Barnstable Land Trust, Orenda Wildlife Land Trust, and Sturgis Library partner with Mark Robinson, long-time director of The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, who will present a lively presentation on the “A History and A Future for Land Conservation on Cape Cod.” This presentation will provide an overview of themes driving efforts to preserve the Cape, from early philanthropic gifts and civic beauty efforts, to the powerful rise of land trusts and municipal programs beginning in earnest in the 1980s. There will be a focus on Barnstable projects. Projected 21st century trends of undevelopment and ecorestoration will be discussed.

Mr. Robinson has served as director of The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts since its founding in 1986. He has assisted Cape towns and land trusts in preserving more than 15,000 acres of land as open space since then, including those of the Barnstable Land Trust. The Compact represents 32 local and regional nonprofit land trusts and watershed groups operating on Cape Cod. Mark has served on the board of the Mass. Land Trust Coalition and is a regular lecturer at the national conference of land trusts.