Sample Program
About the Keystone Project (Formerly Coverts)
Cooperator Quotes
"Thank you for a wonderful, educational, inspiring weekend. I come away with great motivation and courage to implement some new ideas!"
“Great speakers, great discussion within our group and great questions initiated more great discussions.”
"Thank you for this excellent workshop!"
"Much better knowledge base and appreciation for the role of managing forests specifically for wildlife."
"Every presenter was top notch!"
Since 1988, the Coverts program has trained over 325 people who have direct control of 17,391 acres and are involved with 169,000 acres (e.g., work with a land trust, local conservation commission, sportsmen club). In 2006, the name was changed to Keystone to better reflect the focus and direction of the project.
In ecology, a keystone species is one whose impacts on its environment are larger and greater than would be expected from one species. Like the Coverts program before, the Keystone project selects and educates forest owners and community leaders who have a significant impact on their communities. The program offers these important, Keystone people information about forest ecology, sustainable forest management, wildlife habitat enhancement, and land protection through a combination of lectures, field trips, discussions and take home resources.
Participants in the annual 3-day training program are chosen competitively from a pool of applicants that includes forest landowners, and members of land trusts, town conservation commissions, and other conservation organizations. Applications are reviewed for applicant experience, connectedness within the community, special skills, and diversity.
After the training program, Keystone Cooperators continue to receive information and resources to keep them well informed. Each fall there are an optional Keyston reunions to continue to learn and meet each other. Keystones can also participate in the Keystone list serve.
In return for participating in the program, Keystone Cooperators agree to return to their respective communities and serve as spokespersons or advocates for forest conservation. The activities of these volunteers are limited only by their own creativity, and have included:
- Organize a “Woods Forum” workshop in their community
- Articles in the local paper
- Organized tours and walks
- Create important habitat
- Informal conversations with neighbors or local landowners about forest management and protection
- Programs with local schools; radio or local access cable television programming
- Serving on a local town board
- Becoming involved in a local land trust or conservation effort
Keystone Cooperators have been assisted in their work by local resources and funding programs, including: the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP), local foresters and land trusts, Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), and the Forest Stewardship Program.
To see some examples of Keystone Cooperators in action, see Inspiring Stories.
Keystone Project Sponsorship
The Keystone project is primarily funded through the generosity of partner organizations. Organizations that have sponsored Keystone in the past are:
- MA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- MassWildlife
- The Massachusetts Chapter of the Nature Conservancy
- Harvard Forest
- Attorney Ray Lyons and Associates
- The Trustees of Reservations' Highlands Community Initiative
- MA Bureau of Forestry's Forest Stewardship Program
- Massachusetts Woodlands Institute
- UMass Extension
- University of Massachusetts - Amherst: Department of Natural Resources Conservation
If you or your organization is interested in partnering with UMass Extension to sponsor a Keystone program, please contact Paul Catanzaro at 413.545.4839 or cat@umext.umass.edu.
