Open Space Institute

The Open Space Institute was founded in 1974 to protect scenic, natural and historic landscapes to ensure public enjoyment, conserve habitats and sustain community character. Through ownership, easements, ecosystem management, and funding assistance, it has conserved millions of acres in the watersheds of the US Atlantic coast. the Institute recognizes the ocean as "the last wilderness," the conservation of which will depend largely on mitigation and change of behavior and use patters on land. Thus, by inclusion of the World Ocean Observatory, the Institute extends its mission from mountain top to abyssal plain, a programmatic reflection of the continuity of the natural systems themselves. Moreover, the World Ocean Observatory brings to the Institute a new, dynamic communications system and place of exchange for ocean information, education and public discourse, which can serve as an innovative model for environmental education and the demonstration of conservation practice worldwide.