Meet the Founder

Hi – my name is Allison, but you can call me Al.

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Mother Nature has always been part of my family. Some of my favorite memories are rooted in being outside – exploring, gathering, and simply paying attention to the natural world around me.

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After moving to Charlotte and raising my own family in Cotswold, I became increasingly aware of the remarkable, but inaccessible, nature that is woven throughout our neighborhoods – and how quickly those places can disappear.

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My professional background is in leading complex projects and bringing people together around a shared vision. As I recently became more involved in early childhood education, a rare opportunity emerged to protect the wooded land next door. It brought several things I care deeply about into focus: preserving nature, creating stronger community, and giving children more opportunities to grow and learn outside.

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The Cotswold Conservancy grew from that opportunity. The goal is not simply to preserve land, but to protect places that can become part of our everyday community life – where generations gather, children explore and play, wildlife thrives, and people reconnect with one another and with the natural world around them.