Twenty years ago, Davidson leaders shared a vision to develop a land trust to help protect elements of our town that many of us hold dear, among them trees and open spaces, clean air and water, a love of wildlife, and our sense of place. Today, when many of our interactions are reduced to faces behind masks or in squares on a computer screen, the outdoors seems more and more critical to our physical and mental health. In that spirit, I’m happy to report that the staff and Board at Davidson Lands Conservancy are as committed as ever before to secure that vision.
Executive Director Dave Cable began his tenure last spring by engaging the Board in a thoughtful process of examination aimed at strategic alignment toward this primary objective—land conservation and stewardship. With a renewed and mission-driven focus, DLC fully embraces the challenge of conserving land in our increasingly urbanized environment, where land and ecosystems have become more scarce, and the pressures of development drive real-estate prices higher. Conservation is extremely challenging here, and yet it is ever more important.
We recognize that our work around land use must acknowledge the connections between environmental, economic, and social justice in our community. We are committed to doing all we can through our work to address pressing issues of climate change and social and racial injustices to make our world a healthier place in every way, today and for future generations.
As we enjoy a beautiful, although different, fall, when outdoor spaces are more valuable than ever, DLC is also stronger than ever, holding true to and even more focused on that 20-year-old vision. On behalf of the Board, our staff, and our generous supporters and volunteers, thank you—we are nothing without our strong community support.
So, let’s take a deep breath of Davidson’s fresh, fall air—and work to keep it that way.
— Gordon Clark, DLC Board President
