March 2015
Living Landscape Observer - Nature, Culture, Community
In This Issue
Featured Landscape: Port Lockroy, Antarctica
World Heritage Under Threat
Historic Preservation and Sustainability
LLO at the George Wright Conference
In the News
About Us
Join Our Mailing List
March 29 - April 3, 2015
George Wright Conference  Engagement, Expectations and Experience
in Oakland, CA 

May 13 - 15, 2015 
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA

Port Lockroy Antarctica 
The outpost at Port Lockroy (pictured above), a sheltered harbor on Goudier Island off the Antarctic Peninsula, has been designated a Historic Site and Monument (No. 61) under the Antarctic Treaty. It is one of the now 85 historic properties that dot the vastness of Antarctica, where 98% of the continent is covered in ice. Learn more about the history and continued use of this scientific and cultural site, as well as the mechanisms and organizations involved in its protection. 

  

  
Living Landscape Observer
World Heritage Threatened with Destruction
What can be done about the ongoing destruction of World Heritage Sites in regions currently suffering through civil war and other devastating conflicts? Are there any steps that can be taken when heritage becomes a tactic of war? Read more.
Historic Preservation and Sustainability
In this guest piece, Katie Rispoli, a 2015 Preservation Advocacy Scholar, makes a compelling case for thinking about the ways in which historic preservation qualifies as a conservation strategy - both in terms of the natural environment and the cultural heritage of a particular community. Learn more.
2015 George Wright Conference
Writers and contributors from the Living Landscape Observer will be participating and presenting in a variety of sessions at the 2015 George Wright Conference that begins today (March 30) in Oakland, CA and runs through the end of the week. Learn more about sessions here.
In the News 

National Trust Highlights Threat to James River (VA) Landscape 

Dominion Virginia Power is currently planning a new, 17-tower transmission line (with some towers reaching 30-stories), which will cut straight across the James River. The project endangers landscapes with significant cultural and ecological histories and potentially affects 5 National Park Service units. 

 

Save The James River. Stop The Power Lines.
Visualization of Proposed Transmission Lines Crossing the James River


 

Follow-up: National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation

This informative webinar seeks to leverage the enthusiasm from the National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation (NWLLC) by highlighting key next steps and action items that emerged from the October 2014 gathering. 

 

Leveraging the Enthusiasm of the National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation
Leveraging the Enthusiasm of the NWLLC

 

National Park Service Maintenance Backlog Now at $11.5 Billion 

As the NPS approaches its centennial, the agency's deferred maintenance backlog has reached a record high. Read more in the Denver Post. 

 

Will Florida Legislators Act on Voter-Approved Conservation 

Florida residents passed a constitutional amendment to fund a Land Acquisition Trust Fund, but supporters are thus far disappointed in the legislature's actions. Read more in the Pensacola News Journal.

About Us

The Living Landscape Observer is a 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.