Conserving Land and Managing Wildfire Risks, with Jade Stevens

About this episode

Jade Stevens discusses the mission of the 40 Acre Conservation League in California, focusing on land stewardship and wildfire prevention.

In this episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Jade Stevens, founder and executive director of 40 Acre Conservation League, a Black-led nonprofit land trust in California. The organization, named after the historic promise of “40 acres and a mule” given to formerly enslaved Black Americans after the Civil War, honors the legacy of the promise by expanding land stewardship and outdoor recreation throughout California. A complementary objective of the land trust focuses on wildfire prevention and forest preservation, which involves extensive efforts to thin out overcrowded trees and restore wildlife. Despite challenges in site acquisition and dense tree regrowth, Stevens notes that maintaining outdoor space creates lasting improvements to quality of life for nearby communities. By merging the two aims of conserving land and expanding public lands, 40 Acre Conservation League aims to make the great outdoors more accessible to urban families in California while protecting the ecosystems within it. References and recommendations: 40 Acre Conservation League; https://www.40acreleague.org/ “The Wild” podcast with Chris Morgan; https://www.thewildpod.org/ Subscribe to stay up to date on…

People in this episode

Host: Margaret Walls

Guest: Jade Stevens

Topics covered

• land conservation
• wildfire management
• urban accessibility
• ecosystem protection

Keywords

• 40 Acre Conservation League
• California
• Black-led nonprofit
• outdoor recreation
• forest preservation

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Conserving Land and Managing Wildfire Risks, The Wild

Places: California

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