Lessons from the Field: Scalable Strategies for Conservation Sites

Real progress in landscape-level conservation comes from deliberate, well-coordinated efforts. It requires navigating internal personalities, earning community trust, and staying committed to the work long after initial activities. In this webinar, Amanda Young, Senior Environmental Engineer, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, and Jeff Musser, Environmental Field Manager, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, share how they’ve managed dedicated conservation areas at industrial sites by focusing on four key elements: Internal dynamics, community buy-ins, practical implementation, and ongoing education.

Their experiences highlight how lasting conservation success depends on people as much as local ecology. Join us for grounded insights, candid stories, and a brief Q&A session to help you move your own efforts forward.

What you’ll learn:

• Internal dynamics: getting colleagues on board, pushing back against old habits, and managing expectations.
• Community buy-ins: building social license through transparency, public engagement, and clear communication.
• Practical implementation: managing landscapes with limited budgets and personnel, non-traditional strategies (prescribed burns / mowing regimes), and shifting leadership.
• Ongoing education: responding to evolving perceptions and audiences (e.g., nuisances like ticks, snakes, and skunks), while using every engagement as an opportunity to inform, educate, and inspire.

Who should attend this webinar:

• Anyone involved in managing WHC-Certified sites or interested in pursuing certification.
• Facilities and site managers involved in land management decisions, maintenance, and community relations.
• Government staff interested in collaborating with industries or landowners on green infrastructure, community outreach, or land use planning.

Presenters:

• Jeff Musser, Environmental Field Manager, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority
• Amanda Young, Senior Environmental Engineer, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia