserve and connect these places and species, multiple activities have been undertaken by the Center for Large Landscape Conservation’s team in Turkmenistan between 2021 and early 2023, with a main objective of supporting the inscription of MEK as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. Over the course of our project Connectivity, Capacity, and Cats: Building Resiliency in the Mountain Ecosystems of Koytendag, supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), the team’s visits have contributed toward better understanding the ecosystem in Koytendag State Nature Reserve (SNR) and adjoining wildlife sanctuaries. This has included enhancing capacities for surveying, monitoring, and enforcement within and around the Reserve and four Wildlife Sanctuaries – Garlyk, Hojaburjybelent, Hojagaravul, and Hojeypil. After the most recent field mission with national and international experts, recommendations have coalesced for reducing the threats to the reserve’s biodiversity and landscape integrity. These include dealing with the expansion of agriculture and livestock rearing contributing to habitat loss, as well as illegal hunting and potential human-wildlife conflict. 

A further project milestone was reached on 17-18 April 2023 at the “Connectivity Conservation Workshop – Ecological Networks for Koytendag State Nature Reserve (SNR)” in the capital city of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. With 30 participants, this meeting drew together expertise and new information to enhance capacities, address threats, and build collaboration for more consistent conservation across the landscape. To support further practical solutions, the Center worked with staff from protected areas, agencies, ministries, and related conservation associations to engage in a connectivity planning exercise supported by field data, practitioner expertise, and the IUCN Guidelines for ecological corridors in the context of ecological networks. Together, participants considered effective actions for Koytendag SNR, Koytendag-Hissar Corridor, and possible applications in other parts of Turkmenistan.

Specific objectives of the workshop included:

1. Sharing information and experiences about land and species management across landscapes in Turkmenistan;
2. Presenting available, spatially explicit ecological data and research results about focal species (urial, lynx, and markhor) and habitats around Koytendag SNR;
3. Use of Koytendag SNR as a case study to apply, test, and advance knowledge about the reserve and the connectivity of the wider landscape and its wildlife; and
4. Demonstration and capacity-building for participants to determine opportunities for enhancing the design, governance, and management of ecological corridors and networks in Turkmenistan.

On the first day of the workshop, opening remarks were provided by Mr. Jumamurad Saparmuradov, Head of the Environment Protection and Hydrometeorology Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection (MAEPT) of Turkmenistan welcoming national and international experts and thanking all for their efforts to conserve the country’s nature. Ms. Chinar Rustamova, Director of the Turkmenistan National Commission for UNESCO then added her greetings and emphasized the project’s important contributions toward preparing an updated dossier to advance Koytendag SNR’s consideration for status as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. Ms. Shirin Karryeva, CEPF Project Coordinator in Turkmenistan, concluded by thanking everyone for their presence and wishing all a successful workshop. Thereafter, presentations from experts provided insights into the important biodiversity of Koytendag SNR, including the newest field research and applicable national and international policies that can support its conservation. To close the first day, CEPF project staff and contributing experts received their certificates for completing their SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) training. 

The second day was devoted to applying the Center for Large Landscape Conservation-led ecological corridor and network planning approach. Over the course of multiple breakout and full group meetings, participants discussed and accumulated input about specific connectivity values around the reserve, and recorded potential actions for the design, governance, and management of specific areas. The meeting concluded with outlining shared visions and preliminary plans for seven areas important for connectivity in and around the Koytendag SNR. 

A full summary of the workshop was published in English and Russian, providing more details about the outcomes, and to support management agencies, policy-makers, and the wider conservation community in Turkmenistan.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

_{Top photo: Wild tulip, Koytendag State Nature Reserve, Turkmenistan (Courtesy: Khodjamurad
Khodjamaradov)}

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This past month was a historic one for landscape conservation and connectivity in the United States. Each week in March of this year, the Biden administration rolled out a major new initiative to conserve and restore lands, waters, and wildlife across large regions of the country. The recent slew of announcements demonstrates that our movement to think about and act on conservation at the landscape level has come of age.

The federal government is clearly recognizing the need to coordinate across agencies and boundaries, and to support partners on the ground in developing and implementing their shared vision for healthy communities and ecosystems. This is the heart of our work at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation.  

The White House Conservation in Action Summit

The Center’s President & Founder Gary Tabor was invited to attend a landmark conservation summit at the White House on March 21st. The event featured remarks by President Biden, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Agriculture Doug Vilsack, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, among other leaders in conservation. These dignitaries announced a sweeping new set of landscape conservation initiatives, including the creation of new national monuments, additional support for Indigenous-led conservation, and actions to facilitate wildlife migration.

When Gary and our Senior Conservationist Rob Ament started collaborating on ecological connectivity policy work more than two decades ago, they had to explain to many people what a wildlife corridor was. In his speech at the Summit, President Biden publicly committed to “conserve wildlife corridors across agencies and across our entire landscape.” This is the first time in history a sitting U.S. President has publicly acknowledged the importance of corridors and connectivity. We’ve come a long way! 

Key landscape and connectivity conservation announcements in the last month included:

• • America the Beautiful Initiative Progress Report and Grants (3/1/23): For the second year in a row, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation released a Request for Proposals for the America the Beautiful Challenge, with $116 million in competitive, federal grant funding for landscape conservation, restoration, and stewardship planning and projects. The Biden administration also released the 2022 America the Beautiful Report, highlighting progress made last year on landscape conservation, including efforts to “expand collaborative conservation of fish and wildlife habitats and corridors” as one the top priorities. 
     
  • Restoration and Resilience Framework (3/3/23): The Department of the Interior introduced the first-ever interagency framework for synergizing investments in ecological restoration and climate resilience across keystone landscapes. This framework emphasizes locally led, landscape-scale, partner-driven approach to restoration. 

  • President’s Budget Request (3/9/23): The President released his congressional budget request for Fiscal Year 2024. The Department of the Interior’s proposal includes requests for new dedicated investments in habitat connectivity, budget increases to expand ongoing wildlife migration research, and funding for numerous programs that support landscape conservation.  

  • Wildlife Corridors and Connectivity Guidance (3/21/23): The White House Council on Environmental Quality issued new guidance on integrating habitat connectivity considerations into federal agency planning and decisions. This new cross-departmental policy reflects the recommendations of the Center and our partners.   

  • Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (3/21/23): The Federal Highway Administration announced that it will open applications for the new $350-million Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program soon. The Center played a leading role in the coalition that championed the creation of this new program and developed resources for interested applicants. 

  • Strengthening the Stewardship of America’s Public Lands (3/30/23): The Bureau of Land Management announced a new proposed policy on conservation and landscape health, including actions to “protect landscape intactness and habitat connectivity,” building upon their recent connectivity guidance. The comment period presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Center and the public to help shape the future of public lands and ensure the agency effectively addresses the growing problem of habitat fragmentation.  

It is exciting for the Center and our partners to see large landscape conservation and habitat connectivity go mainstream, as a growing number of powerful people and institutions embrace the belief that drives our work: for our communities and ecosystems to be resilient, we must keep them connected. These new national policy developments create a bright future for conservation, restoration, and stewardship in the 21st Century—one guided by strategic coordination across sectors at scale and rooted in the principles of collaboration and inclusion.  

We look forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration on these new initiatives and keeping our supporters and followers posted on major new developments.  

Photo, top: President Joe Biden makes announcements about landscape connectivity at the White House Conservation in Action Summit – Photo from @POTUS on Twitter.

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It is one of the most pressing questions of our time: How do we adapt to the impacts of climate change? October 2022 marked the return of The National Adaptation Forum, which brought together climate adaptation practitioners to share ideas, evaluate opportunities, and create synergies across occupations to try to answer that urgent question. The scale of the challenges is great and because of this, practitioners from artists and municipal officials to natural resource managers came together to work towards systems-level change.

Conservationists Kat Lyons and Mary Collins from the Center were among the diverse cadre of scientists and practitioners gathered in Baltimore, Maryland for this fifth National Adaptation Forum. The Forum provided Kat and Mary the opportunity to learn more about how to make their work climate informed, share what they have learned with others, and explore new and innovative adaptation approaches. They discussed key projects they have been working on at the Center and collaborated on the creation of an Adaptation Pledge (see below).  Here, they each share a little bit about their participation in the Forum.

Kat Lyons, Conservation Project Coordinator, brought her experience facilitating the Appalachian Landscape Climate Advisory Group to the forum’s adaptation community.

Collaboration is a powerful tool needed to achieve collective action to meet the scale of the many challenges we face. The ability to collaborate with communities to work toward solving challenges is something we experience daily as individuals working across boundaries at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. In my first year at CLLC as a project coordinator, I facilitated the Appalachian Landscape Climate Advisory Group, a coalition of 30+ experts across the eastern region to evaluate the importance of the Appalachians to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We came to the conclusion that there is a network of individuals, organizations, agencies etc. across this landscape that can collectively achieve much more alongside the communities who face the growing impacts of climate change. The upcoming report is a tool to be used by this network to integrate climate-smart actions into conservation strategies and strategic planning efforts. We don’t need to start from scratch but we need to actively listen, share resources and support communities on the front lines of these crises. We believe that collaboration is critical to enhance the climate resiliency of the Appalachian Landscape.

As a participant in this year’s forum, I took away a lot of names of experts, lists of decision-support tools and information to share with my colleagues but I also gained a better understanding of the networks we can work with outside of our field. We are living in a time where generations are coming together to acknowledge the significance of the impacts of a warming planet. We heard powerful presentations on how climate impacts are now being seen on the landscapes we care about. We heard from individuals who were overwhelmed by bad news and information. These individuals continue to ask, “What is my role and how can I contribute?” As a landscape conservation practitioner, the opportunities to engage communities at the local level, support regions with information sharing and integrate climate- smart actions into management or policy decisions at the national level are all opportunities we have to contribute. There is a lot to do, but we can achieve more together. – Kat Lyons

Mary Collins, International Program Conservation Associate, brought her experience integrating coastal and marine connectivity conservation into practice and policy to the Forum’s adaptation community.

Ecological connectivity, the unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes, is a fundamental ecological process that sustains life on Earth and must be maintained, protected, and restored to achieve conservation and adaptation goals. The importance of connectivity to climate change adaptation and resilience has long been recognized on land, but is only just beginning to be leveraged for enhancing climate adaptation and resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. As species move in the face of changing ocean and coastal conditions, migratory connectivity pathways, connections to climate refugia, and safe routes for habitat retreat are becoming increasingly important to facilitate successful climate adaptation.

As a panelist in the session, Climate Impacts and Adaptation Strategies for Marine and Coastal Resources, I shared how coastal and marine connectivity can be applied as an essential tool to facilitate climate adaptation for habitats and species. I highlighted the application of ecological connectivity from terrestrial origins to coastal and marine disciplines and provided practical tools for managers and practitioners to integrate connectivity into their work. The Center along with the IUCN WCPA Marine Connectivity Working Group and partners are actively advancing this science and translating it into policy in the U.S. and internationally, with diverse lessons and cases drawn. To find out more, watch the recorded session presentation. – Mary Collins

Adaptation Pledge

National Adaptation Forum participants collaborated on the creation of an Adaptation Pledge to use as a tool for good practice. It is not a guide for best practice, rather, a philosophical framework within or upon which we can collectively work toward better long-term adaptation outcomes.

I pledge to create a durable future for my community and the environment, at home and at work, by thinking about the future in all I do.

I commit to:

• Use best available science and knowledge: Considering present, past, and future conditions in my actions.
• Decide with, not for: Invite, recruit and promote the broadest diversity of partners and stakeholders in conversations and decisions in my community.
• Build climate equity: Work to ensure the equitable sharing of the benefits of resilience-building and the equitable bearing of the costs of climate change.
• Safeguard integrity: Ensure transparency, accountability & follow-through.
• Minimize harm: Evaluate how actions might affect other people, living things, places, goals and endeavor to minimize adverse impacts while maximizing common benefits.
• Be honest about the challenges: Give voice to the fact that resilience requires adaptation to create it and mitigation to maintain it.
• Foster an inspired community: Use the knowledge that a long-term plan and vision that engages and inspires the community comes from tapping into hope and creativity.
• Adapt holistically: Your community is affected by & affects the world around you.

Photo, top: Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Photo by Wendy Olson.

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