MLTN Infoline – March 7, 2022
Maine Land Conservation Conference Starts This Week | |
We hope you’ll be joining Maine Coast Heritage Trust for our nine great webinars as we host our second virtual Maine Land Conservation Conference. If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time. Click here to see the schedule and read about the workshops, then click here when you’re ready to register. The cost for this year’s Conference is just $25. We are able to keep the price low thanks to our very generous sponsors. We’re thankful for support at all levels – see the full list of conference sponsors here – but we want to especially thank our three Leading Sponsors:
Their support strengthens the land conservation community here in Maine and is a key reason why Maine Coast Heritage Trust is able to bring you this opportunity for learning and inspiration each year. If your paths cross with any of these great organizations, please help us thank them for their participation, Whit, Jeff, and Donna | |
Tools & Techniques for Hosting Successful Virtual Events | |
Friday, March 11, 2022 11:00am-12:00pm FREE This event is made possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Tech Impact Virtual events have become a new normal during the pandemic, and while in-person events are starting to come back, virtual events have increased access to programming for many people. This webinar will talk you through tools and techniques for hosting successful virtual events of many types, including fundraising events, conferences, trainings, and fairs (like job fairs or events that have virtual booths). Register here. | |
Programs to Assist Maine Woodland Owners: USDA-NRCS EQIP and CSP | |
Monday, March 14, 2022 6:00-7:30pm Cost: Free, or choose a ticket price that suits you and supports the coordinating organizations Hosted by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers cost-share programs that provide financial support to woodland owners managing their land for timber quality, wildlife habitat and forest health. In this session, learn about both the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), from application to implementation, and hear first-hand about the experience of conducting a CSP project on forestland in Maine. Learn more and register at MOFGA’s website. | |
Strategic Conservation Planning in a Changing Climate | |
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 2:00-3:30pm Cost: $70 for LTA members; $100 for non-members It can be challenging for land trusts to know where to focus their efforts or how to get started with strategic climate change planning. In this webinar, climate experts Danielle Shannon and Kristen Schmitt, Northern Forests Climate Hub, will discuss climate change planning, with a particular focus on the benefits of clearly articulated values and conservation goals. This session will include activities and discussion to help participants think about their own organizational priorities and how those might be impacted by climate change. Learn more and register at the Land Trust Alliance website. | |
Financial Leadership for Nonprofits | |
Six 75-minute sessions, Wednesdays, Apr. 6-May11, 2022 1:00-2:15pm Cost: $95 for MANP members*; $109 for non-members This course is made possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and the Montana Nonprofit Association This six-week course will help you sharpen your ability to lead the financial management of your organization. From budgeting to cash management, cost/benefit analysis, and more, you will learn best-practice fundamentals to lead your organization with confidence. Additionally, you will be provided with a comprehensive set of Excel tools to simplify and enhance your ability to monitor, analyze, and report your financial condition. These tools, when combined with your usual accounting software, offer you the visualization and functionality of a much more sophisticated (and expensive) software. At the conclusion of this course, a free monthly affinity group Zoom meeting will be hosted by Montana Nonprofit Association focused on discussing strategies to build a financial reserve in your organization. This monthly meeting will provide a chance to learn from one another and discuss strategies to use the concepts and tools learned through the course to grow your organization’s operating reserve. *Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check on your MLTN membership status. Learn more and register at MANP’s website. | |
Maine TREE Forests of Maine Teachers’ Tours | |
Applications Due: Friday, April 15, 2022 Cost: Once accepted, a $150 registration fee will be required The Maine Timber Research and Environmental Education Foundation (Maine TREE) nationally acclaimed Forests of Maine Teachers’ Tours have been scheduled for 2022. The four-day, three-night professional development program is focused on immersing Maine educators in the northern forests of Maine. The tour explores sustainable forest management through the eyes of many stakeholders including landowners, foresters, loggers, mills, and community members. Two tour options are available in 2022: a Maine’s Western Mountains forest tour, from July 12-15th, based out of Sugarloaf; or a Western Maine forest tour, from July 26-29th, based out of The Bethel Inn. Due to the remaining restrictions from Maine CDC and our host venues, Maine TREE is limiting attendees at both of these events and is using an application process to select participants. Preference will be given to those familiar with, or currently using, environmental or place-based education tools or have access to forested areas at their schools. Apply at https://forms.gle/gYQv9eBHQNsm4C8K8 or contact Maine TREE with questions at or (207) 621-9872. | |
2022 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference | |
Thursday, March 24 – Saturday, March 26, 2022 Cost: $55 for non-MLTC members through March 11; $65 thereafter Join our colleagues in Massachusetts for 28 virtual sessions, topical talks, and a keynote address by Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Energy, Environment and Open Spaces for the City of Boston. If you’re in southern Maine, you might even be able to take part in the outdoor walk-n-talks, included with your registration fee. Online sessions will be recorded and available through May 31. | |
Maine Environmental Education Association Annual Conference | |
Thursday, April 7, 2022 9:00am-5:00pm Virtual format with regional meet ups throughout April Suggested Fee: $45 Registration for MEEA’s annual conference is open, and MEEA wants to make this conference accessible to everyone. They have a pay-what-you-can model and you can come for free if cost is a barrier. This year’s theme is “Reflecting on the Past and Envisioning Environmental Education for the Future.” The agenda includes five workshop sessions throughout the day, and an anti racism in education drop in conversation over lunch for those engaged in equity work in the environmental education/outdoor learning nature connection sector! Plus there will be plenty of networking opportunities. Visit MEEA’s website for all the details, including information on hosting a regional meet up. | |
Jobs in the Conservation Sector | |
Looking to make an employment change as we head into a new season? There are lots of open outside and inside positions with conservation groups around the state. New postings below and full list on our website. Regional Steward – Kennebec Estuary Land Trust Mount Desert Island Assistant Stewards – Maine Coast Heritage Trust Southern Maine Assistant Steward – Maine Coast Heritage Trust Programs Assistant – Harpswell Heritage Land Trust Nature Day Camp Leaders – Harpswell Heritage Land Trust Executive Director – Maine TREE Foundation Summer Education and Communications Specialist – Scarborough Land Trust Land Trust Internship – Boothbay Region Land Trust Baxter State Park Director – Baxter State Park Spring/Summer Seasonal Environmental Educators – Maine Audubon Erosion Control Program Manager – 7 Lakes Alliance Erosion Control Project Coordinator – 7 Lakes Alliance Bringing Nature Home Program Manager – Maine Audubon Borestone Mountain Assistant Property Manager – Maine Audubon Community Conservation Technician and Field Crew Leader – Downeast Lakes Land Trust | |
Whole Kids Foundation K-12 Garden Grant Program | |
Application Deadline: Friday, March 11th, 2022 Informational webinar on Monday, March 7, 2022, at 3:00pm The Whole Kids Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded by Whole Foods Market and guided by the same values, principles, expertise, and standards for quality ingredients, food production methods, and nutrition. To that end, the foundation invites applications for its Garden Grant Program, which is driven by the idea that kids who grow veggies are more likely to eat veggies. Schools and nonprofit organizations will be awarded grants of $3,000 to turn outdoor spaces into hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity, and support classroom curricula. The program supports both new and existing edible educational gardens. Applicants must be a charter or public school including tribally controlled and Bureau of Indian Education schools, nonprofit private school, or a nonprofit organization or tribal entity that serves children in the K-12 age range. Visit Whole Kids Foundation’s website for details and to apply. | |
New England Grassroots Environment Fund Grow Grants Program | |
Applications Due: March 15, 2022 Founded in 1996, the New England Grassroots Environment Fund works to energize and nurture long-term civic engagement in local initiatives that create and maintain healthy, just, safe, and environmentally sustainable communities across the six New England states. To that end, the Grassroots Fund is inviting applications for its Grow Grants program, which will award grants of up to $4,000 in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont. The Grow Grants program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community and grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes. The fund prioritizes support for community groups who represent a broad range of voices in their community and who are not being reached by other funders. The fund prioritizes groups that are volunteer driven (or have no more than two full-time paid staff or equivalent) and that have an annual operating budget under $100,000. Learn more and apply at New England Grassroots Environment Fund website. | |
LMF Call for Working Forest and Working Farmland Proposals | |
Letters of Interest Due: April 22, 2022 Applications Due: July 25, 2022 The Land for Maine’s Future Board is pleased to announce two new funding opportunities! At their February 25 meeting, the LMF Board issued a call for Working Forest and Working Farmland proposals. Application materials can be found on the LMF Applying for Funds webpage. |