December 2012
Living Landscape Observer - Nature, Culture, Community
In This Issue
Featured Landscape: Silos and Smokestacks
2012: Year in Review
2013: Predictions and Trends
Landscape Meet-ups
New York State Heritage Areas
Write for Us
About Us
Join Our Mailing List

January 14-15
Pennsylvania Conservation Landscape Summit in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

February 25-26
Historic Preservation Advocacy Day sponsored by Preservation Action in Washington, DC

March 11-15
George Wright Society Biennial Conference in Denver, Colorado

April 12-13
Fabos Conferene on Landscape and Greenway Planning in Amherst, Massachusetts

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area

Located in the heart of America's tall grass prairie, northeastern Iowa includes some of the world's most fertile soil and productive farms. Across a gently undulating terrain, the landscape breaks into hills, valleys and bluffs as it approaches the Mississippi River at its eastern border. Learn more about how residents are telling the story of their special places and the role that the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area has played in sparking interpretation, planning and economic development in the region.   

 
Living Landscape Observer
2012 Year in Review
Thank you to the writers, readers and commentators who made our inaugural year a success. In case you missed them, here are links to a few of the posts that generated interest since our launch in April 2012.

Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor: Keeping the Promise

Signs of the Landscape Times:Signage and Large Landscapes

Landscape of Loss: Defending the Appalachian Trail

The Lower Susquehanna: A Landscape of Loss

Presquile National Wildlife Refuge: An Indigenous Cultural Landscape

Predictions for 2013
So what will 2013 bring for the field of living landscapes? Will the movement continue to expand? What will happen to the National Heritage Areas program and which landscapes will get even more attention in the coming year? Read on to see our predictions.
Set a Date to Talk Landscapes

Interesting in meeting up with practitioners, scholars and others interested in landscape preservation, conservation, interpretation and community development? Check out these upcoming conferences and gatherings across the nation in 2013 for a few ideas. Read more. 

New York State Heritage Areas at Risk?
Creativity and pride go into the protection of natural and historic treasures as parks. New York courts have protected parks with the public trust doctrine that requires legislative approval before discontinuing or compromising a municipal or state park. Sadly, the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is walking away from responsibility for heritage areas. Learn more.
Write for Us!

The editors of the Living Landscape Observer welcome practitioners and partners to become Occasional Observers and contribute news, events and featured landscapes to the web site. Occasional Observers will be credited for any articles published on the site. Please contact us for more information.     

 

A special thanks to all our contributors in 2012: Deanna Beacham who writes for the site and manages our Twitter account (@LandscapeObserv), regular columnist
Paul Bray, and Shawn Johnson, Lisa Hayes, Erin MacCoy, Mary Means, Mark Preiss, Amy Rosenthal and Elizabeth Watson. 

About Us

The Living Landscape Observer is a new website, blog and monthly e-newsletter that offers commentary and information on the emerging field of large landscape conservation. This approach emphasizes the preservation of a "sense of place" and blends ingredients of land conservation, heritage preservation, and sustainable community development. Learn more about how you can get involved or sign up for the newsletter here.  

Our Mission: To provide observations and information on the emerging fields of landscape scale conservation, heritage preservation and sustainable community development.