People who work through land trusts know that, in the end, all conservation is local. It is critical indeed to protect our great wilderness areas and national parks, with their spectacular scenery and essential habitat. But it is equally critical to protect green spaces close to all of our people, rich and poor, rural and urban. Virtually no one, if given a choice, would choose to be surrounded by asphalt rather than greenery, by ugliness rather than beauty, by pollution rather than clean water and air. Most people just don't know what to do about it.
Land trusts do know.