Adirondack Land Trust Inc

Outreach and education program: the adirondack land trust (alt) outreach and education program focuses on educating the public about the value of land conservation in the adirondack region. It enables much of our land conservation work because it inspires and empowers landowners to take steps toward sustainable management and a sustainable future for their lands; publicizes the broad benefits of land conservation; builds partnerships with communities, state agencies and other organizations; and promotes a land conservation ethic throughout the adirondacks. Accomplishments of the past year include educational field trips to protected lands to increase engagement in conservation and the outdoors; disseminating information about the (continued on schedule o)disparity of wildland trail access for people with disabilities and steps alt is taking to make more conserved land accessible to more people; partnering with local libraries to provide free birdwatching field kits that can be checked out like a book; working with local stakeholders to make major upgrades to a popular hiking trail in lake placid estimated to attract more than 15,000 hikers per year; refining a cultural due diligence process to incorporate cultural history into land protection practices; continuing to facilitate connections to nature through trail camera footage of wildlife; and hosting conservation-focused virtual events attended by hundreds of people. Staff also advise and collaborate via the new york state forest preserve advisory committee, adirondack food system network, and other ongoing partnerships to strengthen environmental stewardship, identify wild land and farmland protection priorities, and improve quality of life in the adirondack region.