With a survey and listening session, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) continues to seek community input on mutually-beneficial uses of Mashomack Preserve.
“Your response will help us better understand the role of The Nature Conservancy and Mashomack in the Shelter Island and East End communities,” TNC says.
“We aim to identify ways to use our staff expertise and land assets in ways that are mutually beneficial to the surrounding community and our organization’s goals.”
TNC’s mission and Mashomack’s role
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is “to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.” The organization “advances conservation across six continents, including in over 70 countries and territories and all 50 US states.”
Across the globe, TNC combats the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. So how does Mashomack Preserve — 2,350 acres of woodlands, wetlands, meadows, and shorelines — factor into these broad goals?
Cody-Marie Miller, Mashomack Preserve Conservation & Stewardship Manager, put it this way: “Mashomack contributes to our goals by serving as a site for our conservation research, such as better understanding how conserving natural wetland systems can help reduce nitrogen pollution and by allowing us to inspire and educate visitors in the appreciation of nature, as well as the threat of climate change and biodiversity loss.”
Seeking input
Still, as TNC media relations manager May Yeung said prior to the May listening sessions, “the event is really meant to be what it is titled — a listening session.”
TNC wants to hear from the community about how Mashomack can be a better resource, partner, and neighbor, she said.
“For example, our focus in the last few months has been expanding access so that more people can enjoy the preserve,” Yeung said. “We welcome feedback on the work done so far and would like to know how the community feels it could be improved or expanded.”
The next listening session takes place Saturday, August 19, from 10 to 11:30 AM at Mashomack Preserve. Local team members will be on hand to answer questions and listen to your comments.
Community engagement survey
You can also take part in a Community Engagement Survey; follow this link to the brief questionnaire.
First, TNC asks respondents to describe what successful partnerships mean to them specifically, “What qualities make an organization a good neighbor and integral part of the community of Shelter Island and the East End?”
Next, TNC asks for input on nonprofits or initiatives that could benefit from working with TNC and Mashomack, for example, on joint programs or use of the Preserve and its facilities.
The next four questions ask respondents to select all options that apply to these prompts: When do you feel most connected to Mashomack? How do you prefer learning about Mashomack’s news and events? What topics would you be most interested in hearing about? If you attended a community listening session in May, how useful did you find the session to be?
For each of the questions, there is an “other” option that allows respondents to provide additional information.
Lastly, TNC asks: “Do you have any additional questions or comments for The Nature Conservancy staff?”
“What we will learn will inform our engagement strategies moving forward,” TNC says in the survey introduction.
About Mashomack Preserve
Mashomack Preserve, which occupies about one-third of Shelter Island, is considered one of the richest habitats in the Northeast. Girdled by 11 miles of shoreline, Mashomack Preserve is known as “the Jewel of the Peconic.”
The Preserve offers educational programming throughout the year, and its 11 miles of well-marked and varied trails are typically open to the public during daylight hours. Closures may occur due to and following severe weather and in hunting season when Mashomack participates in a coordinated effort to keep the Island’s deer herd at sustainable levels.
While events at Mashomack generally are free, The Nature Conservancy suggests donations of $3 per adult and $2 per child to preserve the place for future generations.
