Patrick Knapp of Columbia Land Conservancy is joined by Betsy Albert and Timothy Kennelty to discuss the formation of the Taghkanic Community Forest and why this model of land stewardship could be a meaningful new way to preserve land and build neighbors' relationship to the land.

This talk is part of PCA's Funding Futures series and is 1.5 hours. Presentation for the first 30 or so minutes with robust discussion for the remainder. Please share the invitation with Hudson Valley residents interested in land conservation and community-building.

Funding Futures is a grant funded support program for 6 community listening campaigns around the Hudson Valley.

About our speakers:

Patrick Knapp is the director of public lands at the Columbia Land Conservancy, where he works with the public lands team to balance the ecology of each of CLC’s properties with recreational, agricultural, and educational opportunities. Pat lives on a farm in Austerlitz, NY, with his wife, 2-year-old son, and 3-month-old daughter.

Betsy Albert lives in Taghkanic, NY, where she is involved in many community pursuits. She is serving her second term as a member of the Taghkanic Town Board. She is an active member of the Taghkanic Climate Smart Task Force and serves as the town representative for the Columbia County Climate Smart Task Force. She is the founder and manager of the Taghkanic Community Fridge, and volunteers for the Columbia Kitchen and Salvation Army. She is the inaugural chair of the Taghkanic Community Forest Committee. Betsy is an avid gardener and keeps her neighbors supplied with flowers and veggies. She lives with her two best friends—her husband John and her dog Jack.

Timothy Kennelty is a Master Gardener, Master Naturalist and Master Forest Owner volunteer through Cornell Cooperative Extension. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Columbia Land Conservancy and is a founding member of the Taghkanic Community Forest.