Overview
The Wisconsin Land Trust Conference is a networking, training, and inspirational event for land trust staff, board members, partners, and anyone interested in land conservation efforts in Wisconsin.
The 2026 Wisconsin Land Trust Conference will be held March 11-13, 2026 at the UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education Downtown Conference Center.
Join Us
Registration is open! Early Bird pricing is available through January 31, 2026.
Full Conference: $250 member, $300 non-member, $120 student
1-Day only: $140 member, $165 non-member, $85 student
Board and staff members of a Gathering Waters member land trust, and individual members of Gathering Waters are eligible for the member rate, a savings of $50.
If you are unable to attend the conference for any reason and contact us prior to February 25, we will be able to refund 50% of the registration fee. If you cancel on or after February 25, we will not be able to issue any refunds. Substitutions will be accepted. Thank you for your understanding.
Online registration is now closed. Please contact Lily Butler, lily@gatheringwaters.org or 608-251-9131 x20, if you would like to attend. Space permitting, we may be able to accept additional registrations.
Scholarships
Gathering Waters is offering scholarships to staff and board members of our member land trusts who would otherwise be unable to attend the conference. Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously attended our conference.
Fill out this form to apply for a scholarship.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applicants will be notified of the status of their application as soon as possible. Applications are due by January 31, 2026.
The deadline to apply for a registration scholarship has passed.
Schedule
Concurrent session topics will include fire history and ecology, program accessibility, storytelling, current issues in the land trust community, communications in challenging times, strategic planning, resource management plans, technology for conservation, social media management, board governance, and more.
Session presenters include experts from Bold Bison, By the Brujas, and the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council. Additional information will be added as sessions are confirmed.
For more information about session topics and presenters, see the schedule below.
Wednesday, March 11
Day One
Meet in the main lobby of the School of Continuing Education Conference Center (7th floor) to check-in, receive your conference packet, and enjoy pastries, fruit, and coffee.
Hear from a panel of land trust leaders about recent trends in the Wisconsin land trust community.
- Anatomy of a Land Trust Deal (Chris Gutschenritter, Gathering Waters)
- Prescribed Fire in Wisconsin: Exploring Ecology and Barriers to Implementation (Kristina Weld, Jeb Barzen and Jim Elleson, Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council)
- Red Alerts and Red Herrings: Strategies to Prevent Flare-Ups from Becoming Full-Blown Dumpster Fires (Brandon Hayes and Patrick Williams, Bold Bison)
- Make it Great: Financial Excellence for Mission-Driven Impact (Carol Fisher, The Nature Conservancy)
Enjoy a lunch buffet.
Our annual dessert competition returns! Enjoy homemade treats and pick a winner.
Visit a few stops in the Milwaukee River Watershed. Hosted by Restoring Lands.
Our final stop on the field trip will be Cozumel Mexican restaurant for dinner and drinks. Visit Restoring Lands’ Milwaukee office right next door!
The bus will head back to the hotel at 8 pm.
Thursday, March 12
Day Two
Check-in opens for those just arriving.
Enjoy a breakfast buffet at the conference center with your land trust peers!
- Beyond the Software: How People and Processes Shape Successful Adoption of Technology (Shannon Roznoski, Driftless Area Land Conservancy; Brandon Mann, Groundswell Conservancy; Chris Gutschenritter, Gathering Waters)
- Team Knowles Nelson Updates (Charlie Carlin, Gathering Waters)
- Shouting Into the Void: Why Social Media is No Longer Working for You and What to Do About It (Brandon Hayes, Bold Bison)
- Building Strong Volunteer Teams: Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention Strategies (Amy Lord and Lisa Szela, Ice Age Trail Alliance)
Enjoy a buffet lunch.
- Navigating Communications in a Shifting Policy Landscape (India Phoenix and Jamie Rasmussen, By the Brujas)
- There will be other sessions focused on IRS updates, board governance, and land stewardship. More information will be available soon!
- Beyond Access: Designing Equitable Land Trust Programs” (India Phoenix and Jamie Rasmussen, By the Brujas)
- Planting Seeds of Support: An Interactive Session on Inviting New Donors to Grow with Your Land Trust (Danni Niles, Gathering Waters)
- There will be other sessions covering resource management plans and mergers. More information will be available soon!
Head over to the Starlight Room at the 3rd Street Market Hall for happy hour and dinner. Also hear a brief presentation about the latest Knowles-Nelson news and other program updates.
Friday, March 13
Day Three
Enjoy a breakfast buffet while meeting with specific topic groups.
- Once Upon a Time: How to Tell More Memorable Stories (Brandon Hayes, Bold Bison)
- Finding Common Ground: Conservation Partnerships on Modern Landscapes
- There will be other sessions covering Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and strategic conservation planning. More information will be available soon!
As the conference wraps up, grab a snack before you head home.
Session Descriptions
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Conference Presenters
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Session Descriptions
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Conference Presenters
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Speakers
Learn more about the 2026 speakers below.
Carol Fisher
Technical Accounting Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Chris Gutschenritter
Director of Land Conservation Law Program, Gathering Waters
Brandon Hayes
Founder and Principal, Bold Bison
Pat McMurtrie
Donor Relations Manager, Gathering Waters
Venue & Lodging
UW-MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION DOWNTOWN CONFERENCE CENTER
The 2026 conference will be held at the UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education Conference Center in downtown Milwaukee. The conference center sits on the 7th floor of the historic Plankinton Building. Secured parking is also available in a connected, covered garage.
COURTYARD MILWAUKEE DOWNTOWN HOTEL
Lodging for the 2026 conference will be available at the nearby Courtyard Milwaukee Downtown Hotel. The hotel is within walking distance of the UW-Milwaukee Conference Center (about 1 block away). It can also be accessed through the connected parking structure.
Reserve Online
Reserve your hotel room with our group rate using the Book Online button below.
The cutoff date for the room block is February 10, 2026.
Reserve by Phone
1. Call the hotel at 414-291-4122.
2. Mention the block name “Gathering Waters” or group code GAW when booking.
FAQs
The conference is designed for land trust staff and board members. Volunteers, people from partner organizations, and those interested in land conservation in Wisconsin are also welcome to attend!
Attendance is typically about 100 people, representing land trusts and conservation partners from across the state.
The schedule includes some sessions that are attended by the entire group, as well as “concurrent” sessions where you can choose between multiple topics scheduled at a given time. There is also time for networking over breakfast and lunch, between sessions, and in the evening.
The conference is typically held in the spring of each year. The location changes from year to year. The 2026 conference will be in Milwaukee.
Registration for the 2026 conference will open in late 2025.
If you are unable to attend the conference for any reason, we will be able to refund 50% of the registration fee by a certain date. After that date, we will not be able to issue any refunds. Substitutions will be accepted. Thank you for your understanding.
Dress for the conference is casual and layers are recommended for your comfort. The event is mostly indoors. There is typically an outdoor field trip, so we recommend bringing appropriate footwear and outerwear.
The conference typically includes most meals served at the venue when the group is scheduled to be together. Check back for specifics on the next conference.
The Dessert Potluck Competition is a long-standing Wisconsin land trust tradition. Participants bring a dessert to share for the event. An expert panel of unbiased judges selects a winner. The Dessert Competition is back on for 2026 after a few years hiatus, so get ready to test your baking skills and try some tasty treats!
Please contact Lily Butler, lily@gatheringwaters.org or 608-251-9131 x20, and we’ll do our best to provide you with an answer.
Thank You
Thank you to the following sponsors for supporting the 2026 Wisconsin Land Trust Conference!
Host Sponsor
Scholarships Sponsor
LAND SponsorS
WATER Sponsor
Our sponsors play an essential role in the success of the Wisconsin Land Trust Conference. If you would like information or to discuss particular sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to Creal Zearing, at 608-251-9131 x18 or creal@gatheringwaters.org.
Gathering Waters serves member land trusts across the state. To become a member, or for more information, please contact us.