Caroline Niemczyk

Background and expertise: Currently serves as chair of the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies; serves on the advisory boards of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Open Space Institute, and the Land Trust Alliance; former chair of the The Trust for Public Land Action Fund; served on the staff of Senator Daniel P. Moynihan, as a program officer at the Smith Richardson Foundation, as special assistant to Boston University President John Silber, and as an adjunct professor on the history faculty at Barnard College; graduated from Yale, the London School of Economics, and Columbia; has three children and resides in Bedford, New York.

Why I believe in protecting land and creating parks: “I first fell in love with the natural world while camping as a child. My family was traveling cross-country. I remember scampering over the rocks of a streambed in the Great Smoky Mountains, light sparkling off the water as sun fell through the forest leaves. I felt happy, energized, independent, and peaceful.”

Why I support Trust for Public Land: “This organization has stunning success conserving the land people love. By being here, I’m part of a national team that strengthens community bonds. We deliver what people ask for, whether it’s a trail, a playground, a historic site, a community garden, or a family farm.”