Conservation Visions and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service will raise awareness of the diverse benefits of harvesting wild, renewable, consumable resources.

St. John’s, NL – August 16, 2022 – Conservation Visions is announcing a new agreement with the Forest Service’s Eastern Region to partner on the Wild Harvest Initiative®, with the goal to enhance understanding of the significant benefits of harvesting wild, renewable, consumable resources, including fish, wildlife and edible and medicinal plants, all of which can be found on national forests.

The Wild Harvest Initiative® is built on a recognition that diverse uses of wild-harvested renewable resources relate directly to American food security and are a cornerstone of nutritious diets for many communities across America. The National Forest System plays a critical role in ensuring that these vital food sources remain accessible and sustainable in the face of climate change, invasive species and habitat loss or fragmentation.

Shane Mahoney, president of Conservation Visions and founder of the Wild Harvest Initiative®, is excited about the new partnership and the opportunities it brings. “Together with our many partners,” Mahoney said, “we will work to improve the shared understanding of the vital roles of the National Forest System, and nature more broadly, in providing critical and tangible values to a wide array of stakeholders. In addition, we will demonstrate how human connectedness to nature can strengthen societal motivations for environmental stewardship.”

Karl Malcolm, assistant director for Renewable Resources in the Forest Service’s Eastern Region, sees tremendous potential for this partnership as well. “Collaborating on the Wild Harvest Initiative® will refine and deepen our shared understanding of the diverse, compelling values tied to wild resources harvested from our national forests and beyond,” said Malcolm. “Fully recognizing the significance of these resources and ways of life will position our agency to better serve the many direct beneficiaries of wild harvesting.”

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About Conservation Visions Inc.

Conservation Visions Inc. is a wildlife initiative founded by internationally recognized biologist and conservation advocate, Shane Mahoney. It is dedicated to a world where conservation matters; where biodiversity is safeguarded, including the diversity of human cultural experience; where conservation and citizenship are viewed as inseparable; where a global responsibility to nature is recognized; where the sustainable use of natural resources is safeguarded through knowledge; and where governments make sound decisions concerning conservation and biodiversity, based on scientific and traditional wisdom. To learn more about Conservation Visions and the Wild Harvest Initiative®, please visit www.conservationvisions.com.

If you are interested in learning more about the Wild Harvest Initiative®, please write to insights@conservationvisions.com or call Amanda Hull at 709.754.4780.

About the Forest Service’s Eastern Region

The Forest Service’s Eastern Region consists of 17 national forests and one national tallgrass prairie. It is also home to the Forest Service’s largest State and Private Forestry program, collaborating with tribes, states, communities, federal agencies, private landowners and other partners to protect, conserve and manage forests and community trees across 20 states and the District of Columbia. To learn more about the Eastern Region, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r9.

Media Contact

Amanda Hull, Conservation Visions Inc.; amanda@conservationvisions.com; 709.754.4780