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Who We Are & What We Do

Who we are & What we do
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WHO WE ARE

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was established in 1990 with a mission to preserve and enhance the water quality, scenic beauty, and ecological health of the lakes, streams, wetlands and watersheds of the Chautauqua, NY, region. 

WHAT WE DO

Our mission is to preserve and enhance the water quality, scenic beauty and ecological health of the lakes, streams, wetlands and watersheds of the Chautauqua region.  We diligently pursues this mission so that the Chautauqua region will remain an attractive, healthy and enjoyable place for those who live in, work in and visit the Chautauqua region now and in the future.

We pursue our mission through land conservation, environmental education and watershed stewardship. We conserve lands with high ecological, hydrological, and scenic value on Chautauqua County’s natural lakeshores, along tributaries and within its watersheds and currently own and manage more than 1,100 acres of land and 31 nature preserves, all of which are open to the public for outdoor recreation and refreshment. We promote proactive best land, wildlife and water resource management practices and provide educational programs to raise the community’s awareness of the connection between land use and the quality and quantity of our water resources, our quality of life and the economic prosperity of our region. We also provide technical assistance to landowners, businesses and municipalities so that they can better understand and implement the best land, wildlife and water resource management practices for our region.

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Goals

Goals

OUR GOALS ARE:

  • To conserve and achieve healthy ecosystems county-wide to support native plant and animal species indigenous to the region

  • To conserve and achieve high water quality used for drinking water, food production / preparation, and recreation

 

  • To conserve the scenic beauty of the Chautauqua County region

  • To build an awareness and understanding of the inter-connectedness of watershed land use and its impact on waterways and to use this awareness and understanding to promote best land management practices

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Board & Staff Anchor

Staff & Board 

STAFF

Whitney Gleason, Executive Director

Tracy Carlson, Outreach Assistant
Jill Eklund, Director of Communications

Caitlin Gustafson, Business Manager

John Jablonski III, Special Projects 
       Coordinator

Twan Leenders, Director of Conservation
Carol Markham, Conservationist
John ("Johnny Mac") McCarthy,

       Preserve Handyman

Bethany O'Hagan, Land Specialist

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rebecca L. Nystrom, President

Jeanne E. Wiebenga, Vice President
William R. Locke, Treasurer
Cheryl E. Mawhinney, Secretary

Kaitlyn L. Bentley
Janis L. Bowman
Dennis H. Collins
Michael E. Jabot
Deborah E. Moore
Lisa M. Schmidtfrerick-Miller

Mary Beth Southwick 
Greg G. Swan
Deborah C. Trefts
Ruth T. Wahl
William J. Ward

EMERITUS DIRECTORS

Michael K. Lyons
Thomas A. Small
Arthur D. Webster

 

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Employment & Internships

Empoyment & Internships Anchor

EMPLOYMENT

We do not have any openings at this time.

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