Connectivity

"We will protect what we feel most connected to."

This article originally appeared in our newsletter, Landmarks, Fall 2009

I'm not a scientist, but this fall I found myself in rooms full of scientists and other experts giving us their input and advice as part of our Conservation Blueprint process. I found it fascinating.

One workshop particularly caught my attention. It was on connectivity – the degree to which a landscape facilitates the movement of animals like the mountain lion. Mountain lions are what scientists call an "umbrella species" – a species whose needs overlap with other species, so conservation that benefits them will also benefit other species. The American bald eagle, once on the verge of extinction because of DDT poisoning, is an iconic umbrella species, whose blight helped fuel the creation of the Endangered Species Act. The banning of DDT helped save not only the American bald eagle, but also countless other species, including the Brown pelican we see along our coast.

At the workshop I learned that tracking devices show that mountain lions avoid crossing major highways. This raises concerns that they might become trapped in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which might not be able to support enough lions to maintain a healthy population. That is why one of the many maps we looked at showed potential connections between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Mt. Hamilton Range to the east and the Gabilan Range to the south (see map).

These maps show our County's connectivity to the areas surrounding us, which may become more and more important as climate change forces species to move to survive. They also show how close we are to the population mass and growth pressures of the Bay Area.

In the largest sense of the word, connectivity to the land is what all of us who love Santa Cruz County feel. Scientists study the intricacies of connectivity between all forms of life. A farmer lives by understanding the connection between soil, water, and crops. For most of us a walk along the beach or in the mountains – or just a view of fields and streams – sparks some awareness of our connection to the place we call home. The Conservation Blueprint is about connectivity in this big sense. Ultimately, I think, we will protect what we feel most connected to.

The other time connectivity came up for me this fall was at our Annual Celebration. I had four generations of my family there and Bill Locke-Paddon, our Conservationist of the Year, had three generations of his family with him. The presence of our children and grandchildren reminded me that our work is about our connection with the land we love – and about our connection with those who will come after us.

Terry Corwin
Executive Director

 

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