MLTN Infoline – February 19, 2026
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Espy Land Heritage Award Nominations Due Next Friday
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Have you considered nominating a deserving individual, organization, or coalition for the 2026 Espy Land Heritage Award? Nominations are due by midnight on Friday, February 27th.
Maine is famous for its scenic vistas, natural and working landscapes, and world class recreational amenities. It stands out as one of the most unspoiled and beautiful places left in our country. That doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of the hard work and passion of many, many people determined to preserve the culture and natural beauty of Maine. The Espy Land Heritage Award recognizes one of these deserving people, organizations, or coalitions each year. Who do you know who has made an impact and served as an inspiration to others? Let us know about their good work and nominate them today! The recipient is honored at the Maine Land Conservation Conference, held in 2026 on April 28–29 at the Augusta Civic Center, and is entitled to direct $5,000 to a nonprofit organization of their choosing. Learn more about the award, past recipients, and how you can nominate someone on Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s website.
Please help us recognize a deserving conservation hero this April!
Angela, Jeff, Donna, Katia, and Megan
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Upcoming MLTN Lunch & Learns
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The Maine Land Trust Network will be offering two Lunch & Learn webinars in March. Mark your calendars and register now! The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation’s Land and Easement Acquisition Program Information Session
Wednesday, March 4, 12:00-1:00pm
Learn about the recently announced Land and Easement Acquisition Program from the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation. Topics will include: geographic and organizational eligibility, funding priorities, the application process, and timeline for the program. Click to learn more and register.
More Than an Office: Lessons on Undertaking a Major Project to Create a Campus for Your Organization
Thursday, March 12, 12:00-1:00pm
Join your peers from the Maine Land Trust Network to talk about the challenges and rewards of creating a headquarters for the organization that is also a community space and an opportunity to engage the public and collaborate with partners. Click to learn more and register.
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LMF Action Day on March 12
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Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) protects working lands and waterfronts, supports our outdoor recreational economy, and protects the beautiful wild places that define Maine’s way of life, but it is running out of money. Legislators need to act this session to provide funding. That’s why Maine Coast Heritage Trust has been working with our partners in the LMF Coalition to schedule an LMF Action Day at the State House. Join us on Thursday, March 12 from 8:30 AM to noon! Come to the Maine State House to let legislators know you want them to fund LMF this year. The first 100 people to show up will get a free LMF T-shirt! Otherwise, wear green to show your support and bring a homemade “Fund LMF” sign if you can. We’ll have some signs available for use if you’re not able to bring one. RSVP TODAY
LMF is the state’s most popular and effective land conservation program because people like you have consistently supported funding for it. Let’s show our lawmakers that Maine people across the state support LMF.
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Afrofuturism and Birds
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Wednesday, February 25, 2026 via Zoom 4:00-5:00pm
Cost: FREE
The Afrofuturism Collective, launched as a partnership between ABC and Re:wild in 2024, examines how stories, lifeways, technologies, and concepts from the African diaspora might influence biodiversity conservation and habitat stewardship. Members of the Collective received seed grants to create solutions in the form of tool kits, essays, poems, music, and visual art. Over the past year, the inaugural cohort gathered together virtually to share ideas while working independently on their projects — and now they are ready to share this inspiring work!
Learn more and register at the American Bird Conservancy’s website.
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Practical Leadership 2.0: Building Engaged Teams
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March 3, 10, and 17, 2026 via Zoom 11:00am-1:00pm
Cost: $135 for MANP members*, $175 for non-members
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Many work environments are increasingly complex and uncertain, requiring high functioning teams. Effective teamwork and collaboration needs to be cultivated and given regular attention. This workshop helps team leaders develop shared leadership among team members and provides concrete tools for improving collaboration between team members.
This workshop is designed specifically for team leaders. It is one of MCN’s most popular trainings and consistently receives high evaluations. You will receive with tools and ideas that you can immediately implement.
Visit MANP’s website to learn more and get link and code to register on partner website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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EXCEL-lence Spreadsheet 101 Bootcamp
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Tuesday, March 3 and Thursday, March 5, 2026 via Zoom
1:00-2:30pm
Cost: $75 for MANP members*, $150 for non-members covers your whole organization! This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Montana Nonprofit Association For excel avoiders or newbies, this course grounds every nonprofit professional in the basics of using Microsoft Excel as a tool to improve your work. Over two sessions in one week, move from tentative to excited to use the basics of Excel. Moving at a slow pace, this course will provide opportunities for practice, questions, and clarifications. By the end, you will be able to enter and clean data for your organization and calculate basic functions to analyze data at an introductory level. This might mean easily identifying total donation levels across years, sorting volunteers by hours, or calculating total clients served at a glance.
Visit MANP’s website to learn more and get link and code to register on partner website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Re(Human)izing Recruitment & Onboarding
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Wednesday, March 4, 2026 via Zoom 2:00-3:00pm
Cost: $50 for MANP members*, $70 for non-members
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Explore how to attract, interview, and onboard talent through an equity-centered lens. You will learn how traditional hiring practices replicate bias, and how inclusive job design, accessible onboarding, and culture-add approaches can create belonging from day one. Key Concepts: Inclusive recruiting; bias-checking in job descriptions and interviews; transparency in process; accessibility audits; culture-add vs. culture-fit.
Visit MANP’s website to learn more and get link and code to register on partner website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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What’s Next for Fundraising? Trends, Technology, and Generational Shifts
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Thursday, March 5, 2026 via Zoom 1:00-2:00pm
Cost: FREE for MANP members (most MLTN members are MANP members)
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Common Good Vermont
What will successful fundraising require in 2026 and beyond? In this forward-looking panel conversation, Vu Le, Philip Deng, and Mel Houser will explore the forces reshaping nonprofit fundraising—and what these changes mean for organizations of all sizes and missions.
Panelists will discuss key fundraising trends in 2026, including how generational change and wealth transfer, advances in AI and technology, and increased collaboration among nonprofit organizations are transforming how nonprofits engage donors and approach solicitation. The conversation will also highlight practical insights and tips fundraisers and nonprofit professionals can apply as they adapt their strategies, messaging, and relationship-building approaches in a changing landscape—particularly as federal policy changes continue to impact the sector.
Visit MANP’s website to learn more and get a link to register on partner website.
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Jobs in the Conservation Sector
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We are excited to see so many interesting positions, both entry level and advanced, for anyone interested in exploring a career in the Conservation Sector! Our newest postings are listed here, and you can view the full list of job openings on our website. Outreach & Communications Associate – Greater Lovell Land Trust
Seasonal Stewardship Assistant – Kennebec Land Trust
Community & Lands Steward – Mahoosuc Land Trust
Biologist II – Lake Assessment Section – Maine DEP
Seasonal Farm Steward – Aldermere Farm and Erickson Fields – Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Park Ranger – Town of Cape Elizabeth
Park Greeter – Town of Cape Elizabeth
Land Conservation Manager – Northeast Wilderness Trust
Park Ranger/Recreation Supervisor – City of South Portland
Forest Monitoring Technician – Forest Stewards Guild
Stewardship Manager – Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust
Stewardship & Outreach Manager – Downeast Lakes Land Trust
Multiple Positions – Watershed Friends
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2026 Momentum Conservation Land Trust Grant Fund
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Application deadline: Friday, April 24, 2026, at 11:59pm The Momentum Conservation Land Trust Grant Fund Program aims to strengthen the organizational capacity and programmatic effectiveness of land trusts throughout Maine. This grant program provides unrestricted general operating funding and is open to all Maine land trusts. Our grant-making process works to center equity and shift power in philanthropy by involving community grant reviewers in decision making.
Eligibility requirements:
To apply, you must be a Maine land trust. Organizations must be certified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or use a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) tax status. Applications must contain a valid EIN (tax ID) number to be considered.
For the purpose of this grant program, Momentum Conservation defines a land trust as an organization whose mission and focus is to actively conserve land through easements or acquisition for purposes that may include: providing public access and housing, protecting agricultural land, ecosystems, land of cultural significance, water quality, working waterfronts, and/or addressing climate resilience in perpetuity.
Learn more at Momentum Conservation’s website. Questions can be directed to Peyton Black, Operations and Grant Program Director, at .
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Climate Resilience Conservation Fund
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Applications open: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Applications due: Monday, May 18, 2026 Grant decisions by: July 15, 2026
Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) is pleased to announce the second round of funding through its Climate Resilience Conservation Fund (CRCF). The Fund supports land protection projects that enhance climate resilience and reduce climate impacts on Maine’s land, waters and people. This approximately $4 million Fund is the land conservation component of Resilient Maine, a $69 million statewide effort to protect coastal communities, Maine’s environment and working waterfronts from extreme storms, flooding and rising sea levels.
Earlier this month, MCHT announced that six organizations had been selected to receive $1,175,000 in funding through the program in its first round.
Support for the Fund comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC). Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) administers the Fund in coordination with the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF). An advisory committee with expertise from state, local, Tribal and federal governments and non-profit groups reviews and recommends eligible projects.
Click here for fund details, eligibility requirements, and applications instructions. You can also view the information webinar recording. Contact Jennifer Melville, CRCF fund manager, with questions.
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Second Round of Maine Trails Program
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Applications due: June 26, 2026 The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) announced the launch of the second grant round of the Maine Trails Program, continuing the State’s investment in outdoor recreational infrastructure across Maine.
The second round of funding will be available to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and ATV and snowmobile clubs. Updated program guidance, an updated scoring rubric, and example applications are currently in development and will be published on the program webpage in the coming weeks.
To support applicants during the application period, BPL will host a series of in-person and virtual workshops. Registration is required.
In-person Workshops
Virtual Workshops
Additional details, including the online application link and updated program materials, will be posted on the Bureau of Parks and Lands website as they become available. For more information on the Maine Trails Program, please visit the program webpage.
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