Dr. Eric Chivian, founder and director emeritus of the Harvard Medical School’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, will be the keynote speaker at the 19th annual New Jersey Land Conservation Conference on Friday, March 6, at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 1 W. Lafayette St., Trenton.
The theme of this year’s conference is “To Your Health,” and the day will be devoted to exploring the role of open space and farmland preservation in promoting health and wellness.
Dr. Chivian, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, will speak on “Global Environmental Threats: Why They Are Hard to See and How a Medical Model May Help Us Understand Them.”
Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance, will present the kickoff address on “Connecting Health and Nature: Why Every American Benefits from Land Conservation.”
The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers 24 workshops in various tracks, including Healthy Land, Healthy Water, Healthy Food and Healthy Communities. Participants can learn everything from how natural lands control flooding, to restoring native edible plants, to planning a trail system.
The conference is geared toward professionals and volunteers in New Jersey’s land conservation community, but it is open to anyone interested in learning about the connection between preserved lands and wellness.
Tickets are $70 for individual attendees if purchased before Feb. 20, and include a continental breakfast, a full day of workshops, a luncheon, and a day’s-end social with door prizes. After Feb. 20, the price increases to $95. Students are invited at the discount rate of $25.
For more information, a schedule of workshops, and online registration, go to www.njconservation.org/rally.
The conference is planned and organized by a committee representing New Jersey Conservation Foundation, the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, D&R Greenway Land Trust, FAV Consulting, Great Swamp Watershed Association, Monmouth Conservation Foundation, NJDEP Land Use Regulation Program, Raritan Headwaters Association, State Agriculture Development Committee, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, Sourland Conservancy, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, The Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land.
Lead sponsors include the Victoria Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Bayer USA Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and New Jersey Conservation Foundation.
