Rebecca Jewett is President and CEO of Palmer Land Trust, a conservation organization that works to conserve land and water resources in southeastern Colorado. Palmer Land Trust is one of the twenty largest land trusts in the nation based on acreage conserved, with over 135,000 acres of land protected in perpetuity.  Rebecca has led the organization since 2014, expanding and diversifying its conservation initiatives and building Palmer into a national force in the land conservation sector.

If Rebecca and Palmer Land Trust sound familiar, it’s because this is Rebecca’s second time on the podcast and I work at Palmer as a Conservation Director. In the midst of this unprecedented COVID crisis, I thought it would be timely to have Rebecca join me again, this time to discuss how the crisis is affecting conservation and how she sees conservation evolving in its aftermath. Once the all-important work of the first responders has been completed, what role will the conservation of working farms and ranches, as well as public recreational open space, play in our recovery and rebuilding? For those of you who love land and the communities tied to it, this is a must-listen conversation.

And if you’re like me and often feel completely overwhelmed with COVID talk, rest assured that this conversation is upbeat and solution-oriented. I imagine you will finish the discussion inspired by the opportunities that our new future holds—and inspiration is something that we can all use more of these days. Rebecca and I cover a lot, including the importance of farming and ranching during this crisis and the role that Palmer plays in supporting agricultural producers. We talk about the need to focus on community building and strong partnerships, as well as the conservation opportunities that could arise post-COVID. Finally, we discuss leadership lessons and how the birth of her daughter has made her a better leader.

Obviously, I’m a big fan of Rebecca’s. And I’m sure that after this conversation, you will be, too. Hope you enjoy the episode.

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Complete Episode Notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/rebecca-jewett-2/

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Topics Discussed:

• 3:45 - Palmer Land Trust explained
• 6:15 - Land conservation and COVID-19
• 9:00 - Community as a focus of conservation
• 13:45 - Importance of agriculture in the face of COVID
• 18:45 - Win-Win-Wins that are possible in conservation
• 21:15 - How a diversified “business model” will allow effective conservation post-COVID
• 26:30 - Importance of strong partnerships during COVID
• 30:35 - Importance of storytelling in conservation
• 35:45 - How conservation will evolve in the coming years
• 40:45 - Thoughts on leadership during challenging times
• 47:45 - How motherhood has changed her perspective, professionally and personally
• 53:45 - Importance of optimism in parenting and life
• 56:15 - Good books on parenting
• 57:45 - Other good books
• 58:45 - Favorite podcasts
• 1:00:45 - Parting words of wisdom

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