News from SECAS April 2023 Newsletter
The South Carolina Lowcountry Sentinel Landscape - A local partnership supporting a regional conservation vision
by Louise Vaughn, User Support, Southeast Conservation Blueprint
Earlier this year, the South Carolina Lowcountry Sentinel Landscape became the 11th Sentinel Landscape designated nationwide! It's also the 3rd Sentinel Landscape supported and informed by the Southeast Conservation Blueprint, where Blueprint user support staff helped partners develop maps and support the application for designation. Sentinel Landscapes represent well-defined geographies where the military, conservation, agriculture, and forestry communities have shared interests. To read more about the South Carolina Lowcountry and the work of Sentinel Landscapes partnerships, >>read Louise's blog...
Lessons from Silicon Valley - What conservation planners can learn from the tech industry
by Hilary Morris, User Support & Communications, Southeast Conservation Blueprint
Have you ever wondered why SECAS puts such a big emphasis on regularly updating the Blueprint and its associated online interfaces? It's not easy, and it's ambitious, but it comes from our commitment to following the Lean Startup method, an approach based on the book by entrepreneur Eric Ries. Lean Startup calls for moving quickly through the planning phase of a project, allowing for quick failure so teams can learn what works, what doesn't, and what end users really need. Elements of this framework are more commonly used in the tech and manufacturing industries, so it might seem unusual to apply it to conservation. But, by thinking of the Blueprint and its viewers as products like any other—a phone, a car, an app—we've been able to incorporate key lessons. To learn more about the Lean Startup philosophy and how we apply it to the Blueprint, >>check out Hilary's blog...
