For some, progress is building a business, adding jobs, increasing production or turning nothing into something. For Randy Carmel, it's somewhat of the opposite. The president of the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust, Carmel volunteers to help landowners find ways to preserve and conserve their land through the writing of conservation easements.

The Killbuck Watershed Land Trust is approaching its 20 year anniversary this year. As it reaches this milestone, many might wonder, “Why is it important to invest in ecological protection and farmland preservation in this region? And how does the KWLT accomplish its mission?”

In May, the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves (DNAP) added another significant natural area to Ohio’s nature preserve system—the Donald G. Beam, Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve.