MLTN Infoline – July 17, 2024
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Mark Your Calendars Now for Fall Regional Meetings
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Our Fall calendar is already filling up and we imagine yours is, too, so this year we are going to handle regional land trust meetings just a little differently. We’ve picked meeting dates for the six regions well in advance. Please put the date(s) for the meeting(s) you think you may want to attend on your calendar NOW. We will finalize exact times and locations in September but we hope this gives you plenty of time to save the dates and plan ahead to attend one (or more!) of these gatherings.
Participants can self-select which meeting to attend, and if you have a conflict on the date we’ve chosen for your region you are more than welcome to attend one of the other meetings. Some discussion topics will be repeated in each region, while some time will be allocated to region-specific discussion. Learn more on the MLTN Events page.
Can’t wait to see you there!
Angela, Jeff, and Donna
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Looking for a Ride to Rally in September?
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As we noted in a recent Infoline, this year presents a special opportunity for Maine land trust staff and board members to attend Rally close to home! Rally takes place in Providence, Rhode Island this year, on September 25-28. Read all about it here. MLTN is looking into the possibility of renting a bus that would pick folks up in Bangor, Augusta, Brunswick, and Kittery and drop them at the Omni Hotel in Providence. There are still details to work out but our best estimate is that the cost per person would be about $235. We could accommodate 56 passengers. The bus would leave on either September 25th or 26th and would return on Sunday, September 29th. In order for this to work, we would need a minimum of 40 passengers to commit by September 3rd.
If you think you would be interested in taking our bus to Rally, please email us! Let us know whether you would prefer to leave on Wednesday, September 25th or Thursday, September 26th, and where you would like to be picked up. We’ll let you know by September 4th whether we have enough interest to hire the bus.
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Remembering Keith Fletcher
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On July 2nd, land conservationists in Maine and beyond lost a dear friend. Keith Fletcher, longtime Southern Maine Project Manager at Maine Coast Heritage Trust and partner to towns, local land trusts, and state and federal agencies alike, passed away peacefully at his home in Wells. You can read a short piece on Keith at our website, but it would take a book to capture all the good he brought to the world. We will miss him!!
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Maine Climate Council Seeks Input on Recommendations
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The Maine Climate Council is working on an update to Maine Won’t Wait, the state’s four-year climate action plan, by December 1 of this year. During the council’s recent quarterly meeting, its working groups and task forces presented draft climate strategies for potential inclusion in the update. Staff from MCHT and other land trusts participated on many of the working groups that developed the draft recommendations.
Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Land trusts and their supporters are an important partner in many of the strategies being proposed. Let them hear from you! Complete a short survey about how each draft recommendation may impact your community and the state we call home. It’s up to all of us to help build the strategies for a more resilient future.
Read the draft strategies and recommendations and take the survey at the Maine Climate Council website.
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Registration Now Open for 2024 Maine Coastal Cleanup
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Part of the International Coastal Cleanup, Maine’s Coastal Cleanup will run from September 7-12, 2024 The Maine Coastal Program, a Division of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), has opened registration for the annual Coastal Cleanup. The Coastal Cleanup is a volunteer-driven initiative designed to clean debris from Maine’s coastal shores and waterfront communities.
Anyone who wishes to coordinate a local cleanup can register online by completing a brief form on the DMR website and selecting a site along the coast. Once a registration has been received, DMR will remove the chosen location from the available sites on the online registration form. If a coordinator indicates on the registration form that they are seeking volunteers, DMR will list that site along with contact information so interested volunteers can reach out to the coordinator. Prior to the date of each cleanup, coordinators will be sent a package containing resources to collect and record trash.
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Nature’s Lessons on Life, Loss, Legacy, and Restorative Wonder with Margie Patlak
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August 13, 2024 via Zoom and in person
6:00-8:30pm Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor
Cost: FREE although donations are appreciated
Within a short span of time, Margie Patlak lost her mother and sole sibling. Reeling from those losses, she returned to live in Down East Maine, where she spent her childhood summers. While in mourning and writing about the wilder environment she experienced at her new home, Patlak uncovered many lessons from nature. She will share several vital lessons she and others have learned from nature about life, loss, legacy, and restorative wonder–lessons that helped her personally heal from her losses. Many of these were recounted in Patlak’s award-winning memoir More Than Meets the Eye: Exploring Nature and Loss on the Coast of Maine, which was published in 2021. She will illustrate the talk with her photos of stunning Maine scenery that appear in her more recent book Wild and Wondrous: Nature’s Artistry on the Coast of Maine.
Lecture begins at 7:00pm. For those attending in person, a complimentary wine and cheese reception will be held beginning at 6:00pm, where attendees can enjoy conversation with Margie.
Learn more and register at Schoodic Institute’s website.
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The OpenStreetMap US Trails Stewardship Initiative
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Thursday, August 22, 2024 via Zoom 1:00-2:30pm
Cost: FREE, donations appreciated
As hikers in the US have come to rely on mobile applications to navigate our public lands, visitors can be led to dangerous or environmentally sensitive areas when these apps include unofficial and unmaintained trails; and much of that data comes from OpenStreetMap. This webinar will pull back the curtain on the data behind the apps, and share the challenges, efforts, and successes of the OpenStreetMap US Trail Stewardship Initiative and the community collaboration behind it.
Learning Objectives:
Learn more and register at the American Trails website.
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Making Advocacy Actionable
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Thursday, August 22, 2024 via Zoom
1:00-2:30pm
Cost: $35 for MANP members*, $65 for non-members This session brings together an adult learning expert and a nonprofit advocacy expert to explore what nonprofits, funders, and associations can do to increase nonprofit advocacy. We’ll provide alternatives to dry presentations about lobbying rules and doom-and-gloom calls to action. You’ll leave the session energized to evangelize nonprofit advocacy in ways that will motivate busy nonprofit people. The session is interactive, giving you time to reflect and connect with others on what you are learning. The session includes a practical workbook to help you apply lessons learned.
Intended Audience
Anyone interested in increasing advocacy for their nonprofit, including staff, board members, and volunteers.
Learn more and register at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Consent is Key: Revolutionize Your Organization’s Storytelling
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Wednesday, August 28, 2024 via Zoom
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Cost: $45 for MANP members*, $65 for non-members Scholarships available for MANP members! Prior to registering, email your scholarship request to and be sure to include your name and organization
Today’s nonprofits face an unspoken ethical dilemma: Do we have the right to publish our beneficiaries’ stories to raise money? In this interactive session, you’ll gain insights into crafting inspiring narratives that prompt your donors to take action without violating the privacy or dignity of your beneficiaries.
The presenter will guide you through her EQUAstory™️ Framework, an ethical method to tell stories and raise funds for your mission with integrity. When you incorporate this method of gathering narratives, your beneficiaries will feel appreciated and comfortable sharing their genuine experiences. Simultaneously, your donors will understand the impact of their donations through ethically sourced and shared stories. This is a learning experience philanthropic pioneers can’t miss!
Intended Audience
This training is intended as introductory content for nonprofit professionals working in fundraising, communications, marketing, and programs.
Learn more and register at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Sustainable Trail Building One-Year Certificate Program
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This one-year certificate program begins September 9, 2024 and ends in May 2025
Cost: $3850
Gain the skills needed to build non-motorized trails using up-to-date sustainability best practices directly from industry leaders and trail building experts. The curriculum is aimed at meeting the needs of working adults and includes classroom, online, and hands-on experience.
In this program, you’ll have boots-on-the-ground at Northwoods Stewardship Center in East Charleston, VT for three individual week-long intensive classes. You will grow your knowledge base and connect with trail building professional networks, as you build skills that align with the national standard and learn best practices for trail sustainability. Upon completion, you’ll be ready to grow as a leader in this expanding field!
The program is taught through a combination of classroom, in-the-field learning, and professional industry conferences. Tuition includes trail passes to Kingdom Trails and Burke Mountain Bike Park vouchers. Bunk house accommodation is available at no additional cost for participants coming from a distance for in-person class dates.
Learn more at Vermont State University’s website.
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Jobs in the Conservation Sector
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It’s the peak of summer and things have slowed down a bit on the MLTN jobs page. Still, there are excellent opportunities to be had. New postings below and view the full list on our website.
Administration Manager – Downeast Coastal Conservancy
Administrative Coordinator – Blue Hill Heritage Trust Marsh Restoration Steward – Maine Coast Heritage Trust
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Clif Family Foundation Grants
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Applications Due: August 1, 2024 The Clif Family Foundation was established in 2006 to support grassroots groups with inspiring ideas. The foundation invites applications for its Operational Support grants program, which help cover daily operating costs and specific projects. Priority will be given to applicants that demonstrate strong community ties, operate within viable and clearly defined plans for positive change, and address two or more funding priorities at the same time: strengthening the food system, enhancing equitable community health outcomes, and safeguarding the environment and natural resources.
Applicants must be based in the United States and be tax-exempt as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or have a fiscal sponsor with such status.
For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Clif Family Foundation website.
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