Matty Watkins is the Outreach & Education, Green Ribbon Initiative Partnership Specialist for The Nature Conservancy at Kitty Todd Nature Preserve. They are also the chair of the GRI’s Outreach & Education committee. Prior to the GRI, Matty worked as a programmer and environmental education specialist with Metroparks Toledo. Matty is a NAI certified interpretive guide, certified environmental educator, EECO Charley Harper award winner, and enjoys teaching groups all about the Oak Openings on & off the clock. They graduated from the University of Toledo in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in art education and utilize their background in the arts in their work throughout the Oak Openings region. Matty is also the editor, illustrator, & sometimes cartoonist for the GRI’s quarterly newsletter.

TSN Conference 2026

January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm // Room 106 // The Green Ribbon Initiative: a new TSN Member Community! // The Oak Openings Region is a globally distinct ecosystem spanning across Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. It has been designated by The Nature Conservancy as “One of the 200 Last Great Places on Earth.” Sadly, the Oak Openings Region is disappearing at an alarming rate as natural areas within the region are converted to agriculture and by urban sprawl. Of the roughly 833,000 acres in the Oak Openings region, ecologists have identified 6,000 (~7%) acres of high-quality greenspace running like a ribbon through the area. The Green Ribbon Initiative (GRI), formally recognized in 2000, is a shared vision of public and private organizations, landowners, and individuals working to preserve, enhance, and restore critical natural areas in the Oak Openings Region. We engage community members through our quarterly newsletter, volunteer programs, landowner registry, site visits, and more. In 2025, the GRI joined The Stewardship Network as a new Member Community.