I have been a member of Landscape Juice for many years now. The last couple I have been very quiet online and during this time I have been helping Phil Voice to try and use the recognition the LJN has to its advantage. This recognition is at best downplayed but more often ignored. However NO other organisation and/or website in the land management spectrum has had the influence that LJN has had. Its independence and openness has provided a platform beyond the dreams of many others. The LJN is known about and discussed in academic circles, it has been able to sway policy, although credit is given to others - but it plods on at the front with a single altruistic motive: To Empower The Land Management Practitioner.
Virtually everything has been experimented upon by Philip Voice; shows, meet ups, ebooks, training events, driving across France and the UK on mower! If anyone knows what works and what doesn't it's Phil.
Dont' ever think that your comments are not being listened to. Ploughing through lists of articles as I have for the Forestcomms project with HERCULES (of which the LJN is an essential element) it is easy to track influences and what is said here is read, digested - often copied (indeed I would suggest that the influence of others purporting to speak on behalf of the 'landscaping industry' or many of it's offshoot professions, is directly influenced itself by the LJN).
Through HERCULES and other upcoming projects and initiatives practitioners in the industry finally get to do what they should have been doing from the start - and whilst belated it is quite an achievement that we, all of us, get to help now write policy ourselves.
Land management is going 'bottom up'. Practitioners more than anyone else provide that most essential link to the wider public in their place. Because you work in that place also.
Watch this space.
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