MLTN Infoline – December 15, 2022
LL Bean Grants Boost Stewardship Across Maine | |
Thanks to LL Bean, five Maine land trusts received a needed boost to their stewardship efforts this month. Congratulations to these organizations for their successful proposals:
Their projects ranged from an accessible boat launch to restoration of a collapsed bridge to collaborating to fight the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid, and thanks to this long-running partnership between Maine Coast Heritage Trust and LL Bean, these projects are a step closer to success. Our deepest gratitude to LL Bean for their commitment to Maine’s land trusts and the critical services they provide all over the state. Congratulations to these worthy grant recipients! Whit, Jeff, and Donna | |
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A Terrafirma Reminder | |
If your land trust insures its holdings through Terrafirma, please remember to file a placeholder claim or claim as soon as you think you might have an issue. If you wait too long after there’s the first sign of a violation, trespass, or issue, (end of the grace period for 2022 possible problems is 4/30/23) Terrafirma won’t cover that claim. Remember that filing a claim doesn’t affect your premium. So, file early! More information on when to file a place holder claim or claim can be found here. Not sure what Terrafirma is? Terrafirma is a “charitable risk pool” formed by the Land Trust Alliance in 2011 to help land trusts defend their conserved lands from legal challenge. Over 545 land trusts, including 39 in Maine, have insured over 10 million acres of land in the US through Terrafirma. Terrafirma has handled 1800 claims and paid out $5.2 million to covered land trusts. If your land trust is already a Terrafirma member but you don’t yet insure the land you own, now is the time to reconsider insuring your owned land as trespass and encroachment cases plus boundary disputes are increasing. More information about Terrafirma can be found here. | |
2023 New Executive Director Peer Group | |
Being a new executive director can be a big challenge, and having the chance to learn from experts in the field and connect with other new executive directors can provide a lot of support and helpful on-the-job advice. If you’ve held the position of ED for three years of less, you are invited to consider participating in a yearlong shared learning adventure. The Land Trust Alliance in organizing a peer group for new leaders of land trusts in the eastern United States. The group will connect virtually the first Thursday of each month, starting in February. These meetings combine formal training with ample networking opportunities to help you build relationships with your peers and problem-solve around some of your biggest challenges. Group alumni and new participants are welcome! Let us know if you’re interested by completing the questionnaire here. Your responses will help shape the sessions. | |
Self-paced Online Courses from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology | |
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is offering special deals on some of its self-paced online courses through their Bird Academy. These would make great last-minute gifts, too! Bird Academy’s Joy of Birdwatching online course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about birds and just needs the tools to get started. Start your own birding journey, or connect a friend with the resources to find, ID, and connect with birds. In this course you will:
Pay just $19.99 (50% off) until December 31st, 2022. ********* Painting birds is a great way to connect with nature, learn more about the birds you depict, and celebrate their beauty. But with all those feathers and interesting colors, painting realistic birds can be tricky. Bird Academy’s brand new online course, How to Paint Birds with Jane Kim, is sure to give you the confidence and skills you need to succeed at painting birds. In this course, award-winning bird artist and scientific illustrator Jane Kim takes you on an artistic journey as she shows you her techniques for drawing and painting birds that fly off the page. Early-bird price of $79.99 (regular price will be $99.99) available until January 31st, 2023. Course materials available on December 21st, 2022. | |
Adapting to Change: Navigating a Leadership Transition | |
Four Zoom sessions on Wednesdays January 25, 2023 – February 8th, plus March 8, 2023 Track for staffed organizations will be from 10-11:30am Track for all volunteer organizations will be from 4-5:30pm Thanks to generous underwriting, this series is $95 for Land Trust Alliance members or $125 for non-members per connection. Whether by choice or circumstance, change comes to people and organizations. Staff and leaders will transition, and board members will come and go. What happens if those with critical leadership roles unexpectedly or suddenly depart? Is your organization ready to adapt? In this Land Trust Alliance webinar series, you’ll explore ways your organization can strategically and adaptively navigate both planned and emergency staff or board leadership succession. Participants will explore helpful mindsets, values, processes and resources to support intentional internal conversations and thoughtful organizational transformation tied to leadership roles and competencies, stability and sustainability. This short course includes three 90-minute interactive training sessions and one facilitated wrap-up discussion. Sessions will be recorded. For more information, including what will be covered during each session, and to register, visit LTA’s website. | |
Jobs in the Conservation Sector | |
As the year comes to a close, there are new positions being posted to our jobs page. New additions below or view the full list here. Director – Baxter State Park Executive Director – Great Works Regional Land Trust Program Director – Merryspring Nature Center | |
Next Call for Proposals for Land for Maine’s Future | |
The Land for Maine’s Future Board and staff are pleased to announce the 2023 call for Conservation and Recreation proposals! Eligible applicants include non-profit land conservation organizations, cities, towns and state agencies. This year the Board has authorized two deadlines for land conservation projects:
You can view all the details of both 2023 proposal rounds in the 2023 LMF Proposal Workbook. Interested applicants are invited to join an information session on the dates below, to connect with staff, hear about recent changes to the application process, and updates to the scoring criteria, and to ask question. Meetings will be held at 12:00 via Teams on:
Links to the meetings can be found on the LMF website. | |
2023 ARAV Conservation of Reptiles & Amphibians Grant program | |
Proposals Due: January 15, 2023 The 2023 ARAV Conservation of Reptiles & Amphibians Grant program’s objectives are to advance and support the conservation of reptiles and amphibians locally, nationally, and internationally and to promote the conservation of all reptilian and amphibian species and their ecosystems through education, captive breeding, and preservation of reptilian and amphibian habitats. A $1,500 grant will be awarded to support conservation-based projects involving reptiles and/or amphibians with a focus on topics such as captive management, husbandry and propagation, sustainability, anti-poaching, wildlife management, ecosystem health, conservation education and outreach, and water projects. Proposals will be evaluated based on scientific value, conservation relevance, and feasibility. Recipients of funding will be expected to either present their results at the ARAV annual conference or publish them in the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery (JHMS). Proposals submitted by ARAV members will be given priority. For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians’ website. |
