Early Conservation Career Network

The Early Conservation Career Network (ECCN) (formerly Young Land Professionals) is an interest group of MLTC. ECCN was formed in 2017 to provide networking and training opportunities for those in their first 10 years of a career in land conservation. Currently, ECCN has over 150 members from a wide range of land trusts and state agencies. An organizing committee works to move initiatives forward.

We hope you'll join ECCN! You’ll be added to our email list where you’ll receive information about upcoming events and opportunities. Please email admin@massland.org to sign up.

Organizing Committee Members:
Mariah Fogg (bio), Land Trust Alliance, ECCN President  ~  Olivia Barksdale, Town of Acton (bio), ECCN Vice President  ~  Thomas Patti, Wildlands Trust, ECCN Communications Coordinator ~  Robin Beckham (nee Austin) (bio), Lincoln Institute of Land Policy  ~  Alex Bates, Town of Eastham  ~  Mary Doucette, Buzzards Bay Coalition  ~  Jane Maloney, Sudbury Valley Trustees (bio)

Mentorship Opportunity for Mentees and Mentors

ECCN is piloting a revamped mentorship program in Fall 2024, which aims to foster opportunities for professional development and network-building in the Massachusetts land conservation field through regular, structured meetings between new and experienced professionals. For the 2024-2025 pilot year, program coordinators will match 5-7 mentor-mentee pairs based on interest areas, mentorship needs, location, and other factors. Guidelines. FAQs. Apply for the program here: Mentee survey & Mentor survey. Deadline for this year's cohort is Friday, September 20. For questions, contact Olivia Barksdale or Thomas Patti.

Upcoming Events

  • Jan29

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    International Conservation and New England: Presentation and Networking Session

    Hybrid Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA and via Zoom

    About the event: Successful landscape-scale land conservation projects can hinge on productive engagement across municipal, sectoral, and sometimes national boundaries, but these boundaries can also pose logistical challenges to planning and collaboration. In this presentation, ILCN Director Jim Levitt, will look at the role of international communities of conservation, share insights into the work of the International Land Conservation Network (ILCN), and explore examples of cross-boundary conservation in New England and Canada.

  • Mar20

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    The Big Night Amphibian Migration: Talk & Networking

    Hitchcock Center for the Environment 845 West St, Amherst MA

    Join the Early Conservation Career Network for an evening of learning and networking before the annual Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference. Jeff Mazur, Environmental Educator for the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, will discuss Big Night amphibian migration and the natural history of the yellow-spotted salamander. Afterward, we will walk the short trail together before gathering at Treehouse Brewing Company (optional, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., South Deerfield MA) to bond, eat, and enjoy beverages.