At The Speed of Trust – 2022 Maine Land Conservation Conference

At The Speed of Trust: The Role of First Light Conservation Community Delegation

Beginning in 2019, a small group of people from the conservation community in Maine have been bringing their land conservation skills and experience into a conversation around increasing land and access for Wabanaki people. In this session, the current set of representatives who serve on the Conservation Community Delegation, which responds to the requests and needs of the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship ‘Nil yut ktahkomiq nik’ (the whole earth is our home), introduce the tasks and projects they are working on. These include questions like cultural access needs and tools, land acknowledgements, land projects with or for Tribes, and more.  The Commission and its role are also explained.

Presenters: Jess Burton, Executive Director, Southern Maine Conservation Collaborative; Susan Caldwell, Conservation Manager, The Nature Conservancy in Maine; Molly Payne Wynne, Freshwater Program Director, The Nature Conservancy in Maine; Kristin Peet, Forestland Conservation Specialist, Forest Society of Maine; Darren Ranco, Chair of Native American Programs and Coordinator of Native American Research, Department of Anthropology, University of Maine; Steve Tatko, Director of Maine Conservation and Land Management, Appalachian Mountain Club; Ciona Ulbrich, Senior Project Manager, Maine Coast Heritage Trust; Bryan Wentzell, Executive Director, Maine Mountain Collaborative