The Natural History Survey's mission is to promote the application of science to and the involvement of the community in the conservation and management of Rhode Island's environmental resources. Rhode Island being ecologically coastal throughout, coastal issues are part of my everyday thinking. I am also involved personally in biodiversity research and habitat management in Rhode Island and around Buzzards Bay, on Cape Cod. To me, the most interesting current issue in this landscape is the need to innovate conservation land stewardship systems and techniques that can maintain or increase desirable habitat characteristics while reducing inputs (costs including labor) all in a time of profound social change and broad, externally driven changes, particularly climate change.