MLTN Infoline – October 8, 2025
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Call for Workshop Proposals for the 2026 Maine Land Conservation Conference
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Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the Maine Land Trust Network are excited to announce the call for workshop proposals for next year’s Conference! If you read last week’s Infoline, you heard that our focus will be the evolution of conservation and how it continues to grow to meet the needs of local communities. If you’ve come to any of our regional meetings, you’ve heard that we are in the midst of a strategic planning process for MLTN. During our meetings with the steering committee and other stakeholder outreach, we’ve been reminded that the essence of the Network is that we can all do more together than we can as individual organizations; we all have things we can learn and we all have things to teach. In that spirit, we encourage you to ask yourself this question: What learnings, expertise, or experiences could you share with your peers at the Conference next spring?
The 2026 Conference will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28 & 29, at the Augusta Civic Center. We plan to offer 14–16 90-minute workshops and roundtables in two time slots on Wednesday, as well as a limited number of longer workshops on Tuesday morning and topical cohort gatherings on Tuesday afternoon. Field workshops/trips may also be considered on Tuesday if they take place close to the Civic Center. The due date for proposals is Friday, November 14th.
Submit your workshop proposal here. If you have an idea for a workshop you’d like to discuss with us, contact Donna.
Help us make next year’s Conference the best one yet!
Angela, Katia, Megan, Jeff, and Donna
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Call for Summer 2026 Intern Host Organizations
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Applications Due: December 1, 2025 Maine Coast Heritage Trust is pleased to announce the 2026 Richard G. Rockefeller Conservation Internship Program and to request applications from potential host organizations. This program is a paid summer internship program that provides opportunities to underserved Maine college-age people pursuing undergraduate, certificate, or associate degrees. MCHT works with various Maine colleges to identify and recruit interested students and Maine land conservation organizations that are prepared to host these students.
MCHT hopes to place 11 interns with 11 conservation organizations next summer. Each student will be placed with an organization for nine weeks, following one week of training at the beginning of the program, starting June 1st. In 2026, participating organizations are required to contribute $1,000 of the $6,400 intern payment and provide housing if the intern does not live in the area of placement and requires it. Internship positions will be listed on our jobs page, likely in early 2026.
The Richard G. Rockefeller Conservation Internship Program consistently receives rave reviews from both hosts and interns. Learn more at our website or by attending the applicant information webinar on November 12th to be part of the magic next year!
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Trails, Active Transportation & Land Trusts as a Climate Solution
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Wednesday, October 15, 2025 via Zoom 12:00-1:00pm
Cost: FREE but registration required
Trails, especially those on preserve lands, are often seen primarily as recreational assets. But they also hold tremendous potential as active transportation routes—helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting healthier, more connected communities. At a time when Maine is striving to meet its climate goals, trail and active transportation infrastructure offers a unique opportunity to address environmental concerns alongside recreation, health, and social benefits. Join presenters from Eastern Coast Greenway Alliance for this webinar to hear from Maine land trusts and trail groups who are reimagining trails as climate solutions and planning projects with this vision in mind. We’ll also highlight the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s work in fostering these critical connections across the state. Let’s explore how trails can move us—toward healthier people, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future. Register today.
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Fall Social for Southern Maine Executive Directors
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Wednesday, October 15, 2025 4:30-6:30pm Lucky Pigeon Brewing Co, 40 Main Street, Ste 13-131, Biddeford
Cost: FREE
The Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) invites nonprofit executive directors from across Southern Maine to an informal meetup. Connect with fellow leaders, share ideas, and strengthen your local network in a relaxed setting. It’s a chance to build relationships that can spark collaboration, fresh thinking, and a stronger circle of support. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Learn more, see who plans to attend, and register at MANP’s website.
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Building Resilient Communities: The Role of Land Conservation in Climate Adaptation
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Thursday, October 23, 2025 via Zoom 2:00-3:30pm
Cost: $75 for LTA members, $140 for non-members
This webinar showcases three land trusts playing vital roles in strengthening community resilience against the escalating impacts of climate change. Speakers from across the country will highlight ways to meet people where they are and offer lessons learned for authentic community engagement in towns and cities of different sizes and geographies. Through case studies, participants will gain practical insight on how to use data, gain trust and build relationships to integrate land conservation into broader climate adaptation and community resilience efforts. A short exercise will jump start participants’ application of topics covered to their own work.
Learn more and register at LTA’s website.
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From Boring to Bold: Visual Design Skills for Trainers
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Tuesday, October 28, 2025 via Zoom 1:00-2:30pm
Cost: $63 for MANP members*, $70 for non-members
If visual design feels like a challenge or you’re ready to take your skills to the next level, come immerse yourself in this interactive and energizing workshop.
Training and presentation slides are visual mediums, and their design has a direct impact on learning and motivation. In this session, explore the essential components of visual design, and learn practical ways to optimize graphics to support learning. You’ll leave with the ability to design with intention instead of relying on guesswork or haphazard choices. Gain confidence in your visual design skills by learning how to:
Learn more and register at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Mind the Middle: Managers in a Boom-to-Zoom World
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Tuesday, October 28, 2025 via Zoom 2:00-3:30pm
Cost: $45 for MANP members*, $90 for non-members
This event possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Utah Nonprofits Association
Managers often find themselves caught in the middle, not only between executives and staff but also between the needs, expectations, and work styles of multiple generations. This training focuses on the unique challenges managers face when leading teams that span from early-career professionals to seasoned veterans.
In this training, participants will explore the real-world tensions of juggling differing priorities, navigating communication breakdowns, and keeping everyone motivated when perspectives on work and leadership may clash. Through scenarios, group discussion, and practical tools, they will learn how to strengthen their influence, create clarity amidst competing demands, and build trust across age groups. This session is designed for managers who want to feel less “stuck in the middle” and more equipped to turn generational differences into opportunities for stronger, more resilient teams.
Learn more and get a link and code to register on partner website at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Planning and Communicating for Excellent Public Access
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Wednesday, October 29, 2025 via Zoom 2:00-3:30pm
Cost: $75 for LTA members, $140 for non-members If your conservation organization currently owns or plans to own land that is open to the public, you are in for site planning and communicating to keep both visitors and the land safe and happy. In this webinar, Lowcountry Land Trust’s Angel Oak Preserve director Samantha Siegel will share how community and stakeholder engagement and passion drove the protection of an iconic tree and the planning of its 44 surrounding acres. She will also discuss how Lowcountry Land Trust handles complex site design decisions to balance public access and preservation.
From updating trail condition descriptions after storms to recruiting social media ambassadors, Abigail Harrison, marketing director at the Land Trust of North Alabama, will share how she works closely with her organization’s stewardship team to ensure high quality visitor experiences at the land trust’s 10 preserves and over 100 miles of trails.
Learn more and register at LTA’s website.
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Whole Kid Foundation Bee Grants
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Traditional Part 1 and Renewal Bee Grant Application Closes October 15, 2025 Traditional Bee Grant Application Closes October 31, 2025
In partnership with the Bee Cause Project, Whole Kids invites applications for its Bee Grants program, which provides support for educational beehives and bee programming to schools and nonprofit organizations so students can observe bees up close and learn about pollinators’ vital role in our food system. Recipients can apply for a monetary or equipment grant to assist schools in bringing live bees to their campus or grow their existing educational hive program. Recipients will receive grant options of a $1,500 monetary grant or an equipment grant for an indoor hive.
Eligible applicants include K-12 schools or nonprofit organizations serving grades K-12 in the US and Canada.
For complete program guidelines and application instructions, and to register for the application webinars, see the Whole Kids Foundation website.
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Walmart Foundation Spark Good Local Grants
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Applications are accepted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. Applications for the current round are due October 15, 2025.
Walmart Foundation invites applications for its Spark Good Local Grants, through which Walmart U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs, and distribution centers award cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000 designed to address the unique needs of the communities where they operate, build pride among all associates, and deepen relationships with customers. Spark Good Local Grants are awarded through an open application process to eligible organizations operating in and directly benefiting the service area of the facility from which they are requesting funding. Organizations must have a Spark Good account on Walmart.com/nonprofits, be verified by Walmart’s third-party verification partner, Deed, and must serve the same service area that the facility they are requesting funding from serves.
Learn more and apply at the Walmart Foundation website.
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Climate Resilience Conservation Fund Applications Due Soon
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Applications Due: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 5:00pm The opening round of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s new Climate Resilience Conservation Fund (CRCF) will close in just two weeks! This approximately $4 million Fund is the land conservation component of Resilient Maine, a $69 million statewide effort to protect coastal communities, Maine’s environment and working waterfronts from extreme storms, flooding and rising sea levels.
The Fund supports permanent land conservation that enhances Maine’s climate resilience and reduces climate impacts by protecting natural systems and communities, such as headwater streams, coastal marshes, marsh migration space, and intact and older forests. Projects within Maine watersheds that drain into the Gulf of Maine are eligible to apply.
The CRCF does not have a minimum or maximum grant size but awards typically range from $50,000-$250,000. A successful project may receive less than the amount requested due to funding limitations.
Visit the CRCF webpage on mltn.org for all the information and application instructions. You can also view the recording of our applicant information session. Please reach out to the Jennifer Melville, fund manager, with any questions.
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