Resources for Wisconsin Land Trusts
Workshops & Training
Gathering Waters hosted a series of Winter Workshops in early 2024. Find information and links below.
Registration is closed!
GIS Resources for Wisconsin Land Trusts
Wednesday, January 10, 11 am - noon
Sponsored by:
Has your land trust tapped into the GIS resources Gathering Waters offers?
We maintain a comprehensive geodatabase of Wisconsin land trust holdings and supported acquisitions. It’s available to all Gathering Waters land trust members through ArcGIS online.
If you are new to Gathering Waters’ GIS offerings or have questions about how to access and explore the data, this is the session for you! Learn how to use the data to pursue your land trust’s conservation priorities.
Charlie Carlin, Director of Strategic Initiatives, will be your guide.
Register no later than 5 pm on January 9 to receive the link to join.
Registration is closed!
GIS and Strategic Conservation Planning
Wednesday, January 24, 11 am - noon
Sponsored by:
Learn how the statewide GIS decision support tool—which builds on the conservation geodatabase—can provide insights about your current property portfolio and inform priorities for future acquisitions.
Charlie Carlin and consultant Mike Koutnik will introduce you to a new version of the tool with more features, based on feedback from the land trust community.
Register by January 23 to receive the link to join.
Registration is closed!
Using the WI Model Conservation Easement
Thursday, February 8, 11 am - 12:15 pm
The WI Model Conservation Easement offers a guide for discussing and drafting conservation easements. It is the result of dedicated effort by a task force, comprising attorneys and land trust practitioners, led by Gathering Waters. Since its launch in the middle of 2021, Wisconsin land trusts have used and adapted the model to complete multiple projects.
Join the discussion, led by Chris Gutschenritter, to find out about your peers’ experiences, lessons learned, and next steps to support your land trust’s use of the model.
Registration is open!
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Discussion Group
Thursdays, Feb 29, Mar 14, Mar 28, noon - 1 pm
Whether your land trust is already working to expand the ways you engage and partner with broader segments of your community, or you are curious about where to begin, you are welcome to join the discussion!
We will use LTA’s new Framework and Resources for Change as the basis for our collective exploration. We’ll start with three sessions, meeting every other week, and then see what an ongoing discussion might look like to support one another on our DEI journeys. Bring your lunch!
Meg Domroese and Rhianon Morgan of Gathering Waters will convene discussion.
Learn more about the sessions and readings.
Registration is open!
Partnership Opportunities for WI Land Trusts and Local Lake Groups
Friday, April 26, noon - 1 pm
In partnership with Gathering Waters, Austin Holland, PhD, Assistant Professor, Conservation & Community Planning at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and Eric Olson, Director of UW-Extension Lakes, will present this virtual webinar for land trust staff, board members, and volunteers.
Changes in land use have cascading effects on our natural resources and can ultimately impact public water supplies and overall water quality. Conservation easements can improve watershed management and consequently protect surface and groundwater resources.
Lake associations and lake districts play an increasingly important role in protecting the state’s valuable water resources for future generations. There are over 250 lake districts in the state and hundreds more lake associations.
This workshop will provide land trust board and staff with an in-depth understanding of these two different types of lake groups and how they operate. It will also highlight current tools and projects that will help land trusts learn more about their local lake groups and facilitate future partnerships.
Register to review the Zoom link here.
Previous 2024 Winter Workshops
An introduction to the new version of the GIS decision support tool with more features.
February 8, 2024 – Using the WI Model Conservation Easement
Lessons learned and next steps to support your land trust’s use of the WI Model Conservation Easement, a guide for drafting conservation easements.
February 29, March 14, and March 28, 2024 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Discussion Group
Gathering Waters convened three discussions based on LTA’s new Framework and Resources for Change as the basis for collective exploration. Learn more about the sessions and readings.
Gathering Waters offers learning opportunities and support for Wisconsin land trusts to develop core competencies and improve expertise on key conservation issues. Stay tuned for future learning opportunities.
Regional Summits
Gathering Waters is in the early planning stages for future Land Trust Regional Summits. Stay tuned for more information.
Connect With Peers
Monthly Peer Conversations for Land Trust Staff
Connect with people who understand what you do. Learn from and support one another. Join your land trust staff peers for informal conversation on Zoom. Contact Rhianon Morgan, Operations Coordinator, for information.
- Executive directors meet second Tuesday of the month at 1 pm
- Land protection & stewardship staff meet third Wednesday of the month at 1 pm
- Communications and fundraising staff meet second Friday of the month at 11 am
- Operations & finance staff meet third Tuesdays at 1 pm
WI Land Trusts Slack Workspace
We have launched a Slack workspace for Wisconsin land trusts. Slack is a messaging app where you can organize conversations, collaborate, and share links and files. Conversations are underway in channels for Land Protection and Stewardship and WI Model Conservation Easement. More will be added as there is interest. Contact Rhianon Morgan, Operations Coordinator, for information.
WILandTrusts.org is the services branch of Gathering Waters, serving member land trusts across the state. To become a member, or for more information, please contact us.
