Communicate Conservation

Photo by Jerry Monkman, courtesy of Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire

You know how important it is to protect land for future generations—but what about the rest of your community? How do you start conversations about land protection? Finding common interests with people and sharing local conservation stories may inspire them to take action. When communicating about conservation, it is important to engage people throughout the process, using accessible language that resonates with their interests and values. We have tips and tools to help.

Framing the Conversation

Start by listening and asking questions to identify values and interests. Use simple language that emphasizes the different benefits of conservation. Protected lands help keep drinking water clean, reduce flooding, provide wildlife habitat, support local farms and natural resources-based businesses, and provide opportunities for recreation. As you learn more about the person’s interests, emphasize the why in a way that resonates with them.

For example, if they are concerned about economic impacts and costs, you could say…

Conserved lands are important to our economy today because they support working landscapes, such as local farms, and forestry, that support many other businesses. Natural areas provide destinations for people who like to hunt, fish, and recreate in nature and draw visitors who shop, dine, and stay in our area. They help us avoid costs associated with water pollution, poor air quality, flooding, and erosion. As our region experiences more droughts and extreme storms in the future, the value of these natural landscapes will increase and so will the cost of acquiring them. Now is the time to proactively protect these important areas before we lose them.

The following talking points can help you frame conservation in a way that resonates with the people you are reaching out to.

Land conservation has an enduring impact on the natural landscape, one that benefits all of us and brings us closer to the land.
Land may be protected for many reasons—from ensuring that local farming continues and a forest continues to be well-managed, to protecting local wildlife, scenic views, or hiking trails. Conservation guarantees these resources will be there for future generations.
Investments in land conservation are critical to creating and protecting the places and amenities that make our coastal watershed a great place to live, work, and play.
Conserved lands provide irreplaceable goods and services, including the removal of air and water pollution, storing carbon, and wildlife habitat.

Natural landscapes promote infiltration of rainfall and protect the quality and quantity of our drinking water. They store and slow runoff from storms, lowering the levels of phosphorous, nitrogen, and sediment pollutants that end up in water bodies, and they reduce the costs of stormwater management.
Infiltration of rainfall helps recharge our groundwater supplies, which so many depend on as a water source.
Protection of floodplains allows them to do their job of reducing floods and avoiding downstream property damage and infrastructure losses.

Locally conserved lands provide recreational opportunities closer to home. People with access to the outdoors show long-term physical and mental health benefits.
Conserving natural areas improves air quality and avoids health costs associated with pollution.
Availability of and proximity to natural areas increase the physical activity of adults and children. Researchers have found that an increase in natural areas directly increases children’s physical activity.

Land conservation contributes to state economies by maintaining scenic beauty, improving quality of life for residents, and attracting and retaining new businesses and high-quality workers.
Conserved lands support working landscapes, such as farms and forests, which strengthen the local economy and encourage local food production.
Forestry, agriculture, and commercial fishing industries depend on healthy forests and farms, and clean water.
Conserved land saves money on expensive infrastructure and other municipal services required by residential property owners, such as schools, police, and fire protection.
Conservation lands are critical to the state and local tourism industries of New Hampshire and Maine. Spending on outdoor recreation also helps local businesses that hire local residents. Much of that earned income is then spent in local communities, further magnifying the economic impact of outdoor recreation.
Studies conducted by the Trust for Public Land in New Hampshire and Maine in 2014 and 2012 respectively found that every $1 invested in land conservation returns $11 in natural goods and services.

Large blocks of protected land (including adjacent protected lands) provide a diversity of different wildlife habitats, and allow wildlife to move across the landscape more easily.
There are valuable added benefits (also called “co-benefits”) for conserving natural lands. For example, protecting vegetated upland buffers along rivers and streams is important for protecting water quality and quantity, as well as providing safe travel corridors for wildlife.

Protecting land is important for resilient landscapes, water quality, and healthy wildlife habitats.
More intense droughts will jeopardize public water supplies. Protecting land enhances water quality and protects groundwater.
More frequent and intense storms and rising sea levels increases the risk of flooding. Protecting lands and waters (including wetlands and salt marshes) reduces flooding and property damage.
Protecting productive and resilient farmlands develop resilient communities that depend on locally produced food.

An eagle sitting on a branch and looking at the camera

Photo: Charlotte Harding

Two people walking on a road in the woods surrounded by fall foliage

Photo by Jerry Monkman, courtesy of Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire

Community Engagement

Engaging with your local community is key to the success of your conservation efforts. It is important to communicate the benefits of land conservation to local audiences in engaging and interactive formats that get their attention and make them feel included. Here are some some proven approaches to community engagement.

One of the best ways to promote protection of natural areas in your community is to get everyone outside enjoying the conserved lands.

Consider hosting an outdoor event at a public or private conserved property that is suitable for families, such as a bioblitz or nature walk designed to identify key natural resource features. Use the opportunity for informal conversations about the benefits of protected lands in your community. Share maps that highlight, for example, nearby wildlife habitat and corridors, priority agricultural lands, and water resources. Invite someone knowledgeable about wildlife to help the group understand and appreciate the critters (or critter signs) they may encounter.

While spring, summer, and fall are good times to be outside, winter can also be a productive time for an event. Organize winter activities for kids and engages in conversations around protecting important natural resources—and don’t forget the hot chocolate and cookies! For example, Warner, New Hampshire, hosted “Chill Out at Chandler” at the Chandler Reservation in February 2021. More than 50 community members participated in activities including winter trees and shrub identification, a scavenger hunt for kids, sledding, and s’mores by the fire. It was a great time to have those informal conversations about land conservation that build local support.

Find opportunities to get outside by connecting with Nature Groupie.

Need assistance coming up with a plan to move forward? You can submit a request to our team for customized assistance.

Interested in taking the conversation to the next level? We can help you think bigger.