2026 Rhode Island Land & Water Conservation Summit
March 21, 2026 | URI Memorial Union
Workshops
Read full descriptions of all the workshops below. This is a draft schedule and may be subject to change.
Session A
A1. Beavers: From Control to Collaboration
What if Rhode Island’s most overlooked allies in land and water restoration — and in building climate resilience — were beavers? Beavers often get a bad reputation, yet their potential as partners remains largely untapped across the state.
This session explores projects and research demonstrating how beaver-engineered landscapes provide multi-functional solutions to drought, wildfire, and flooding — and how collaborating with beavers can promote streambed restoration, floodplain reconnection, habitat creation, groundwater recharge, water quality improvement, and more.
We’ll also introduce Rhode Island Beaver Management — the first initiative of its kind in the state — to explore how Rhode Island can build pathways of coexistence and collaboration with beavers, restoring the natural processes that sustain both human and ecological communities across rural and urban landscapes.
As Rhode Island faces mounting pressures from flooding, drought, and degraded waterways, recognizing the ecological role of beavers offers a powerful and cost-effective path to climate adaptation. This session invites land managers, policymakers, and community members to reimagine coexistence and co-creation — shifting from control toward collaboration with nature’s own engineers.
Speakers:
Molly Hastings, Director, RI Beaver Management
Alexandra Ionescu, Associate Director of Regenerative Projects, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate
A2. Beyond Access: Building our Collective Liberation in Outdoor Spaces Intergenerationally
Through this interactive workshop, participants will be able to explore the barriers and understand terminology that highlight the importance of increasing opportunities for youth of color to explore outdoor spaces. This workshop will include reflective activities that outline participants’ initial involvement and interest in the outdoors. We will address the systemic obstacles that exclude youth of color from having early outdoor exploration opportunities. By brainstorming ways to improve accessibility for youth, participants will gain a greater understanding of the importance of exposure, opportunity, and representation that comes with environmental justice.
Speakers:
Destiny Manston, Special Projects Coordinator, Youth in Action
Aisha Isabel, Program Director, Youth in Action
Nyrell Wright, Board Member and Program Alumni, Youth in Action
A3. Conservation Made Possible: NRCS Funding for RI Land Trusts
This presentation will introduce land trusts to the wide range of funding opportunities available through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. We will explore easement programs that help protect working lands, forest, and critical habitats, as well as financial assistance programs that support long-term stewardship and land management. Attendees will learn how NRCS can partner with land trusts to fund conservation easements, enhance ecological resilience, and provide resources to care for the lands they own and manage. This session will highlight practical and accessible tools and funding paths to make lasting conservation possible.
Speakers:
Marina Capraro, Easement Program Manager, USDA – NRCS
Annie Ragan, Financial Assistant Program Manager, USDA – NRCS
Brunilda Velez-Diaz, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, USDA – NRCS
A4. Intersection at the Intersection: The Promenade/Kinsley Greenway – the nexus between transportation, recreation, clean water and flood resilience
A presentation on the new Kinsley & Promenade Greenway, it’s multiple benefits and how we use it as a training ground, build in trees, etc. We will discuss the partnership needed to create this unique section of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway, its design elements, and how we will maintain its functions. We will also cover its long term vision as an integral part of the Valley neighborhood of Providence.
Speakers:
Alicia Lehrer, Executive Director, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council
Mark Pereira, Civil Engineer, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council
A5. Restoring Our Soils, Preserving Our Lands
The new Forest protection program funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is now entering its second year. The “Rhode Island Forest Health Works Project” (FHWP) allows for both Entity Held and US Held Forested easements. The program’s eligibility requirements, application process, ranking criteria and funding timeline will be explained. Presenters Marina Capraro and Joanne Riccitelli both work on the program, with Marina assisting private landowners to apply directly to NRCS, and Joanne assisting land trusts who are working with forest landowners. They will also share a status update on the use of the program to date.
Speakers:
Isaac Bearg, Program Director – Food, Climate and Environment, RI Food Policy Council
Jayne Merner, Owner, Earth Care Farm
Rich Pederson, City Farm Steward, Southside Community Land Trust
A6. State of the State – Farmland and Its future in RI
Learn about the most recent statistics and projections concerning farmland in RI, and how we can respond accordingly as a state. We will examine local case studies of farmland transition, and models of land access.
Speaker:
Laurel Witri, Farm Transition Specialist, Land & Sea Together, CMCRI
A7. Stewardship Takes to the Skies: Drones as a Tool for Land Conservation
Tired of climbing through impenetrable thickets of multiflora rose, greenbrier, and blackberry? Need to find a way to document that hard-to-reach encroachment? Or maybe you’re looking for a way to take your social media account to the next level? A drone may be the answer for you! In this session, Stewardship Manager Sean Grandy of Aquidneck Island Land Trust and Stewardship Director Adam Yorks of Sakonnet Preservation Association will discuss their use of drones in monitoring, mapping, communications, etc. as well as potential future applications for stewardship work. Participants will learn the process of remote pilot certification through the FAA, learn about different drone models to choose from, and get tips for flying. After the presentation, we will take the session outside for a live drone demo. In addition to discussion on drones, participants will learn a little more about other easy-to-access tools related to remote monitoring.
Speakers:
Sean Grandy, Stewardship Manager, Aquidneck Island Land Trust
Adam Yorks, Stewardship Director, Sakonnet Preservation Association
A8. The State of Rhode Island’s Forests 2026
This moderated panel will feature representatives from the Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture & Forest Environment, as well as the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Natural Resources Science. Panelists will give an overview of the current state of Rhode Island’s forests and urban tree canopy, highlighting progress made on the 2020 Forest Action Plan (10 min). The panel will touch upon current efforts to sustainably manage Rhode Island’s forests – both on state and privately-owned lands, as well as trees in urban areas (10 min). Highlights include prescribed burns, invasive species control, oak salvages, and tree planting. Potential questions from the moderator include (25 min):
- How is your work contributing to climate mitigation (carbon sequestration and storage)?
- How is your work contributing to climate adaptation?
- How has your understanding of sustainable forest management best practices changed over time?
- How has your work been affected by recent changes at the federal level?
- If you could prioritize one aspect of your work as most important to keeping Rhode Island’s forests healthy, what would it be and why?
After the moderated panel discussion, audience members will be able to ask questions (15 min).
Speakers:
Tara Hoda, Natural and Working Lands Policy Fellow, RIDEM
Robert “Lou” Allard, Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator, RIDEM
Tee Jay Boudreau, Deputy Chief of the Division of Forest Environment, RIDEM
Christopher Riely, Forestry Specialist and Research Associate, University of Rhode Island
Alana Russell, RIDEM
A9. The Work Behind the Work: Getting Your Organization’s Strategic Game in Order
Many conservation organizations struggle not with what they want to achieve, but with how to organize themselves to achieve it. Strategic plans often articulate bold visions, yet without clear structures and systems, implementation falters.
This interactive workshop introduces a practical framework that helps conservation nonprofits strengthen performance across four key dimensions: Strategic Planning — Setting direction with focus and purpose; Organizational Design — Aligning people, roles, and governance to deliver on strategy; Strategic Implementation — Converting goals into coordinated, measurable action; Systemization — Building internal processes and rhythms that sustain progress over time.
Drawing on experience supporting land trusts, including the South Kingstown Land Trust, watershed organizations, and other environmental nonprofits across Rhode Island and beyond, Alidade Consultants will share lessons learned and simple tools for aligning mission, people, and systems. Participants will complete a self-assessment of their own organization’s “strategic readiness” and leave with a practical roadmap for strengthening alignment, accountability, and execution.
Learning Objectives — By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Identify the key components of effective strategy and implementation in conservation organizations; Analyze how structure and governance shape an organization’s ability to deliver on its mission; Apply a simple tool to assess their organization’s readiness for implementation; Define actionable next steps to strengthen their internal alignment and systems.
Speaker:
Mark Kravatz, President, Alidade Consultants
A10. Why Monitoring Matters
For more than thirty-five years volunteers in the URI Watershed Watch (URIWW) program have been monitoring lakes and ponds (as well as rivers, streams, estuaries and salt ponds) throughout the state and adjacent areas. Scientist-led, state-certified and using established methods, the volunteer generated data have produced significant and robust long-term data sets that encourage local actions. This presentation will review the overall Watershed Watch program, highlight water quality trends, and emphasize how volunteers continue to be an integral component of management and restoration projects. How those data have fostered local actions will also be a central focus. A panel of site sponsors and local coordinators from throughout RI will discuss how they use the water quality data generated through their volunteers and URIWW to achieve their watershed restoration and protection goals.
Speakers:
Elizabeth Herron, Program Director, URI Watershed Watch
Cindy Gianfrancesco, Chair, Scituate Conservation Commission
Alicia Schaffner, Executive Director, Salt Ponds Coalition
Session B
B1. A Culture of Philanthropy: What Does It Look Like (And How Can You Cultivate It?)
What is a “culture of philanthropy?” What does it look like? Why should you create it, anyways? This workshop will present the basics of what a culture of philanthropy looks like, and will provide you with some tools to begin this cultural evolution at your organization. Raising money is central to any nonprofit organization’s success, but the right culture can make it more efficient, effective, and even fun! Participants will learn the basics, participate in an exercise, and leave the workshop with clarity on what they should focus on in the next three to 24 months to measurably change their culture and achieve more impact.
Speaker:
Kevin Essington, CEO, City Greener Strategies
B2. Climate Change, a Just Transition, and the Role of Labor
This panel will explore what a “just transition” truly means for Rhode Island workers and communities, connecting the dots between climate action, equity, and labor. Panelists will discuss how organized labor is shaping the state’s energy and climate transition- from the Act on Climate and 100% Renewable Energy Standard to local initiatives like Providence’s Climate Justice Plan. The conversation will reflect on how policy and funding landscapes have shifted over time, including the evolving role of federal and state tax credits, and how unions and allies can continue to adapt and advocate for equitable outcomes. Emerging opportunities such as geothermal and district thermal energy networks will be highlighted as examples of the next generation of climate infrastructure that can deliver good, union jobs. Panelists will also discuss upcoming climate and labor reports, Just Transition and Clean Energy Jobs and ongoing state planning efforts. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of why labor is essential to achieving the state’s climate goals and how worker justice can be embedded across conservation, resilience, and decarbonization efforts.
Speakers:
Aislinn Hanley, Program Director, Climate Jobs Rhode Island
Harrison Antone, Labor Liaison, Climate Jobs Rhode Island
Erica Hammond, Legislative Director, Rhode Island AFL-CIO
Quilcia Moronta, Community Organizer, Climate Jobs Rhode Island
Serena Russell, Policy Coordinator, Climate Jobs Rhode Island
B3. Combating Litter and Marine Debris in our Rivers & Bay
Litter, marine debris and microplastics are growing pollution problems in the bay, our rivers and throughout the state. In this presentation, Save The Bay and the Blackstone River Watershed Council will discuss what we know about the problem and potential solutions, including the recent installation of a “water goat” on the Blackstone to capture debris and potential solutions that can be pursued at the state of local levels. The presentation will also include an update on efforts to pass a ‘bottle bill’ in Rhode Island.
Speaker:
Jed Thorp, Director of Advocacy, Save The Bay
B4. Deer Management for Conservation Landowners – Why & How
Whitetail deer are a common sight throughout Rhode Island, and their abundant population creates challenges for conservation landowners & land managers. Presenters will discuss some of these challenges, and the tools that are available in Rhode Island to manage whitetail deer abundance. Additionally, presenters will share real-world examples of organized hunting programs that landowners (primarily land trusts) have successfully been implemented in Rhode Island.
Speakers:
Michael Woods, New England Chapter Chair, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
B5. Food Recovery for Rhode Island: Community Action for a Stronger Food System
Join us for a panel featuring graduates of the University of Rhode Island’s Food Recovery for RI program – a community initiative to minimize food waste and uplift community-led solutions. Panelists will share how they’ve made meaningful change after completing the course, from organizing zero-waste events to implementing sustainable practices at local food pantries. From classrooms to kitchens, see how every Rhode Islander can take simple steps that make a big difference for our environment.
Speakers:
Vanessa Venturini, State Program Leader, Food Recovery for RI, URI Cooperative Extension
Dara Benno, Volunteer, Food Recovery for RI
Karen Griffith, Volunteer, Food Recovery for RI
Bruce Thompson, Volunteer, Food Recovery for RI
B6. How Housing Works with Local Communities and the Environment
HousingWorks@ RWU is a research and policy organization that provides information and data about housing issues and challenges in RI. Through our research and reports, we show the important connections between housing, climate resiliency and protection of local environmental and historic resources. At this session, we would like to provide updates on our zoning atlas and new story-mapping features. We also will invite colleagues from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) program in MA to discuss how local housing, environmental and historic preservation activists can work together towards common goals.
Speakers:
Brenda Clement, Executive Director, HousingWorks RI @ RWU
James Hardy, Research Analyst, HousingWorks RI @ RWU
B7. Meet & Greet with Land Access Specialists
Meet service providers, lenders, organizations, and professionals working in the realm of land access and land transition.
Speakers:
Laurel Witri, Farm Transition Specialist, Land & Sea Together, CMCRI
B8. Salt Marsh Restoration: A Collaborative and Holistic Approach Utilizing Tidal Hydrology Restoration, Marsh Migration Facilitation, and Sediment Placement Techniques
Coastal salt marshes are high value habitats that provide many ecosystem services such as improved water quality, storm protection, and fish and wildlife habitat. Many of New England’s salt marshes have been negatively impacted by accelerated sea level rise and past anthropogenic activities which caused degradation of these marshes including vegetation conversion from high marsh species to stunted, low marsh species, Spartina alterniflora (cordgrass); dieback of vegetation; expansion of impounded water on the marsh platform; subsidence of the peat and expansion of Phragmites australis.
As land managers we are tasked with stewarding these landscapes to work with what we have today as a starting point looking to the future holistically. Our goal in this session is to touch on three primary techniques of salt marsh restoration; tidal hydrology restoration, marsh migration facilitation and sediment placement, that have been utilized successfully in Rhode Island to restore these important habitats and the ecosystem services they provide. In coordination with land trusts, municipalities, and state and federal partners, we have designed, implemented, and monitored these salt marsh restoration techniques and will share the results of these projects and the importance of long-term adaptive management and stewardship to achieve the restoration goals.
Speakers:
Ben Gaspar, Restoration Ecologist, Save The Bay
Wenley Ferguson, Director of Habitat Restoration, Save The Bay
B9. WQdashboard: Making Water Quality Data Accessible to the Public
Analyzing and sharing water quality data is a challenging task for small watershed groups that lack staff or programming capacity. To assist with this problem, the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program has developed an open-source website template, WQdashboard, that allows nonprofits, government agencies, and other groups to present current and historic water quality data to the public. The website presents water quality data in three basic formats: an interactive map, an annual report card, and a series of graphs.
WQdashboard is designed with maximum flexibility and customization in mind. For example, it accepts multiple different input formats, including the format used by Watershed Watch. Furthermore, although the website can be set up or updated by users with limited to no coding experience, advanced users who are proficient in R Shiny can fully customize the website to suit their needs.
In this session we will present a brief overview of WQdashboard and share how the Salt Ponds Coalition and Blackstone River Collaborative are currently using the package to share data. The second portion of the session will involve a hand
Speakers:
Mariel Sorlien, Geospatial and Design Manager, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program
Heather Parry, Water Quality Program Coordinator, Blackstone River Coalition
Alicia Schaffner, Executive Director, Salt Ponds Coalition
B10. Coming soon!
Session C
C1. Caring for Fishers is Caring for Waters: Health, Equity, and Resilience in Rhode Island’s Seas
Commercial fishers sit at the front lines of climate change, economic volatility, and regulatory shifts—yet they are rarely centered in land-and-water conservation planning. This panel brings together fishers, public-health practitioners, and conservation leaders to explore how human health, equity, and stewardship intersect in Rhode Island’s working waters. Drawing from ongoing community-based research with RI fishers (sleep, stress, tobacco use, cardiometabolic risk, and work productivity), we ask: How does caring for people improve the care of places? Panelists will discuss climate-linked disruptions to fishing effort; barriers to preventive care and insurance; culturally responsive cessation and sleep-health supports; and ways conservation, watershed, and forestry partners can align with working-waterfront needs (including mobile services, port-based navigators, and co-designed interventions). We will highlight funding pathways (federal/state), coalition models with municipalities and NGOs, and pragmatic “no-regrets” steps that advance both ecosystem resilience and community well-being. Participants will leave with concrete strategies, model language for grants/policies, and contacts for collaboration—moving beyond siloed projects toward a just, durable stewardship agenda that treats fishers as essential partners in caring for our lands and waters.
Speaker:
Thaís São João, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of Rhode Island
C2. Develop a Strategy for a Community-Based Conservation Organization
Save the Lakes has developed a strategy for creating an organization of lake associations to collectively care for our lands and waters. The strategy creates outcomes in the themes of – Climate Change (stormwater, dam management, and resiliency to flooding), Inequality (water access, free information and support, State Legislature and State Agencies integration) and Ecologic Loss (eutrophication due to Aquatic Invasive Species, boating regulations for recreation, saving native flora and fauna from invasive species). With lake management funding in RI as almost non-existent, Save the Lakes “bridges the gap” between a single lake association and the RI Agencies that are designed to protect State Land and Waters.
Save the Lakes has based the strategy on four pillars of stakeholders (Lake Associations, Fishing Groups, Conservation Groups and Cities/Towns) to implement outcomes vital to saving land and waters.
Save the Lakes seeks to support the health of our lakes both now and future generations. A central focus for the Lake Associations is expansion: increasing the number of lake associations to more positively impact action in support of lakes. The underlying premises are:
- Lake Associations are the primary stewards of lakes, ponds and reservoirs.
- Organized groups are essential to achieving informed action.
- Working together = greater impact: for our lakes as a whole and for influencing the legislature to support lakes’ needs.
- Partnerships are important.
- Numbers matter: a stronger voice increases the potential for action.
- Unified action strengthens lake stewardship.
Speakers:
Tom Pendergast, Secretary, Save the Lakes
Janice Baker, Vice President, Save the Lakes
Judy Colaluca, President, Save the Lakes
C3. Farm Succession and Agricultural Leasing for Land Trusts
This presentation will highlight how land trusts can examine their holdings to meet the needs of RI farmers seeking land, and how to support farmers who are already working land trust acreage to plan for their futures. We will cover how to assess land for farming, secure land tenure through strong lease agreements, the basics of transferring tenure, and long-term farm viability. Leasing and farm succession resources will be shared for land trusts as well as private landowners including a new guide for writing effective stewardship clauses.
Speakers:
Deanna Levanti, Southeast New England Field Agent, Land for Good
C4. Growing Climate Resilience with Miniforests: The Miyawaki Method of Afforestation
Across the Northeast, communities face growing ecological disruption: rising temperatures, shrinking habitats, degraded soils, and increasing stormwater runoff. Yet a vibrant movement is emerging—people are planting miniforests using the Miyawaki Method—or adaptations of it—to restore life to cities, schoolyards, parks, and vacant lots.
The Miyawaki Method, pioneered by Dr. Akira Miyawaki, creates dense, diverse, multilayered miniforests of native trees and shrubs in spaces as small as 1,000 square feet. Through careful soil preparation and expedited ecological succession, these miniforests establish quickly and begin functioning as self-sustaining ecosystems within a few years.
Miniforests provide a wide range of ecological benefits: they serve as nodes in networks of species movement, cultivate biodiversity, improve air quality, capture stormwater runoff, store carbon, and reduce urban heat island effects. Equally important, they empower communities to become stewards of living systems in their neighborhoods, cultivating a deeper connection to local ecology and supporting education around insect–host plant relationships, the water cycle, and other ecological processes.
This presentation will introduce the Miyawaki Method, share how Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is putting it into practice, and highlight emerging scientific insights from the miniforests we’ve planted.
Since 2021, we have brought this approach to the Northeast, planting the region’s first miniforest at Danehy Park in Cambridge, MA, and organizing the inaugural 2025 Northeast Miniforest Summit. To date, we have helped create eight miniforests across Massachusetts, demonstrating how community-driven restoration can transform urban spaces into resilient, thriving ecosystems.
Speaker:
Alexandra Ionescu, Associate Director of Regenerative Projects, Biodiversity For a Livable Climate
C5. Improving Coastal Resilience and Public Shoreline Access
We will present information on strategies and tools to improve coastal resilience through land conservation and habitat restoration and highlight a case study project that was a partnership between RIDEM / NBNERR, RI CRMC and the Town of Westerly, RI.
Speaker:
Caitlin Chaffee, Chief, Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RIDEM)
Rachel Holbert, Project Specialist, Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RIDEM)
C6. Locally-Led Conservation: The Role Of The Conservation Districts
In Rhode Island and across the country, conservation districts play a key role in the conservation and care of working lands by linking local concerns to national funding and policy. In this presentation you’ll learn about the origin of Rhode Island’s three conservation districts, the work they do across Rhode Island, and how you can become involved in your district as a board member, volunteer, Local Working Group participant, or organizational partner. The districts are unique in Rhode Island’s conservation landscape in that they were established by legislature, and yet have the power to independently respond to conservation needs at the local level. The presentation will highlight recent successful conservation district projects that illustrate the ability to the districts to respond to local needs and concerns. The districts have many tools available to assist land managers, including land trusts, by connecting them with resources, publicizing their great programming, and accessing state and federal resources. Furthermore, through the Local Working Group process, connecting with your Conservation District can provide local residents with an influence on how the federal government distributes conservation funding. You will leave this workshop with contact information for your local District, a more thorough understanding of its role, and knowledge about how it can help you to conserve the land that you love.
Speaker:
Molly Allard, District Manager, Northern Rhode Island Conservation District
C7. Natural Climate Strategies Across Rhode Island
Representatives from The Nature Conservancy will share how Rhode Island is planning for and adapting to a changing climate, including the role of conservation. We will discuss how we can use nature in coastal ecosystems to face rising sea levels and storms, the importance of protecting forests and farms in climate, as well as how RI cities and towns are planning for changing conditions. The event will start with an overview of natural climate solutions relevant to Rhode Island’s landscape, highlighting forests, urban trees and wetlands as important carbon sinks.
Panelists will then share short presentations of current initiatives, including:
- Bringing nature back to the coast by supporting living shoreline projects and beneficial reuse of dredge material transforming hardened or degraded shorelines into living habitats that buffer storms, improve water quality, and connect people to the bay. Our team is also in the field monitoring fish and shellfish populations to help assess ecological changes and inform adaptive management.
- The Municipal Resilience Program that brings together local leaders to assess strengths and vulnerabilities in the face of climate change – leading to community-centered projects that mitigate flooding, provide protection against heat, and protect people and natural resources.
- A partnership with RIDEM to integrate natural and working lands into statewide climate policy, planning, and programming. This includes a current initiative to integrate climate and carbon considerations into forest management plans for DEM-owned and managed lands.
The event will then move into a moderated panel, followed by a Q&A session.
Speakers:
Angela Tuoni, Director of Climate & Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy
Heather Kinney, Coastal Restoration Program Manager, The Nature Coonservancy
C8. Seeing Inland Flooding More Clearly: New Modeling and Community Science Tools for Rhode Island
Rhode Island communities are facing increasing risks from inland and riverine flooding driven by changing precipitation patterns and climate change. Building on the state’s long-standing leadership in coastal resilience tools—including STORMTOOLS for coastal storms and sea level rise and the MyCoast platform for documenting coastal flooding—University of Rhode Island and RI Sea Grant are expanding these efforts inland. This session will explore two complementary initiatives to improve understanding, documentation, and planning for inland flooding across the state. First, we present a new inland STORMTOOLS modeling effort to generate climate-informed flood maps for key watersheds, including the Wood–Pawcatuck, Blackstone, Pawtuxet, and Moshassuck–Woonasquatucket River Basins. By downscaling climate model projections and incorporating expected changes in precipitation intensity, the project estimates how future conditions may alter FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps and increase flood elevations and extents. The resulting watershed models and online mapping tools will support regulatory agencies, municipalities, and watershed groups in risk assessment, planning, and management. Second, we highlight a statewide community science initiative to document stormwater, riverine, and inland flooding through MyCoast. Expanding MyCoast beyond its coastal origins will help fill critical data gaps and empower residents to contribute to a more complete picture of flooding impacts. The session will conclude with an interactive discussion, inviting participants to explore practical applications of these tools in local planning, communication, and resilience efforts.
Speakers:
Eliza Berry, Coastal Resilience Specialist, RI Sea Grant / URI
Dr. M. Reza Hashemi, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island
Casey Tremper, Coastal Resilience Specialist, Rhode Island Sea Grant
C9. Trespass and Encroachment on Preserves and Conservation Easements
Trespass and encroachments on preserves and conservation easements can be complex and costly to navigate and resolve. Join us to discuss trends in trespass on conserved lands and risk mitigation strategies informed by lived experience. Topics will include pre-acquisition due diligence, the unique challenges of third-party trespass on a conservation easement, Land Trust Standards and Practices, Terrafirma and tips for monitoring, enforcement and dispute resolution.
Speakers:
Ailla Wasstrom-Evans, Conservation Defense Fund and Education Manager, Land Trust Alliance
Martha Day, Stewardship Compliance Coordinator, South Kingstown Land Trust
Julia Landstreet, Executive Director, South Kingstown Land Trust
C10. Coming soon!