Conservation planning and design is a growing field that works to protect the best, most intact and most significant land, including wildlife habitat, farmland, historic and cultural resources.
Recent clients have hired the school to plan open space resources including a wilderness area in upstate New York, an equine trail system in southern New York, a 185-acre farm in western Massachusetts, and Walden Pond State Reservation in eastern Massachusetts. Students who work on these projects learn GIS mapping and analysis, how to identify the unique aspects of landscape and prioritize its best use, methods for land preservation, and best practices for land management.
Recent conservation projects include:
Gateways to the Bob Marshall Great Wilderness
“The Adirondack way of life has been closely tried to the landscape. The close relationship between the Adirondack’s natural resources and the economies of Adirondack towns has preserved much of the area’s rural character and created a unique local culture. Now with the loss of the former underpinnings of the Adirondack economy, Adirondacker’s have the opportunity to reinvigorate their economies through a renewed relationship with the landscape.”
Master Plan for Beaver Dam Sanctuary
“The goals of the master plan and the vision of the Sanctuary are much larger than the 171 acres. There are regional concerns that cannot be solved by the Sanctuary alone. However, with the implementation of the master plan, the Beaver Dam Sanctuary can become a model for the integration of ecological health and recreation. Because of the diversity of users of the site, this model of environmental stewardship can greatly affect the larger community and allow for collaboration with surrounding open space and conservation areas, and thus contribute to the health of the Sanctuary.”
Bean and Allard Farms: Converging Visions for a Village Landscape
The city of Northampton, Massachusetts, hired the Conway School to help determine the best use of a 185 acres of prime farmland it was acquiring. The purchase was embroiled in controversy pitting recreational field users against farm and food advocates. The student team engaged in a successful public participation and developed alternative designs that balanced the competing needs. The project played a significant role in the eventual purchase and protection of the land.
Walden Pond Stewardship Plan
“Walden Pond State Reservation faces the dilemma confronting all parks that maintain a natural landscape: the conflict between preservation and recreation. For much of its eighty-seven-year history, the forces of recreation have outweighed the pull of preservation, much to the detriment of natural ecosystems.”