“Early on at Woodstock Land Conservancy, the focus was on the mountaintops. But now we’ve realized that in addition to scenic vistas, we also have to go low – low in a good way, as in down to the riverside.”
We’re speaking with Miranda Javid, whose role as Programme Coordinator at Woodstock Land Conservancy (WLC) along the banks of the Sawkill Creek in upstate New York encompasses everything from curating eco-art projects to weekly conservation fieldwork. Today we’re here to learn about the key role Drinkable Rivers will play in WLC’s 2026 Ecologies of Water Programme – and how this fits into their strategic use of the land trust model to engage local community in nature stewardship through art, science, and collective action.
Let’s start with the basics: what is a land trust and what purpose does it serve?
Miranda Javid: A land trust is essentially a stop gap for land that really should be public for all. I know in Europe, the Commons model for collective land and natural resource governance is more politically and culturally embedded. But in the U.S. we tend to rely on private property-law solutions, such as conservation land trusts, to purchase (i.e. deed-ownership) or hold (i.e. easements) specific land parcels and manage them according to rigorous national accreditation standards.
At Woodstock Land Conservancy, we try to use the land trust model both for traditional conservation measures and to stimulate a more commons-like experience of local community involvement in land and water stewardship!
Say more! What does that look like in practice?
MJ: Well, beyond maintaining public nature trails, we organize a variety of free community programming: monthly outdoor educational activities led by staff members or volunteer experts where people can learn about and practice conservation and restoration techniques, an ongoing Film & Discussion series around climate issues, many workshops and hands-on artmaking events, and now, our extensive yearlong programme for Ecologies of Water.
Under the Ecologies of Water Programme, we’re collaborating with local artist, Jennifer Zackin, who lives along the Sawkill Creek. Through her exhibition at the Woodstock Artist Association Museum, she is using upcycled materials to weave an interactive map that the community can contribute to once finished. We’ll also be collaborating with local schools, holding a book club discussion series on Li An’s Drinkable Rivers, and offering water workshops on topics like seasonal wetlands, macroinvertebrates, creekside artmaking, and of course, water quality testing with the Drinkable Rivers measurement kit.
Right! Enter Drinkable Rivers. How did you decide to become a hub?
MJ: Funny story, actually. Firstly, Li An’s book made such a big impact on me. I’ve kind of always considered myself a soil person – love gardening, feel very connected to compost, you know the deal.
But as WLC started to focus more on water, I’ve had the privilege to be around lots of brilliant water activists. I was taking in lots of information but was having trouble synthesizing it into something directed and tangible, until I read Drinkable Rivers. But then, for the longest time I didn’t even realize Drinkable Rivers also had a citizen science programme!
As I was designing the Ecologies of Water programme for this year, I had in mind that it would be great to incorporate some kind of participatory water quality testing. But it was only when the Our Blue World movie came out and I went back to your website to organize a screening that I realized you already offered exactly the citizen science measurement kit I was hoping for.
Happy you found it in the end. So what’s the plan with the measurement kit moving forward?
MJ: We’re starting soon with a launch event to recruit more volunteers. WLC already works with 30 really dedicated volunteer land stewards, but we want to build out a specific group of “stream stewards” for the regular Drinkable Rivers testing. Jennifer Zackin will spearhead this event. She’s inviting all kinds of local performers, artists, scientists, and activists.
We’ll be doing most of our measurements on the Sawkill Creek at a spot right outside her studio, so there will be lots of room for art-science exchange. We’re even planning to incorporate the Drinkable Rivers data we collect into Jennifer’s woven map – annotating it with scientific, narrative, and personal information.
It seems like art is a core public engagement strategy for you. Could you tell us bit more how this came to be and how it helps WLC achieve its ecological goals?
MJ: For a large part, I brought artistic community engagement methodologies to WLC, as I come from a fine arts background myself.
Side note: I actually also do all the illustrations for our social media and print materials! But more importantly, I see that both art and ecology require careful observation and deep listening.
I believe that attention is the most important part of learning and that art – both making art and experiencing art – is a powerful way to direct our attention where it matters most: to our relationship with planet earth.
Speaking of learning, you mentioned the Ecologies of Water Programme incorporates school collaborations. How does this work and are there other target audiences you also hope to reach?
MJ: Yes, working with youth is a huge priority for us at WLC. We’re doing seven unique classroom visits at local elementary schools and doing lots of hands-on artmaking workshops around watershed health. This will culminate with a youth-led art installation at the Woodstock Public Library! Beyond the students, our other big focus with the Drinkable Rivers kit data is on engaging people who live on the banks of local waterbodies.
While everybody impacts and depends upon waterbodies in many ways, landowners and people who rent houses next to streams are uniquely positioned to implement aquatic and riparian restoration measures and advocate for lasting changes to streambanks if they take an interest in our work. We hope to help our community understand the benefits to this approach.
Best of luck! Final question, and maybe a word of advice for other hubs starting out. Do you foresee any challenges in your journey as a hub and how are you thinking of approaching them?
MJ: I guess my main concern is just making sure that the Stream Steward volunteers are resourced enough to adhere to the measurement schedule. Everyone has busy lives, so it can be challenging to make time. The whole Ecologies of Water programme is also meant to provide a scaffold of events that keep people inspired and engaged.
But in the end, I am also hopeful about the pull of the water itself. Whenever I tell people about the programme, there is always a deep feeling of meaning. Water is so intrinsic to our lifeforce. It connects us to our environment and to all creatures that move through the watershed – including us!
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