Guest Article by Edie Brooks and Arkia Wade

Each year, the Land Trust Alliance hosts its national “Rally” conference, a key gathering opportunity for members of the land trust community to share best practices, celebrate achievements and strengthen the land conservation movement. This year, NeighborSpace was represented by staff members Phyllis Joris and Amanda Glassco, stewardship partner Edie Brooks and Board member Arkia Wade. Read on to hear Edie’s and Arkia’s takeaways!

Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference was held September 3-6 in Cleveland, Ohio. The annual conference brought together 1,653 passionate land conservation practitioners from 56 states, countries, and territories around the world — all dedicated to protecting and preserving the cherished places that make our communities special.

On the first day,  we joined Phyllis for an outstanding day-long field trip with Ohio’s largest land trust, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, a powerhouse in Northeast Ohio. Matt Zone, our dynamic guide and Chief Advocacy Officer, was a former Cleveland City Councilman for 20 years.  The Conservancy shared a real passion for protecting natural resources and revitalizing and uplifting communities. Their phenomenal work “moved at the speed of trust”. They have acquired Euclid Beach Mobile Home Community, covering 28.5 acres on Cleveland’s North Collinwood lakeshore. The property has officially become part of the public park system, marking a milestone in the creation of a unified, publicly accessible green space along Lake Erie.  They are also in the process of converting a 25-acre historic landfill to Brighton Park, as well as having demolished numerous vacant structures and repurposed vacant lots in Cleveland.

During the field trip, we explored a vibrant community garden created in partnership with a local church — complete with its own irrigation system and a sturdy fence to keep curious deer away. We also visited inspiring examples of neighborhood revitalization, including thoughtful green spaces that tell powerful stories: a memorial honoring a local police officer who lost his life in the line of duty and the moving “Garden of Eleven Angels,” a tribute to eleven women from the community. The experience was both heartwarming and empowering — a beautiful reminder of how green spaces can heal, unite, and inspire hope.

We then jumped into a variety of inspiring workshops — from Financial Leadership for Land Trust Executive Directors and Advanced Leadership: Developing an Empowered Management Team to Connecting Children to Nature. Along the way, we met passionate land conservation leaders from across the country, exchanged ideas, and came home energized with fresh perspectives and new connections!

On the last day of the conference we co-presented a workshop, titled ”Cultivating Relationships: Community-Centered Conservation Successes and Challenges”, with Phyllis and Amanda and colleagues from The Conservation Foundation, a land trust in Illinois. We shared a slide show about NeighborSpace, focused on our experience with protecting, restoring, and stewarding Chestnut Park in Turner Station, and hosted breakout groups around different topics. The session was well attended and warmly received. And while in Cleveland, we found time to visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What a wonderful trip!