As Opacum Land Trust prepares to mark its 25th anniversary in 2025, we reached out to the community to gather feedback and input to inform our priorities for the next 25 years. Thanks so much to everyone that took the time to respond. We learned many useful things about the wants and needs of our community. Today, we’d like to share some of the key takeaways from the responses that we received. 

Survey Highlights

Conservation Priorities

When asked about which conservation priorities resonate most with them, respondents highlighted protecting and connecting wildlife habitat as their #1 concern, coming in with a whopping 47% of total votes. Several other priorities had strong support, all shown below in order of votes received: 

• 1. Protecting and connecting wildlife habitat  
• 2. Protecting water resources and wetlands 
• 3. Protecting important or rare natural ecosystems 
• 4. Protecting habitat for rare/threatened species of plants/animals 
• 5. Protecting farms 
• 6. Supporting climate resilience 
• 7. Preserving places with historical or cultural significance 

In Your Words: Most Pressing Conservation Challenges in our Region Over the Next 25 Years 

When asked about the most pressing conservation challenges in our region as we plan for the future, three main themes emerged: 

1. Development: Concern about the rate of development, land overdevelopment, unrestrained development, and population growth and the impacts it will have on our air, water, wetlands, land for wildlife, and loss of farmland 

2. Ecosystem Changes: Our changing climate, bringing new challenges like invasive pests and plants, drought, flooding, and pathogens   

3. Access to the Outdoors: Creating more access to outdoor spaces, outdoor spaces that are accessible for all, and increased recreational opportunities  

Program Offerings

Respondents were asked about what types of programs they would like to see more of. The three top responses were: 

• Guided hikes for adults  

• Educational programs for adults 

• Educational programs for youth  

In addition, there was strong interest in: 

Organizational Initiatives

When asked which initiatives Opacum should prioritize when looking ahead to the next 25 years, respondents ranked the options: 

1. Expanding protected lands 

2. Strengthening community partnerships 

3. Enhancing stewardship of existing properties 

4. Building organizational capacity 

5. Expanding education programs 

6. Increasing public access 

In Your Words: Other Initiatives Opacum Should Prioritize 

This open-ended response question resulted in a number of interesting suggestions. 

1. Education – educate people about the value of wetlands, forests, fields, and conserved lands 

2. Farms – protect farms and farmland 

3. Access – clearer communication about allowable property uses, more universal access to properties, and pet friendly access to conserved lands were top concerns

4. Organizational Concerns – expand the board of directors, make sure long-term plans are in place to care for and maintain current Opacum lands 

In Your Words: Are There Other Ways That Opacum Land Trust Can Improve? 

While we appreciated the numerous comments telling us to keep up the good work, we were so glad to hear constructive feedback, which was shared in the following areas: 

Organizational Visibility – have a stronger community presence,  

Organizational Growth – expand membership, funding sources, and stewardship 

Youth Involvement – involve youth through internships, scouts, FFA, etc. 

Recreation – expand recreational opportunities for passive recreation activities, pets, and access for the elderly/disabled/young children 

In Your Words: Is There Anything Else You Would Like to Share with Us as We Plan for the Next 25 Years? 

The final open response question echoed a lot of what was shared earlier in the survey. Here is what you had to say, in your own words: 

• It’s important to keep building public awareness of Opacum and its work. 

• Seek a more diversified board; Expand your board 

• I love that this survey is being shared, Opacum has been a great community for me, and I appreciate that it is looking forward to the next 25 years 

• I like seeing Opacum at local events such as old home day 

• Thanks for what you guys have done!! 

• Get young people informed and involved 

• Protect what you can while you can. The land isn’t coming back. 

• Keep land open for hunting even just bow hunting 

• Continue to help your community partners with your Conversation Restriction support. 

• Develop mountain bike trails and allow more cyclists input 

What’s Next 

Based on your input, the following guidelines and key takeaways will be considered as we develop plans and priorities for Opacum’s next 25 years. 

Communication: We will prioritize improved communication about our properties and about allowable activities, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking.  

Stewardship and Property Access: We will continue to prioritize enhancing property stewardship and access. We have been hard at work improving our property stewardship and made great progress this fall, with the help of our TerraCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator, Sam DeLuca. We are also seeking grant funding to build our first accessible trails.  

Board of Directors: Another area of importance to our community is the expansion of our Board of Directors. We agree! We have been actively working to expand the board. We added a new director this fall, Toni Uliana, and are looking to expand more in 2025.  

Community Presence: We are committed to increasing our community presence and awareness. Stay tuned for 25th anniversary events, speaking engagements, and more! 

Education: We will prioritize increasing community education about the importance of protected lands, with a special focus on youth. Increased youth and family programming is a current Opacum priority, and we encourage everyone to stay tuned for upcoming spring youth programs and volunteer opportunities. 

Farms: We will strive to expand our outreach to farmers and partner with them to protect local farmlands. 

A Heartfelt Thank You 

To everyone who participated in the survey: Thank you! Your insights will inform our continued evolution as an organization and shape the future of conservation in our region.

Thank you for 25 years of conservation, community, and connection and here’s to 25 more, which we will define together.