This month, the CFOC Nonprofit Spotlight features Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA).
Formed in 1968, the Otsego County Conservation Association is a regional, grassroots non-profit. Though originally created to protect trees, over the decades OCCA has expanded its scope of work to address a wide range of environmental issues. With a mission to promote the appreciation and sustainable use of our region’s resources, OCCA’s work, rooted in science, action and community, allows them to identify and influence the community around us.
At the heart of it, OCCA believes that environmental education, protection, conservation, and advocacy can only truly be accomplished by working together. They focus on connecting with other local partners, community members, volunteers, community scientists, and businesses to engage folks to join in efforts from whatever entry point suits them best.
By prioritizing this cohesiveness in their programming, OCCA created its Community Connections program. With a grant from the Community Foundation of Otsego County, OCCA launched the Community Connection series, a series of conservation-minded events for different target groups. In its initial iteration, the program included OCCA’s homeschool hiking group, the Earth and Me Lunch Lecture Program, Queer Outdoor Adventure Group, Be Informed Lectures, as well as the BIPOC Outdoor Adventure Group. Community Appreciation Days followed, where each of the groups would host a particular activity for the day.
This process of creating safe spaces where people felt comfortable joining in the activities, and then bringing those groups together, allowed us to meet folks and then expand their networks to include other community members with which they may not traditionally interact. By giving them a common connection through environmental conservation and caring for our earth and community, we provided a space that was both shared and safe despite other differences.
Since this successful pilot project, OCCA has transitioned most of their work to use the same framework, including the expansion of their Community Science programs. Though there were some critics in the beginning who were concerned OCCA was dividing people for no reason, the results have been clear; the exact opposite has occurred. Offering selective programming creates space for people to feel comfortable, creating a greater sense of connectedness, and allows for greater exploration and participation in our larger conservation community.
“You don’t protect something you have no connection to,” said Amy Wyant, Executive Director. “That is why building connection, both to the natural resources and people of our community is the key to creating the next generation of environmental stewards. Together, if we continue inspiring environmental conservation action in our community and find a sense of belonging in the process, we will bring our communities back together. We can only do that when we work together.
We are all OCCA.”
For more information, go to www.occainfo.org
Content provided by OCCA.
