Virtual Town Hall Events for Community-based Environmental Learning in MaineWednesday, November 10th, 12:00-1:00pm Monday, November 15th, 9:00-10:00am Thursday, November 18th, 3:30-4:30pm About three years ago, the environmental learning community conducted a survey to help collect statewide data. As important community providers of nature-based learning, many land trusts took part. The Community-Based Environmental Learning Census (CBEL) Data has become the most powerful tool we have to inform policy and local decision-making in Maine. Now we want to know how the field has changed over the past 3 years (what are the persistent gaps in access, what ongoing or new needs do educators have now, etc.) and how best to steer future policy and priorities for environmental, outdoor, vocational, climate and community education. These Town Hall events will help do that. Benefits to participating in a Town Hall: - Connect with like-minded Mainers supporting youth across our state
- Learn about and provide input on local and statewide efforts supporting environmental and outdoor education in Maine
- Have direct impact on the types of data and stories that will influence policy decisions at the state and local level for in- and out-of-school education, (like RREV, MOOSE and much more)
- On-request stipend for attending a Town Hall meeting (find more information about the stipend on the registration page)
At the meetings, a brief background on the census will be provided, and the remainder of the hour will be spent discussing in break-out groups. Participation and knowledge of the first census is not required! |
Maine Conservation Corps Taking Applications for PartnersDeadline for Field Team Proposals: December 10, 2021 Deadline for June Environmental Steward Placements: February 22, 2022 For over 38 years, MCC has been sending individuals and teams into communities to accomplish conservation initiatives, while fostering the personal development of MCC AmeriCorps members, and local volunteerism. Field Teams and Environmental Stewards can build your organizational capacity and realize your environmental visions on a wide variety of projects. Don’t delay, share your plans today! Application materials and instructions can be found on the MCC website. Not sure where to start? Call Lindsey May, Field Team Program Manager, at (207)624-6091, or complete this survey to schedule a free phone consultation. |
Southern Maine Regional Land Trust Meeting ScheduledEach year, MLTN gathers land trusts and their partners together in different regions of the state to connect and discuss issues of common interest. We have now scheduled our Southern Maine Regional meeting for December 3rd, 10am-12pm. For details on all the regional meetings, visit the Upcoming Events page of the MLTN website. If you’d like to attend, email us and specify which regional meeting you’d like to attend. |
How to Start a Successful Planned Giving ProgramWednesday, November 10th, 2021 2:00-3:00pm Cost: $70 for LTA members, $100 for non-members It’s become almost trite to say COVID changed everything, but when it comes to planned giving the saying rings true. During the pandemic an unprecedented number of people took the opportunity to develop their estate plans. With trillions of dollars set to be transferred over the next 40 years, it’s the right time for land trusts to start or retool their planned giving programs. Join Rashida Moore and Mindy Tuttle, Land Trust Alliance, and Jessica McDonald, Greenbelt Land Trust, for an introductory webinar that lays out best practices in starting a planned giving program. Jessica will also take us on a deep dive into what makes Greenbelt Land Trust’s planned giving program so successful, including how they recently obtained a bequest of over $1 million. |
Transforming Workplace Culture Through EmpathyWednesday, November 17th, 2021 1:00-2:30pm Suggested Price: $49, pay-what-you-can options available Empathy is at the root of connection, communication, collaboration and engagement – all things that we aim to embody in our nonprofit communities. As staff and volunteers of a nonprofit, we seek to understand those we serve through our mission-driven work and continually strive to meet their needs. Are we bringing that same intention to understanding our internal teams? Our partnerships? Speaker Sharon Steed shines a light on the role of vulnerability and empathy in creating inclusive teams and powerful collaborations. By sharing her own story as a life-long stutterer, Sharon illustrates how cultivating these traits through empathy actions that teams can incorporate into their own practices and help them be better communicators, more focused collaborators, more thoughtful leaders, and creators of environments ripe for inclusion. |
Developing Your Personal DEI Statement Thursday, November 18th, 2021 1:00-2:30pm Cost: $15 for members*; $29 for non-members Made possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Championing diversity, equity or inclusion within an organization requires that individuals reflect deeply on their own lived and personal experiences, belief systems, and culture. By understanding your own core values, leadership strengths, privileges, and skills, you will be a stronger advocate for equity and will develop the confidence to stand up for the organization’s shared values. This workshop will provide you with a process and tools for reflection, enabling you to draft the first iteration of a personal DEI Statement. As part of this workshop, you will: - Build a draft of a personal DEI statement
- Create a personal inventory of meaningful reflections about your values and goals for DEI
- Develop confidence to stand up for the organization’s values shared or need to develop DEI practice, policies, and procedures
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check on your MLTN membership status. |
Discounts on The Harbinger Consultancy Winter/Spring CoursesOver the past 30 years, The Harbinger Consultancy has developed processes and tools to help conservation organizations reach their goals. About a year ago, they began offering online courses to make those processes and tools accessible to organizations and communities that don’t have the resources or need for consulting contracts or formal studies — in a do-it-yourself format. The courses are geared toward the unique needs of small towns, rural communities and organizations that support local culture, conservation, education, trails and public lands. Right now you can get early bird discounts on their winter/spring offerings. The early discount deadline for January courses is November 15th, while the discounts on all other courses will be available until December 15th. - Tell the Economic Story courses: the do-it-yourself version of an approach to economic analysis developed over 20 years of work with rural communities, parks and protected areas, trail networks and land conservation initiatives.
- Outdoor Recreation Roadmap and The New Community Project Roadmap: Both are designed for people who work hands-on in community building and community economic development.
- Do-It-Yourself Trail Research You Can Start Right Away
- and Creative Placemaking
Learn more and register here. And if you’re interested in a course but have questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to reach out to Michele Archie. Michele goes the extra mile to make sure the course will meet your expectations! |
Help LTA and Spread the Word about Your Land TrustThe Land Trust Alliance will launch its new Find A Land Trust later this fall. Please help them make sure the information on your profile page is up-to-date. (You can view your organization’s current listing here.) They pull your data directly from your Census response, but there are two new data fields they need for the newly designed pages. Please upload a feature banner photo and a link to your donation page by visiting the update page on their website. If you have other fields you’d like to update, you can send in updates to any of those as well. Thank you!! |
Jobs in the Conservation SectorHere are the newest job postings since our last newsletter. Click here for full list. |
Farm Credit East AgEnhancement GrantsApplications Due: December 1, 2021 Since 1996, Farm Credit East has awarded grants through the Farm Credit AgEnhancement Program to help organizations promote awareness of and strengthen agriculture, commercial fishing, and forestry in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont. To that end, grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded in support of programs, projects, and activities that assist in the development of young and beginning farmers; encourage leadership development with the aim of strengthening agriculture and the food and fiber industries (including programs and projects that encourage youth involvement in agricultural activities); generate a greater understanding and appreciation of agriculture and the food and fiber industries in the region; recognize the accomplishments of leaders of the agriculture and food and fiber industries; advance the economic viability of agriculture and the food and fiber industries in the Northeast; and/or promote interest in agriculture/horticulture/forest products/commercial fishing. |
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