Designing Nature’s Half:
The Blog
News and education about landscape conservation and design.
The In-Between Time
The dismantling of the Bears Ears Commission reveals a deeper problem: conservation institutions remain vulnerable to political change. This essay introduces The In-Between Time—the period when people must build the collaborative decision systems and democratic institutions needed to make the 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature achievable.
Lasting Landscapes Require Lasting Institutions
What do peaceful societies and sustainable landscapes have in common? More than we might think. Inspired by the United Nations' International Day of Cooperatives, this essay explores why transformational conservation requires not only better landscape design, but also democratic institutions intentionally designed to sustain shared stewardship over time.
World Oceans Day: What Strong Marine Protected Areas Require
What makes a marine protected area strong?
World Oceans Day 2026 focuses on the importance of strong marine protected areas, but the answer extends beyond oceans alone. Drawing on firsthand experience from the management planning process for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, this reflection explores why conservation depends not only on protection, but also on continuity. From marine protected areas to landscape-scale conservation, transformational conservation ultimately requires the institutions, governance systems, and decision processes capable of sustaining conservation across social-ecological systems and through time.
The Planet Has Already Changed. So Must We.
The United States has just experienced the second-warmest winter on record. Viewed over a longer time horizon, however, this moment is part of a much larger story. Within a single lifetime, winter temperatures across the country have risen dramatically, illustrating the accelerating pace of environmental change. As the planet’s ecological systems shift, the institutions historically responsible for conservation are also coming under strain. These converging trends raise a critical question: what kinds of regional institutions and planning approaches will be needed to design and steward sustainable landscapes in the decades ahead?
Designing the Future in the In-Between Time
In times of upheaval, long-term thinking becomes even more important. This update on the development of Designing Nature’s Half explains what’s behind the book, where the manuscript stands today, and how its focus is shifting from landscape conservation design toward governance and implementation.