Mission & Values
Greenbelt works within the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, Massachusetts, helping families, municipalities, and organizations realize their land conservation goals.
Mission
Greenbelt protects natural land and working farms across Essex County forever, helping to conserve healthy ecosystems, clean water, local food supplies, scenic landscapes, and free, accessible places for all to benefit from nature.
Vision
Abundant protected natural land and working farms of Essex County sustain healthy ecosystems, enrich the quality of life for all, and inspire current and future generations.
Greenbelt Values
Our core values are the guiding principles that inspire us every day. They shape our commitment to one another and to the individuals, families, organizations, and 34 communities we serve
- Conservation, in perpetuity, of the distinctive landscapes and the irreplaceable natural resources of Essex County.
- Integrity and excellence, deserving of public trust, expressed in our commitment to the highest standards of honesty, transparency, and professionalism.
- Respect for the varied local conservation interests and visions of the diverse communities that we serve.
- Equitable access to nature to benefit human health and wellbeing.
- Inclusion of people from all backgrounds, acknowledging historic, and present inequities.
- Conservation leadership through partnership and innovation, dedicated to gaining and sharing knowledge and experience.
- A collaborative culture of optimism and creativity that is confident, kind, and resourceful
Greenbelt Bylaws
The bylaws that govern the Essex County Greenbelt Association as adopted by its members.
Strategic Plan 2022-2027
With this five-year strategic plan, Greenbelt strengthens our commitment to protecting the natural landscapes and working farms of Essex County. At the same time, we will continue to expand our partnerships and build community across the county to support more just and equitable conservation and access to open space. The depth and breadth of Greenbelt’s goals require that we diversify and strengthen our financial support for this work and think hard about how our organization can be more inclusive and effective.
Greenbelt’s Land Acknowledgment
The properties that Greenbelt conserves are on ancestral lands of the Pennacook and the Pawtucket, bands of Abenaki-speaking people.
Join us in honoring the elders who lived here before, the Indigenous descendants today, and the generations to come.
Greenbelt’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Greenbelt recognizes that the work of land conservation has historically played a role in perpetuating social injustice and racial inequity. We are committed to considering historic and present inequities as we advance our conservation mission; to fostering a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment; and to accountability and action around diversity, equity and inclusion to enrich our organization and our work.