The good folks at WeConservePA this week highlighted just a few of their education programs coming up between now and June.  Here’s the calendar--

-- March 28:  Responding to Emergency Threats to Water Quality in the Poconos, 1-2PM, Virtual: In this free virtual webinar, Donna Kohut and Abby Jones of PennFuture will recap a multi-pronged legal and communications campaign spearheaded in the Pocono region to counteract environmentally problematic developments that threatened the historically remarkable water quality of the region's streams and watershed. Click Here to register.

-- April 11:  Game Commission Program Update, 1-1:45 PM, Virtual: Join WeConservePA in welcoming Bryan Burhans from the Pennsylvania Game Commission for a brief activity update and opportunity for conversation.  Bryan will give participants an overview of the various program areas of the Game Commission, the commission’s work in preserving state game lands, and opportunities for land trusts to engage and partner. A presentation of roughly 30 minutes will be followed by discussion. Click Here to register.

--April 13: Indigenous Peoples in Pennsylvania History -- An Intro to the Penn State University Research Guide, 1-2 PM, Virtual: WeConservePA and the Pennsylvania DEIJ Community of Land Trust Professionals will host an information and learning session on the Penn State University Library’s Indigenous Peoples in Pennsylvania History research guide.  Guest speakers Jane Ingold, Heidi Abbey Moyer, and Eric Novotny (members of the Penn State Libraries’ Native American Learning Group) will give a short overview of the project followed by a demonstration of its use. Click Here to register.

-- April 26-28: Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference, Reading  Click Here to register.

-- May 2: Spring Trails Roundtable: Trails in Natural Areas, 10-11 AM, Virtual: Join with colleagues for a roundtable discussion of the challenges, successes, and lessons learned in planning, developing, and managing trails located within or passing through nature preserves and other lands where supporting wildlife habitat and biodiversity are major concerns. The conversation will be directed by participants on topics such as neighbor and local government concerns and relationships, municipal permitting, emergency vehicle access, parking, and undesirable uses. Email cgrayshaw@weconservepa.org  to RSVP. Click Here to register.

-- May 23: The Mechanics of Land and Easement Acquisitions, 1-2 PM, Virtual: Land trusts each have their own processes for managing land and easement transactions, however in any acquisition project there are certain things that must happen, and a likely order of operations. If your organization has not developed a formal process, you can gain efficiency by adopting a standard. Join Todd Sampsell, Vice President of Conservation with Natural Lands as he provides an overview of the mechanics of land and easement acquisitions using Natural Lands’ process. This session will provide a robust introduction for new conservation staff, as well as a refresher for veteran staff and volunteers. Of course, we know that no project is ever really ‘standard’, so some time will be given to discussion of where things can go wonky. Click Here to register.

-- June 1: Components of a Well-Rounded Development Program, 1-2 PM, Virtual: Please join fundraiser and community development professional Noah J. Roufos-Abbey for a one-hour interactive workshop and informational session. Noah welcomes the opportunity to share best practices and industry insights that can help build strategies and structures that advance conservation work and resource procurement. Specific topical areas to be addressed will include: overview of the components of a well-rounded program; online fundraising; major gifts (what are they to you and to your org?); and, planned gifts (starting with bequests, QCDs and charitable gift annuities). Click Here to register.

-- June 21: A Pragmatic Approach to Social Media, 10-11:15 AM, Virtual: Every organization needs to have social media incorporated in its communications, but how can we maximize efficiency and output? In this short online workshop, participants will explore: how to select and curate the right platforms and audience for their organization; how to hone in on the strongest and most efficient messaging and content creation strategies; how to effectively manage time with social media; and how to take advantage of free online options that make social media communications easier to manage. Near the end of the workshop, time will be set aside to pragmatically and quickly create a useful piece of content for an upcoming event. Click Here to register.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the WeConservePA,website, Click Here to sign up for regular updates from WeConservePA, Like them on Facebook, and Follow them on Twitter.  Click Here to support their work.

More than 107,000 Pennsylvanians contribute to local land trusts.

[Posted: March 24, 2023]

3/27/2023