Call for 2025 Maine Land Conservation Conference Workshop Proposals

Maine Coast Heritage Trust is now accepting proposals for 90-minute workshops for our in-person 2025 Maine Land Conservation Conference tentatively scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, April 29 & 30 in Augusta. We expect to have the date and location finalized soon.  

The conference is all about bringing people working in conservation in Maine together to learn, connect, and think about shared challenges and opportunities. This year the main event on Wednesday will focus on a positive vision for the future, and how we can support climate action in Maine. The conference will offer 10-12 workshops and roundtables in two time slots on Wednesday. We are also planning a few workshops on Tuesday, which may be in the field or longer in length. Submissions are welcome from anyone with an engaging, timely, and applicable idea! We especially encourage workshop ideas that include diverse viewpoints and perspectives on a given issue, or that can help inspire new approaches. 

As further background for the types of workshops we are seeking, the Maine Climate Council will be releasing their updated climate action plan in December 2024, a second edition of Maine Won’t Wait.  While the report is still being finalized, you can read the latest draft here. We have also compiled Maine Won’t Wait Topics: those closely linked to the work of land trusts and others identified by the climate council. This year we have a strong preference for workshops that share stories of Maine groups who are taking action on climate, and/or efforts that can support our statewide climate goals and objectives. Proposals not related to climate resilience, adaptation, communications, etc will be considered but please note that we plan to focus primarily on topics that have a connection to our theme, particularly on Wednesday

Lastly, even if you don’t have a specific workshop suggestion, please feel free to share feedback to help us develop the Wednesday slate of offerings. What questions about land trusts and climate action in Maine are you looking to answer? What topics would be especially helpful to your land trust to support your efforts addressing this issue in your service area?

To submit a proposal for the 2025 event, click here. Proposals are due by 11:59pm on Friday, December 6th. If you wish to submit a proposal but that deadline is not feasible for you, please contact Donna and we will make every effort to accommodate you.

Thanks for sharing your insights as we develop a program to support land trusts seeking to help the state be a leader in addressing climate change.