Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW), a program run by the US Department of Agriculture, created the Landscape Partnership to help landscape practitioners and stewards find each other and the resources they need to support working lands and conservation efforts across the nation. WLFW enlisted the help of Ferguson Lynch to build an online space for conservation groups to connect, share knowledge, and publish news and information to both expert audiences and the general public. Ferguson Lynch designed and built the Landscape Partnership, an interactive learning network with the capacity to search for expertise and partners, custom decision support tools, and a plethora of webinars and trainings. Since 2019, Ferguson Lynch has worked with WLFW to keep the site active with the latest news and resources. The portal also contains various subsites dedicated to specific concerns, initiatives, and conservation groups.
Member Support
Ferguson Lynch worked with WLFW to find ways to support a community of conservationists.
Below are some approaches that FL developed.
Working Lands for Wildlife
Expertise Search
Everyone who visits the Landscape Partnership brings a vast knowledge base and specific expertise that someone else needs. Ferguson Lynch made it possible for members to connect with each other based on expertise and location through a custom-built software called expertise search.
Organization Search
In addition to custom and curated searches that help users find content, the LP helps users find partner organizations related to their interests.
Applications, Maps and Data
Ferguson Lynch has been involved in the development of numerous interactive dashboards and decision support tools connected to the Landscape Partnership. Below are a sample of these tools that FL has developed, supported, and/or maintained.
Literature Gateway
A systematic map of bird-vegetation relationships in eastern and boreal forests
Forest management affects wildlife habitat by altering the structure and composition of vegetation communities. Every wildlife species uses a specific set of resources associated with different species and ages of forest trees (e.g., nesting cavities, den sites, acorn crops, fruit resources) to survive and reproduce. Forest managers, wildlife conservation groups, policy makers, and other stakeholders often need to review the literature on forest bird-vegetation relationships to inform decisions on natural resource management or ecosystem restoration. The literature gateway facilitates the exploration of this literature, helping users find references on a diverse range of management-relevant topics that have been compiled by subject experts based on searches of >60 different sources spanning the past 50+ years.
Ferguson Lynch built the Literature Gateway in collaboration with Casey Lott ( Conservation Science and Data Visualization, LLC.)
Bobscapes
Northern Bobwhite have been experiencing precipitous declines throughout their range. Despite being one of the most well studied birds in North America, wildlife experts still don’t have a good understanding of populations distribution across its range. The Bobscapes Mobile App helps researchers better understand population dynamics and help managers direct resources for habitat work to the areas where those investments will be most effective in recovering the species. Additionally, for those interested, the app connects landowners to technical experts who can make habitat recommendations and share information on voluntary cost share programs. Lastly, the data provided assists wildlife biologists in creating a national habitat network of “Bobwhite landscapes” necessary to ensure this species persists for future generations.
Ferguson Lynch built and maintains Bobscapes.
Southeast Firemap
Fire is a critical but little-known part of landscapes across the southeastern U.S. The Southeast (SE) FireMap is a tool that aims to address this gap by helping users accurately track and understand fire patterns across the Southeast.
A beta SE FireMap Version 1.0 was released in March 2021 and an improved SE FireMap Version 2.0 is anticipated by 2025.
Ferguson Lynch helps to support the development of the SE Firemap by hosting and promoting it on the LP as well as supporting with community workshops to refine and develop the tool.
Training
Ferguson Lynch developed a platform for the LP that would allow webinars and other instructional materials to be converted into online courses.
Landscape Partnership
Learning Network
Building Skills for Landscape Resiliency
Find free courses on wildland fire, environmental decision-making, science applications, at-risk species, and other topics on the Learning Network. Course participants can receive certifications for completing a course from the Landscape Partnership and some courses may also qualify for educational credits with partnering academic institutions.
