Calendar

This course is for anyone interested in pursuing land protection as a career, whether or not they're currently in the field or enrolled in an academic program. Faculty and sponsors of the course will explain what the course will cover, and the application process.

A large and diverse coalition of environmental, conservation, and community organizations is seeking to pass An Act Providing Nature for All (H.901/S.597), to create a dedicated, annual revenue stream to conserve land, water, urban greenspace, and outdoor recreation access in Massachusetts. This campaign launch event will feature remarks from coalition members and lead sponsors Senator Feeney and Representatives Blais and Montaño. Afterwards, you'll have the opportunity to join colleagues in speaking directly with legislators about the importance of this bill. If you've never participated in an advocacy day before - no worries! Materials and training will be available for anyone who wants to participate. Read more about the bill here.

Between 2018-2022, the Buzzards Bay Coalition led an effort that brought together federal, state and local agencies and hundreds of individual donors to raise $6.2 million to purchase 68-acres of rare island habitats to prevent resort development and ensure that the island would be open for public access. That bold action then inspired a private landowner gift of a 230-acre conservation restriction, leading to an island today that is nearly 70% conserved. On this trip, we will cruise across the Bay to enjoy a hiking tour of the island’s trails and vistas and learn about the Coalition’s active grassland and shorebird management projects. Attendees will gather at the ferry at 8:30, travel together to and from the island, returning at 4 p.m. Parking & ferry fee are the responsibility of each attendee.

The application deadline is Friday, May 16. This 10-week course (8-weeks online and 2 in-person gatherings) is targeted toward anyone at any career level (including upper-level college students) interested in learning the nuts and bolts of land conservation transactions for professional application in order to advance their careers, grow the conservation workforce, and increase the pace of conservation across the Commonwealth. Land conservation professionals employ a combination of skills that are not bundled into any conventional course of study. A goal of this course is to provide participants the skills, tools and understanding of land protection to better equip them for a career in land protection. 

The focus of this quarter's call will be on Volunteers: Recruiting, Engaging, and Retaining. This could be targeted toward using volunteers for fundraising and development purposes.

The general topic for this quarter's call will be GIS. For discussion may be: which you use, sharing data & files, file naming conventions, remote access, templates for keeping MassGIS data up to date, staffing a GIS person, and likely more.

This field trip compliments the Conference workshop on the Cooper Hill Conservation Project, which will protect over 1,000 acres in the towns of Sheffield, MA and Salisbury, CT. Walk the trails - some still being cut - and view the vistas while listening to key project leads describe the how the Cooper Hill Conservation Alliance quickly formed to work with the farmers who farmed a large portion of this land for over two decades. And how this complex project was made possible not only via multiple conservation tools, but importantly, through the trust and collaboration among all the partners.

This 4-part Zoom series, co-sponsored by MLTC and The Trustees, is intended for staff and board members from land trusts interested in initiating or expanding work in urban/developed parts of their service areas. Covers five topic areas, lots of participant interaction and time for questions, and includes an associated field trip in July. Speakers from Massachusetts land trusts will share examples of their work, delving into issues such as their motivations for the project, building relationships, considerations for working on land that is owned by partners, and benefits and challenges they’ve experienced. They will also describe lessons learned, recommendations for successful partnerships, and funding sources that may be particular to urban work. They hope to demonstrate that with the right motivation and preparation, any sized land trust can embark on similar work. 

This month we'll discuss a topic near the forefront of many AVLTs' thoughts: How to find volunteers for all that needs to get done -- and when to decide it's time to hire help? Bring your experiences to share, so we can learn from each other. Based on the flow of conversation, the discussion may branch out. If desired, we can use part of this call as a forum to discuss concerns and effects of the situation in DC. Part of MLTC's Stronger Together networking program. This call will not be recorded. 

For anyone responsible for land stewardship (staff, Board, volunteers), this quarter's topic will focus on "Stewardship Communications & Community Outreach". For example: When and how much to share about your stewardship efforts with your neighbors? For which projects? Bring your questions and share your experiences so we can learn from each other. Part of MLTC's Stronger Together networking series, this call will not be recorded. Newcomers welcome!

Finance staff, board treasurers, and others with fiscal responsibilities -- join us for this inaugural meeting to share ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other. Topics like restricted funds, budgeting, audits, internal controls, QuickBooks, and more are open for discussion. We'll also use this first meeting to see what the group's interests are, and how we'd like to proceed going forward. Part of MLTC's Stronger Together networking program.

When a truly “special” landscape comes along, it can feel like both an outstanding opportunity and a daunting challenge. In 2021, such a place was gifted to Kestrel by an artist and psychiatrist who spent 40 years stewarding 150 acres - including a 900-foot traverse of a gorgeous bog -, establishing recreational trails and installing sculptures near his house. Come explore this special place with Kestrel's leadership staff to discuss the “how’s” of converting private trails to public use while retaining the distinctive personal imprint that makes a place feel exceptional. 

Land trust staff and board members as well as conservation partners are welcome to this quarterly meeting, featuring relevant news from state agencies, a timely update on state and federal policy matters, announcements, and a featured topic.  Formerly known as "Steering Committee Meetings", these meetings are convened by MLTC's Partner...

Open to anyone with responsibilities of running or working in a small-staffed land trust, this quarter's topic will focus on record keeping policy, procedures & best practices, and may include other interests, like cyber security insurance. Part of MLTC's Stronger Together networking series, this call will not be recorded. Newcomers welcome!

This tour will visit the Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary (PFWS) in Lowell, MA. PFWS is a collaboration between Lowell Parks & Conservation, Mass Audubon, and Mill City Grows. Participants will get to walk the 22-acre former Christmas tree farm and see the implementation of community-based visioning and planning, including recently completed All Persons Trail and an outdoor classroom under construction.

This field trip is a compliment to the Conference workshop entitled "Habit to Habitat: Transforming Landscapes to Resilient Ecosystems, from Conception to Maintenance". Join Evan Abramson, Principal of Landscape Interactions, and Brandon Schmitt, Director of Wellesley's Natural Resources Commission, to witness the results of the processes they went through to transform Simons Park into a resilient ecosystem.

Led Vidya Tikku, Trustees VP, Boston and Jordan Takvorian, Trustees Boston Stewardship Manager, participants will tour a variety of unique growing spaces across historic Boston. The day will start at Trustees' native plant nursery that grows 200+ species of native eastern United States flora in the heart of Mattapan Square, and will include a visit to partner organization Urban Farming Institute's (URI) Fowler Clark Epstein Farm, which showcases how UFI promotes and develops urban farming as a way to build community. Next up will be visits to two Trustees' community gardens in two different neighborhoods -- Nightingale and Beverly--, where growing methods and crops reflect the diversity of cultures in Boston. Throughout the tour, attendees will learn about TTOR's partnership with the City of Boston, and strategies used to permanently protect the city's open spaces. 

Experience the freshly ecologically restored Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve in Harwich Port on the Cape during a guided walk led by Harwich Conservation Trust Board President Tom Evans. Tour the new half-mile All Persons Trail which crosses two bridges with views of Cold Brook flowing freely through the 66-acre Preserve for the first time in over a century. Learn how the recent eco-restoration project enhanced the health of the land and water for the benefit of people and wildlife. Learn more (scroll to or find "Cold Brook").

Nature-based Solutions provide many co-benefits, such as increasing carbon sequestration, biodiversity, ecosystem connectivity, soil health, air/water quality, and much more. This field trip will include a bus tour of Devens to see first-hand some of the nature-based solutions that have been implemented. Tour stops will include low-impact development (LID) stormwater systems, pocket forests, stream daylighting and restoration, and pollinator meadow installations. This tour will be useful for community and land trust representatives to learn tips for collaboration, incentives for mitigation and restoration projects, and examples of successful nature-based climate resilience projects.