MLTN Infoline – March 11, 2025
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Get Ready for Conference!
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Registration for the Maine Land Conservation Conference will be opening soon – in about a week! We encourage you to check out our website and peruse the schedule-at-a-glance, workshop descriptions, and various optional add-ons so that on March 20, when registration comes online, you’ll know exactly what you want to sign up for. Also, if you plan to stay in Augusta on Tuesday night, we have discounted room blocks reserved at two local hotels – the Maine Evergreen Hotel and the Best Western Plus Augusta Civic Center Hotel. Get details on our website but be aware, the discount at the Maine Evergreen Hotel is only good through March 29th.
Optional add-ons to consider before you register (additional charges may apply):
With more offerings than ever to boost connection and learning, you’ll want to reserve your place at the Conference early.
Start making your plans for April 29 & 30 now. We’ll see you there!
Angela, Jeff, Donna and Katia
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Brave Spaces: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion for Maine Land Trusts
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Friday, April 18, 2025 1:00-4:00pm
Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick
Cost: $25 Limited to 20 participants
We are so grateful to be partnering once again this year with Momentum Conservation and Natural Difference, LLC to offer this very special pre-Conference learning opportunity. Co-facilitated by Stefan Jackson, Jess Burton, and the staff of Momentum Conservation, this afternoon-long training will encourage vulnerable reflection and brave steps forward. While we would love to host as many members of the Land Trust community as possible, we must limit the session to 20 attendees. Ideally, we are looking for participants who are:
Please reach out to Lindy Magness to learn more about the program. Together we will create the bravest space we can to engage one another with the utmost candor we can hold for ourselves.
If you attended last year’s Brave Spaces series, you may experience these important conversations quite differently than you did last year, considering the rapid and ongoing shifts in our world and within the conservation sector. We invite both new attendees and returning participants to join.
Register for Brave Spaces here.
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Public Policy Update
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Legislative Committees in the Maine State House are entering their busiest stretch as hundreds of new bills are printed each week and schedules are packed with hearings and work sessions. At the same time, land trusts across the state continue to assess the messages coming out of Washington and look for answers to the future fate of various federal land conservation programs.
Land for Maine’s Future Funding
On March 13, the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (ACF) Committee will be holding a hearing on this session’s first of many bills seeking new Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) funds. Sponsored by Senator Russell Black (R-Franklin County), LD 593 would direct $10 million each year to the program. This bipartisan legislation seeks to maintain the recent momentum that began in 2021, when Maine policymakers approved a $40 million LMF investment. The program is on pace to spend or commit its remaining funds by the end of 2025. Over the past few years, LMF has been working to conserve a dozen farms, seven working waterfronts, more than 16,000 acres of working forests, thousands of acres of critical wildlife habitat, and more than 80,000 acres of land for traditional outdoor recreation. Public Policy Director Jeff Romano has shared an update on this and more legislative activity on our website. Please take a few minutes to learn more about happenings in Augusta that could affect your land trust work, including a proposed Public Lands Cap, Tribal legislation, and more.
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Fundraising in the New Federal Landscape
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Thursday, March 13, 2025 via Zoom 1:00-2:00pm
FREE for Land Trust Alliance members
Join Mindy Milby Tuttle from the Land Trust Alliance for this webinar designed to help nonprofit leaders navigate fundraising in uncertain times. With shifting federal funding, evolving donor expectations and economic unpredictability, land trusts must adapt to stay resilient. Learn practical strategies to diversify revenue, strengthen donor relationships and leverage technology to sustain and grow your fundraising efforts. Gain actionable insights to help your nonprofit thrive in a dynamic funding landscape.
Learn more and register on LTA’s website.
This webinar is part of LTA’s efforts to provide information about land trusts and the new federal landscape.
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Compassionate Leadership in Times of Financial Crisis
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Wednesday, March 19, 2025 via Zoom 2:00-3:30pm
FREE for Land Trust Alliance members
Staff costs are often one of a land trust’s biggest budget items. When an organization faces a financial crisis, reducing the number of staff can create significant cost savings. At the same time, telling a trusted colleague that they no longer have a job can be one of the hardest tasks an executive director or board chair can do. Join Sustainable Iowa Land Trust Executive Director Breanna Horsey and Kellie Gottner, HR & client experience officer for Connectify, as they lay strategies for managing a downsizing. Drawing from their recent experience, Breanna and Kellie will discuss how an organization can implement a reduction in force to keep an organization running and focused on its mission while also caring for the people involved.
Learn more and register on LTA’s website.
This webinar is part of LTA’s efforts to provide information about land trusts and the new federal landscape.
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MLTN Lunch & Learn: Getting the Most From Your Maine Association of Nonprofits Membership
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Thursday, March 27, 2025 via Zoom
12:00-12:30pm
Cost: FREE, pre-registration required
Did you know that if you are a member of the Maine Land Trust Network (MLTN) and your budget is $500k or less, you receive a free membership to The Maine Association of Nonprofits* (MANP)? We are proud of this partnership and believe it provides great value to our communities. MANP empowers individuals and organizations dedicated to shaping Maine’s future prosperity. As a leading advocate and resource, MANP helps Maine nonprofits adapt, thrive, and contribute in an ever-changing environment.
We invite you to join MANP’s Membership Engagement Manager Ellis Ivy for an informative talk about MANP and the services they offer for Maine land trusts. This presentation will cover:
Register for the webinar now. We bet you’ll learn something new!
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Beginning Grantwriting
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Thursday, March 27, 2025 via Zoom
10:00am-1:00pm Cost: $95 for MANP members*, $135 for non-members
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Many people who work in nonprofits find themselves in the position of “accidental grantwriter” and do not feel fully equipped for the challenge. This session will provide a balance of applicable content and resources to deepen participants’ knowledge of and skills in grantwriting.
Specifically designed for beginners, this workshop will introduce grantwriting to nonprofit professionals who have less than one year of experience with the skill. By the end of this session, participants will learn the steps to craft, construct, and submit an effective grant application.
Learn more and get link to register on partner website at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check you organization’s MLTN membership status.
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From Mission to Metrics: Telling Your Story With Data
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Tuesday, April 1, 2025 via Zoom
11:30am-1:00pm Cost: $36 for MANP members*, $40 for non-members
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Common Good Vermont
Daunted by data? Struggling to showcase your organization’s work? Don’t fret! Join data strategist Clinton Sears to learn how a data-driven approach can help your organization measure and communicate its impact effectively. Whether you are educating policymakers, reporting to funders, or appealing to donors, this session will guide you through the process of identifying and tracking the metrics that truly matter for your mission. You’ll learn how to set practical boundaries that help prioritize your team’s efforts while demonstrating real impact.
Learn more and get link to register on partner website at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check you organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Best Practices for Working with Appraisers: A Panel Discussion
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Tuesday, April 8, 2025 via Zoom 12:00–1:15pm
Cost: FREE
This panel discussion will help you better understand best practices for working with appraisers in land conservation. Designed for land trust staff and board members involved in land protection, this session will feature insights from experienced land protection practitioners, Alliance staff, and seasoned appraisers. We’ll introduce a new resource to help guide your work, explore common challenges and solutions, and leave plenty of time for Q&A.
Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your understanding of how to develop effective relationships with appraisers and improve your conservation outcomes! This event is co-hosted by the Land Trust Alliance, Connecticut Land Conservation Council, and the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition.
Register here.
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Jobs in the Conservation Sector
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We have had some interesting and unique job position posted to the board this past week. Check them out here, or view the full list on our website. Private Lands Assistant Biologist – Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Seasonal Stewardship Staff Member – Somerset Woods Trustees & Pierce Pond Watershed Trust
Watershed Manager – 30 Mile River Watershed Association
Water Quality Specialist – 30 Mile River Watershed Association
MDI Conservation Easement Steward – Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Summer Camp Environmental Educators – Maine Audubon
Seasonal Canoe and Kayak Assistants – Maine Audubon
Part-Time Office Manager – The Nature Conservancy
Mount Agamenticus Park Ranger – Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program/York Parks & Recreation Department
Assistant Manager, Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center – Maine Audubon
Seasonal Farm Steward, Aldermere Farm and Erickson Fields – Maine Coast Heritage Trust
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Whole Foods Garden Grants Program
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Deadline extended, applications due: March 19, 2025 Kids who grow veggies, eat veggies, so school gardens can make a big difference. Through their Garden Grant program, Whole Foods helps schools turn outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity and support classroom curriculum. While only schools are eligible for the grants, land trusts could collaborate with schools in their regions to take advantage of this opportunity.
The Garden Grant program provides a $3,500 monetary grant to support a new or existing edible educational garden located at a K–12 School in the U.S. or Canada. This year, Newman’s Own Foundation will offer an additional monetary grant to select U.S. recipients that opt in via the Whole Foods Garden Grant application. If selected, this would be in addition to the Whole Kids’ $3,500 award. Learn more in our application!
More information on the Garden Grants Program website including eligibility flow chart and a copy of the application.
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