Invasive Species Removal Workday – November 11, 2025 – City of Keene (.gov)

Community Initiative Report: Ecosystem Restoration on the Eastern Ave. Rail Trail

Event Overview and Contribution to Global Goals

The Keene Conservation Commission has scheduled a volunteer event focused on the removal of invasive species. This initiative directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by mobilizing community action to protect and restore local ecosystems.

• Objective: Eradication of invasive plant species to restore native biodiversity.
• Date: November 11, 2025
• Time: 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
• Location: Eastern Ave. Rail Trail
• Organizing Body: Keene Conservation Commission

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This conservation effort is a direct local action contributing to the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The primary and secondary SDG targets addressed include:

1. SDG 15: Life on Land
   The core mission of this event is to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. By removing invasive species, the community will directly contribute to halting biodiversity loss (Target 15.5) and implementing measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems (Target 15.8).
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   The project enhances urban green spaces, making Keene more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It provides universal access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces (Target 11.7) and strengthens community-led efforts to safeguard and protect the local natural heritage.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   Restoring native ecosystems strengthens their resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards (Target 13.1). Healthy, native plant communities are more effective at carbon sequestration and contribute to local climate regulation.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   This event exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership, mobilizing the city’s residents in a joint effort with a government body (the Conservation Commission) to achieve shared sustainability objectives. It encourages and promotes effective public and civil society partnerships (Target 17.17).

Participation and Logistical Details

Volunteer Requirements

• Minimum age for participation is 14 years.
• No prior experience in conservation work is necessary.
• Participants are required to bring their own work or gardening gloves.

Contact for Inquiries

For further information regarding this sustainability initiative, please contact:

• Name: Councilor Bobby Williams
• Email: rwilliams@keenenh.gov
• Phone: (603) 338-7733

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article, which calls for volunteers to remove invasive species, directly connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 15: Life on Land: This is the most prominent SDG addressed. The core activity described in the article is the removal of invasive species from a local ecosystem (the Eastern Ave. Rail Trail). This action directly contributes to the goal of protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and halting biodiversity loss.
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The event takes place on a “Rail Trail” within the community of Keene. By maintaining and improving this public green space, the initiative supports the goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Healthy, accessible green spaces are a key component of sustainable communities.
   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article illustrates a partnership in action. The Keene Conservation Commission, a local government body, is collaborating with the public by calling for volunteers. This mobilization of community members to achieve a common environmental goal is a clear example of the partnerships needed to implement the SDGs.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the activities described, the following specific targets can be identified:

   • Target 15.8: “By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species.” The event’s stated purpose to “remove invasive species” is a direct implementation of this target at a local level.
   • Target 11.7: “By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces…” By working to maintain the ecological health of the Eastern Ave. Rail Trail, the Keene Conservation Commission is helping to ensure it remains a viable and pleasant public space for residents, which is the essence of this target.
   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The article is an invitation for a partnership between a public entity (Keene Conservation Commission, represented by a Councilor) and civil society (community volunteers) to work towards a shared conservation goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   The article is a call to action rather than a report, so it does not contain explicit data. However, it implies several indicators that could be used to measure the impact of this and similar initiatives:

   • Implied Indicator for Target 15.8: The success of the event could be measured by the area of land cleared of invasive species or the volume of invasive plants removed. The call for volunteers itself implies an indicator related to community engagement, such as the number of volunteers participating in conservation activities.
   • Implied Indicator for Target 17.17: The event itself serves as a data point for measuring partnerships. An indicator could be the number of community partnerships and volunteer events organized by public institutions for sustainability purposes. The number of people who respond to the call, as noted by the contact information for Councilor Bobby Williams, could also be tracked as a measure of civic engagement.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Implied from the article)
   SDG 15: Life on Land	15.8: By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species.	Area of land managed to control invasive species. Number of volunteers participating in invasive species removal.
   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces…	Maintenance and ecological improvement of public green spaces (the Rail Trail).
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…	Number of public-civil society partnerships for environmental action. Number of volunteer hours contributed to community conservation projects.

Source: keenenh.gov