What would you like to see at the 2020 Wisconsin Land Trust Conference?
Land trust staff and board members — we invite you to serve on the Conference Planning Committee. It’s the best way to make the next conference what you want it to be! Serving as a committee member provides you with opportunities for professional development, connecting and building deeper relationships with colleagues, and helping the Wisconsin land trust community in a vital way.
What could be more fun and fulfilling?
Please contact Meg Domroese to secure your spot on the committee.
First things first, make sure you mark your calendar for the Conference: March 19-21, 2020 on the UW-Stout campus in Menomonie.
Now, what’s involved in serving on the Conference Planning Committee? You get to help decide the topics, and design session formats and networking events.
What’s the time commitment? We will launch the committee in late July, and set a schedule to meet after that. You can expect two to three conference calls in early fall as we solidify the program and invite presenters. Your total time commitment is estimated at 8-10 hours.
Here are some ideas to start thinking about for next year’s conference. These are based on feedback and suggestions from 2019 conference participants, as well as our recent land trust survey. Add your creativity to the mix!
Potential topics
- Climate change and conservation priorities
- Communities and land trusts: seeking partners, selecting projects, engaging youth and families
- Plans and progress for a Wisconsin model conservation easement
- Fundraising topics such as planned giving, monthly donor programs, or more on grant writing and tracking
- Communications plans, messages, print, and digital materials
- Long-term land management: growing land trust capacity and motivating private landowners
- Perspectives from history, change advocates, and leaders in conservation, industry, and agriculture
Types of activities and sessions
- Storytelling
- Dessert potluck
- Jam session
- Field trip
- Networking, from ice breakers, to structured and free time
- Small group discussions and concurrent sessions
Each year we work to make the conference worthwhile for all participants. Our goal is to build on our successes and explore topics that add value for all participating land trust staff and board members. We invite you to be part of this process.
What did participants say about the 2019 Conference?
Participants’ responses to the post-conference survey were overwhelmingly positive about the opportunity to network, session content and format, and consistently highlighted the value of connecting with peers, building relationships, feeling a part of a community, and appreciation for Gathering Waters’ leadership. The Conference Planning Committee will take feedback and suggestions into account for 2020.
Don’t delay, contact Meg today about your interest in serving on the Conference Planning Committee!
