We work to build consciousness, vision, and collective power toward the liberation of land and people.

Most of us have grown up amidst a culture that isolates us from each other and the land, that teaches us that land is a resource rather than a relative, and that diminishes our imaginations about what kind of a world is possible. We need to unlearn so much. And we have so much to learn from ancestors, from each other, and from the land.

Another world is not only possible; it is necessary. To build it, we need each other.

Some of our Land in Common crew with amazing folks from Cooperation Jackson, Community Movement Builders, Cooperation Vermont, Global Village, and others at a land justice gathering in Grafton, MA, hosted by Global Village and supported by the UMass Building Solidarity Economies project. Spring 2024.

Current Education & Movement-Building Work

  • Confluence: First Light Learning Journey. We’re part of the planning and facilitation team for this year-long learning process that convenes leaders from more than 40 conservation, funding, and media organizations in Wabanakik/Maine and nearby regions to deepen understandings, commitments, and actions toward the return of land, wealth, and power to Wabanaki Nations and people.

  • First Light Conservation Delegation to the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship. The Delegation brings together representatives from nine conservation and land care organizations in Wabanakik/Maine to collaborate closely with the Wabanaki Commission on Wabanaki land priorities and to coordinate and support collective action by the non-Wabanaki conservation community toward land return.

  • Wolankeyutomone kisi apaciyewik Solidarity Working Group. We’ve been working with a small group of conservation and philanthropy leaders to support the Wabanaki Commission in creating a Wabanaki-led fund centered on restoring land relationships.The name “Wolankeyutomone kisi apaciyewik” is Passamaquoddy for “Let us take good care of what has been returned.” You can learn to pronounce the name from Passamaquoddy Commission member Darrell Newell here.

  • Maine Shared Equity Housing Network. A core aspect of our community land trust structure is the preservation of long-term housing and farm infrastructure affordability by sharing the equity between owners of infrastructure and the larger commons. We share this goal with other CLTs and with limited equity housing cooperatives. Over the past year, a group of organizations have been convening to build a network with this goal: “to expand use of shared equity housing models in Maine through education, advocacy, mutual support, and capacity building.” We’re still in the development phase, but you’ll hear more from us soon!

  • Building Solidarity Economies. We’ve been collaborating closely with the Building Solidarity Economies project based at UMass Amherst, led by our friend Boone Shear. This project matches incredible students with key questions and challenges to produce energizing research to support our work. BSE also weaves connections between Land in Common and other collaborators such as Cooperation Jackson and Cooperation Vermont.

  • Workshops and talks. We love to share our vision with others, and we do periodic workshops and talks on land justice, land decommodification and commoning, community land trust structures, and rethinking & decolonizing conservation. Here’s an example. Please get in touch if you have an idea about an event or venue!

  • Resource sharing. We share as much of our work and learning as we can. Many resources are available in the “learning” section of this website (see the dropdown menu above).