Partnership Is Central to Our Work
Civic lands are inherently collaborative.
Parks, historic sites, forests, trails, waterways, and other shared landscapes depend upon relationships among public agencies, communities, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, educators, researchers, visitors, and many others.
The Center approaches partnership in the same spirit.
We believe the most useful collaborations recognize that knowledge exists in many places. University researchers bring particular forms of expertise, but so do park employees, volunteers, residents, community organizations, Indigenous communities, visitors, and people whose lives are connected to particular landscapes.
Our goal is not simply to conduct research about partners.
Whenever possible, we seek to develop work with them.
Ways to Partner
Partnerships may involve:
- collaborative research;
- Civic Lands Dialogues;
- student projects and field experiences;
- volunteer research and program development;
- workshops and professional learning;
- conferences and convenings;
- strategic planning;
- program evaluation;
- community engagement;
- publications and public scholarship; or
- new ideas that emerge from a shared question.
Our Growing Network
The Center is building relationships across public-land agencies, universities, nonprofit and civic organizations, communities, and professional networks in Virginia, throughout the United States, and internationally.
As formal projects and partnerships develop, they will be highlighted here.
Become a Partner
Have a question worth exploring together?