Insights from a conversation with Mark Kasprzyk.

Effective land management often depends less on building networks and more on leveraging existing relationships and institutional knowledge. By understanding the unique strengths, needs, rhythms, and capacities of municipal staff and community volunteers, managers can align resources so that each group contributes where they are most effective—whether heavy equipment work, technical tasks, or lighter, ongoing stewardship. This relationship-based approach builds trust, fosters a sense of ownership among volunteers, and creates synergies across departments and community groups, ultimately making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.