mcht-7L8A3110-skinny2-blur

MLTN Infoline – May 4, 2021

Looking Out for ME – A Recreate Responsibly Message We Can All Share

Wednesday, June 2, 2021
10:00-11:00am
Free Zoom Meeting
Most land trusts are expecting another season of high visitation this year. At the same time, the State of Maine has launched a campaign to help spread the word about how to get outside safely and make sure visits to Maine’s great outdoors are enjoyable for ALL. It’s the Look Out for ME campaign, and if you haven’t checked it out, we hope you’ll take some time to discover it today.
 
You are also invited to join us, along with Carolann Ouellette, Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation, on a tour of “Look Out for ME” initiative and materials. You’ll get tips on how to use the media kit, and have the opportunity to ask questions and share ideas. It’s free to attend but registration is required. Click here to sign up.
 
Together we can help everyone get outside safely and enjoyably this summer!
WhitJeff, and Donna

News from Augusta

With roughly a month and half remaining in the legislative session, committees are working long hours to schedule remaining public hearings and complete work on proposed legislation. Not surprisingly, it has been an unusual year in Augusta, with much of the activity taking place on-line. 
 
Last week, the Appropriations Committee held public hearings on two bills proposing to send a bond issue to Maine voters in support of the Land for Maine’s Future Program and State Parks. Discussions about LMF and other bonds is likely to be on the backburner for the time being. First, the legislature needs to figure out how best to spend the more than $1 billion in federal funds heading to Maine that were approved by the US Congress in March. Policymakers also need to finalize the two-year budget that is set to begin on July 1. 
 
In the meantime, the legislature is close to defeating two bills that could have negatively impacted land trust activity in Maine. One bill sought to cap public land ownership in Maine, while the other would have allowed municipalities to assess fees on tax exempt land, including properties owned by land trusts. Both bills were unanimously opposed in committee.
 
Lastly, legislators and the Governor are working through a handful of other conservation-related proposals including bills seeking to implement the State’s Climate Action Plan, as well as legislation related to the proposed energy corridor in Western Maine, Sunday hunting, offshore wind, eel grass restoration, and aquaculture. 
 
If you have any questions about LMF or other bills in the legislature, please contact MCHT’s Public Policy Manager Jeff Romano.

The Art of Visual Storytelling: Driving Measurable Engagement Through Video

Friday, May 7, 2021
1:00-2:30pm
Cost: $45 for MANP members*, $65 for nonmembers
Scholarships available!
Telling your organization’s story is an art — and video has never been more essential in advancing any communications or fundraising strategy. This session will explore the emotive power of visual storytelling and how video can be harnessed as an effective vehicle to drive measurable engagement.
 
Join storytelling masters for an interactive workshop to include practical tips, approaches, insights, and creative strategies for producing compelling video that will highlight and advance your organization’s mission and vision. Participants in this workshop will leave with:
  • A framework to begin developing a customized video strategy for your nonprofit
  • Access to tools and resources to help demystify video content creation
  • Practical tips on how to leverage your camera phone as a source of authentic content creation
To learn more and register, visit MANP’s website.
 
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check on your MLTN membership status.
Flooded street Portland ME Gabe Souza PPH Photographer

Understanding Climate Vulnerability

Thursday, May 13th, 2021
2:00-3:30pm
Cost: $70 for LTA members / $100 for nonmembers
Brought to you by the Land Trust Alliance
Climate change will negatively impact natural systems and our lives in many ways. Depending on your location, you may see more wildfires, extreme heat, flooding, water shortages and increased precipitation in the years to come. People living in poverty, communities of color, immigrants, people living with disability and the elderly are expected to suffer disproportionately from problems caused by a changing climate. In this webinar we will discuss questions of vulnerability and equity as it relates to the impacts of climate change and explore new tools available to help land trusts better understand the dynamics of their own communities. 
 
Join Kelly Pohl, associate director at Headwaters Economics, for a look at the Neighborhood at Risk Tool, which helps communities visualize vulnerability and make informed decisions to better adapt to climate change. Kelly will also share new resources to help land trusts and decision-makers understand wildfire risks and actions for their communities, and share how Conservation Trust for North Carolina and the Trust for Public Lands in Oregon are working to help communities increase their climate resilience.
 
Learn more and register at LTA’s website.

Generational Giving Strategies: Why are they important?

Two Tuesdays, May 18 & 25, 2021
4:00-6:15pm
Cost: $20 for MANP members*, $40 for nonmembers
Brought to you thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Idaho Nonprofit Center
Fundraising is about getting to know your donors’ values, beliefs, and experiences. Knowing and understanding their generational tendencies is one way to help build stronger relationships. In this workshop you’ll learn the characteristic differences between each generation and how to build upon them in your development and communications plan implementation. Design your events to target audiences and segment your appeals to speak the language of your donors. For example, why send a direct mail piece to a Millennial, if they don’t have a checkbook? Social media platforms will be discussed, and how to effectively boost your donor engagement.
 
Learning outcomes:
  • Knowledge about each of the five generations and their tendencies to apply to your own donor data
  • Fundraising activities to address each generation in a targeted way
  • New ideas on how to engage your audience through different social media platforms, with a generational lens
  • Reasons why personalizing and segmenting your donor development and communications activities by generation will yield deeper relationships with your donors
To learn more and register, visit MANP’s website.
 
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check on your MLTN membership status.

Balancing Uses on Land Trust Properties

Wednesday, June 2, 2021
2:00-3:30pm
Cost: $70 for LTA members, $100 for non-members
Brought to you by the Land Trust Alliance
Deciding how to balance community goals and ecological priorities for land conservation can be complicated and fraught. And it isn’t a “one and done” — with a plan written in stone for all time. The land and the community’s needs can evolve, especially given climate change and societal pressures, as we have seen with COVID-19. So how can you create a flexible strategy that allows for change over time? Join Judy Anderson as she lays out strategies that will help your organization build trust with different sectors of its community and balance land protection goals for a specific property.
 
Learn more and register at LTA’s website.

Climate Adaption and Land Trusts Short Course

Wednesdays during June
3:00-4:30pm
Special price: $10 per person
Brought to you by the Climate Change Response Network
This online short course is designed for land trusts actively working on stewardship projects in rural, suburban, and urban forests, forested watersheds, and wetland systems. It will be held over four weeks requiring three 90-minute virtual live classes, a self guided field session, and assignments. Instructors will provide guidance, periodic check-ins, and coaching. For the self-guided field session, participants are asked to visit a property or natural area of their choosing and think about real-world applications of the course material.
 
Course Goals
  • Identify locally important climate change impacts, challenges, and opportunities.
  • Use the quick start guide to adaptation planning for land trusts to consider climate change and carbon in land stewardship and management.
  • Develop actions to help a specific natural area adapt to changing conditions.
  • Communicate with stakeholders about climate impacts and adaptation responses.
Learn more and register at the Climate Change Response Network’s website.

Do-It-Yourself Trail User Research You Can Do This Summer

Wednesdays, June 8, 15, and 22, 2021
1:00-2:00pm
Cost: $195 if signed up by May 14, additional discounts for groups
Brought to you by Harbinger Consultancy
Summer and fall are prime times for trail use, and for trail user research. With summer right around the corner, can you still pull together a meaningful trail study that you can afford? The answer is yes! You’ll emerge from this course with a plan for a trail study that you can implement this summer and fall whether you have money or not, using targeted volunteer effort, free or low-cost tools, and an approach focused on what you most want or need to learn. You will also learn how to analyze your results, present findings, and use your study to catalyze action.
 
These studies can help you learn:
  • Who’s using your trail, how, how often and why;
  • Trail users’ perceptions of safety, facilities, cleanliness, maintenance, other users, and user conflicts;
  • Amenities that trail users want or want more of;
  • How much trail users spend in nearby communities, and where they stay;
  • How residents perceive the trail and trail users and more
Get the details including a course outline at Harbinger’s website. If you are interested in this course, contact Donna. If we create a group of six or more people, we can qualify for additional discounts!

Making the Leap from All-Volunteer to (gulp!) Paid Staff

A MANP Help Desk FAQ blog post
Has your all-volunteer organization started to think about hiring paid staff but had a lot of unanswered questions? A recent blog post on the MANP website by the folks at Starboard Leadership Consulting may help answers some of the most frequently asked questions that come up in such a case. The post is a great synopsis of considerations for any group in this stage of growth.

Jobs in the Conservation Sector

So many great positions available!
Seasonal Properties Assistant – Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth
Executive Director – Falmouth Land Trust
Seasonal Youth Conservation Corps Crew Leader – Midcoast Conservancy
Historic Trail Crew NPS Academy Member – Acadia National Park
Education and Communications Intern – Scarborough Land Trust
Temp Communications Assistant – Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust
Director of Operations – Maine Huts & Trails
Development Director – Maine Huts & Trails
 
Click here for full list.

Clif Family Foundation Small Grants

Proposals Due: Tuesday, June 1, 2021
The Clif Family Foundation was established in 2006 to support grassroots groups with inspiring ideas and limited funds. To that end, the foundation welcomes applications for its Small Grants program. Through the program, grants will be awarded in support of mission-driven organizations and/or projects in the areas of the environment, food and agriculture, preventative approach to people’s health, and sustainable community development.
 
Priority will be given to applicants that address two or more funding priorities at the same time, which include strengthening the food system, enhancing equitable community health outcomes, and safeguarding the environment and natural resources; demonstrate strong community ties; and operate within viable and clearly defined plans for positive change.
 
See the Clif Family Foundation website for complete program guidelines and application instructions.