WORKSHOPS
Explore the full lineup of workshops offered at Northwest Land Camp 2026. Led by professionals across the region and beyond, workshops will build skills, foster dialogue, and further the work of Northwest land trusts and conservationists.
Adaptive Management in Diverse Landscapes: What it Really Takes
Presenters:
Makaila Wood, Puget Sound Stewardship Technician, The Nature Conservancy
Herman Flamenco, Eastern Washington Conservation Forester, The Nature Conservancy
Amber Parmenter, Puget Sound Stewardship Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Description:
The Nature Conservancy stewards multiple large, complex landscapes facing rapidly changing social-ecological conditions. Drawing from tidal wetland, dry forest, and shrub-steppe systems, this session explores how science, stewardship, funding, policy, and partnerships are woven into effective adaptive management programs.
Best For: Stewardship Practitioners
Agency Partnerships Using the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Presenters:
Madison Kenney, Advocacy & Policy Coordinator, Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Renee Tkach, Conservation Director, Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Description:
Participants will gain a practical overview of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), explore real-world examples of land trusts using LWCF to secure permanent conservation and recreation outcomes, and leave with an actionable advocacy toolkit to engage federal decision-makers and help ensure long-term nationwide impact of LWCF.
Best For: Conservation Practitioners
Building the Leadership Muscles of Your Board
Presenters:
Marc Smiley, Principal, Metamorphic Consulting
Description:
Boards are more than a required legal structure for land trusts. They have the potential to lead, to engage, to connect to your community. This session will identify the best tools for building the muscles of your board to become strong leaders and partners in conservation.
Best For: Board Members & Executive Leaders
Board Basics & Beyond
Presenters:
Jenn Clemo, Deputy Director, Oregon Agricultural Trust
Description:
This workshop is designed for both new and experienced board members. It reviews the fundamentals of effective governance, including individual and collective responsibilities, board structure and composition, and board management, and offers practical insights to help board members serve effectively and confidently.
Best For: Board Members & Executive Leaders
Building Boards for Today and Tomorrow
Presenters:
Daniel Student, Managing Director, Potrero Group
Kate Godman, Director of Philanthropy at Jefferson Land Trust & Board Member Washington Association of Land Trusts
Description:
Land trust board membership is transforming, spurring innovation and deepening connections to communities and a broad base of partners. In this “board clinic,” participants will learn emerging board best practices that ensure new and dynamic voices can be effectively recruited, retained, and grown into future board leaders.
Best For: Board Members & Executive Leaders
Can Your Forest Take the Heat? Evaluating Climate Vulnerability on Conservation Lands
Presenters:
Kirk Hanson, Director of Forestry, Northwest Natural Resource Group
Description:
This workshop will introduce tools and strategies for evaluating the climate resilience of Northwest forests. Using remote data and site conditions such as topography, aspect, and soils, participants will learn how to assess the susceptibility of different forest stand types to climate change and prioritize areas for active stewardship.
Best For: Stewardship Practitioners
Care for Ourselves, Care for the Earth: An exploration of lessons learned at the intersection of well-being, capacity building and conservation
Presenters:
Jasmine Sudarkasa, Independent Consultant, Jasmine Sudarkasa Consulting
Andrea Keller Helsel, Executive Director of the Conservation Capacity Project
Description:
This session explores the unique challenges and possibilities of supporting the well-being of conservation leaders: why it matters, what works, and how we can weave these lessons into our daily individual and organizational practices.
Best For: Executive Leaders, Board Members, Organization, & Operations Practitioners
Community Land Trusts: A Lasting Solution for Affordable Farmland Access
Presenters:
Addie Candib, Pacific Northwest Regional Director and Western Managing Director, American Farmland Trust
Rachel Friedman, Board Chair, Community Farm Land Trust
Sandy Bishop, Executive Director, Lopez Community Land Trust
Chris Elder, Farmland Preservation Program Manager, King County, and Board Chair, Coastal Farmland Trust
Description:
Community land trusts are already being used in the Northwest and across the country to facilitate affordable access to farmland. This session will introduce how community land trusts work, how they protect agricultural land, keep it actively stewarded, and make it available to all kinds of farmers.
Best For: Conservation Practitioner
Community-Centered Conservation: An Investment in Your Land Trust’s Future
Presenters:
Tara Laidlaw, Community-Centered Conservation Director,Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Myco Schroeder, Education and Engagement Specialist,Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Shea Fuller, Community Engagement Manager, The Wetlands Conservancy
Annika Bratton, Education & Outreach Program Coordinator,Curry Watersheds Partnership
Description:
What is community-centered conservation, and why is it important? Join us to learn about this exciting movement in the land trust world, and to explore how youth and adult education programs can serve as an accessible starting point for organizations who are ready to say "yes" to Conservation 2.0.
Best For: Community Engagement, Outreach, & Education Practitioners
Beyond the Newsletter: Building Digital Community and Reaching New Generations Through Diverse Storytelling
Presenters:
Monique Trevett, Digital Content Producer, Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Melissa Gonzalez, Acting Public Engagement & Communications Director, Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Description:
Learn how land trusts can use a mix of short-form video, long-form storytelling, digital creator partnerships, and advocacy to build authentic digital communities and reach younger audiences. We’ll share real examples, lessons learned, and practical frameworks participants can adapt to their own organizations.
Best For: Communications Practitioners
Connecting the Dots: linking the benefits of land conservation to community priorities
Presenters:
Owen Wozniak, Land Transactions Program Manager, Land Trust Alliance
Eric Steen, Founder & Director, Forest Green Marketing & PR
Description:
We know Pacific Northwesterners love conservation, yet the public doesn’t fund our work to anywhere near the level needed. There’s no easy answer to difficult politics and limited resources. But are we doing all we can to articulate how our work meets the public’s priorities? This session will highlight approaches to framing our work in the context of public opinion, describing our impact in widely accessible terms, and elevating our messages. We’ll invite you to celebrate what’s working and get inspired to do even more.
Best For: Communications Practitioners
Creating Connections for Happier, Healthier Private Grant Seeking
Presenters:
Claire Honsinger, Founder and Principal Consultant, Founder and Principal Consultant
Description:
As the conservation sector faces uncertain federal funding, how can we build out our grant revenues from non-federal sources? How can we get the attention of those “invite-only” foundations? “Creating Connections” will equip development staff and executive leadership (board members encouraged to attend!) to increase grant successes at community or private foundations through relationship building.
Best For: Development & Fundraising Practitioners
Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Through Equitable Partnership
Presenters:
Forrest King-Cortes, Director of Community-Centered Conservation, Land Trust Alliance
Syren Nagakyrie, Disabled Hikers
Description:
How can Land Trusts develop meaningful partnerships with the disability community? What steps should you take to move into collaboration that supports Disabled leadership? In this session, learn from the Land Trust Alliance and Disabled Hikers about this work through the Partnerships for Disability Access, Inclusion, and Leadership Grant.
Best For: Executive Leaders, Community Outreach & Education Practitioners
Demystifying Planned Giving: From Simple to Complex Programs
Presenters:
Jessica McDonald, Executive Director, Greenbelt Land Trust
Liz Lawrence, Philanthropic Advisor, Oregon Community Foundation
David Gant, Development Officer, Greenbelt Land Trust
Description:
Whether your land trust is new to planned giving or you are seeking to enhance an already-robust program, join us to get tangible take-aways for how you can strengthen donor prospecting, methods for marketing, and adding new planned giving options for donors beyond simple bequests.
Best For: Development & Fundraising Practitioners
Diversified Giving - The ABCs of QCDs, RMDs, DAFs and more
Presenters:
Dale Miller, Morgan Stanley, Pacific Wealth Management
Jaime Jovanovich-Walker, Communications & Development Coordinator, Palouse Land Trust
Description:
An overview of the diversity of giving tools and a glimpse into new tax law that impacts charitable giving, specifically as it pertains to land trusts.
Best For: Development & Fundraising Practitioners
Equity Tools That Work
Presenters:
Rika Ayotte, Executive Director, Deschutes Land Trust
Alexis Braly James, Founder, Construct the Present
Paul Tabron, Community Resource Strategist, The Collins Foundation
Description:
Equity lenses and frameworks are essential for embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in conservation work, yet they are often disconnected from daily decision-making. This session shares practical, grounded tools that help organizations meaningfully integrate equity into everyday operations and more fully deliver on their missions.
Best For: Executive Leaders, Board Members, Organization, & Operations Practitioners
Improving Stewardship through ITEK Partnerships
Presenters:
Megan Garvey, Stewardship Director, The Wetlands Conservancy
Dawn Lowe, Mad Bears
Matt McLean, Mad Bears
Description:
The Wetlands Conservancy has been partnering with non-Tribal Indigenous organizations since 2018 in an effort to improve their land stewardship. TWC is joined by the Indigenous contractor, Mad Bears, to share their challenges and successes working at TWC’s urban preserves. Open discussion with attendees will be encouraged.
Best For: Stewardship, Conservation, Outreach & Education Practitioners
Land rich but cash poor: Overcoming barriers to prospective gifts of forestland and working forest conservation easements
Presenters:
Seth Zuckerman, Executive Director, Northwest Natural Resource Group
Description:
This workshop introduces innovative ways to accept working forest conservation easements from donors who lack the cash to endow the easements’ perpetual monitoring and defense; and to receive gifts of working forestland from donors who want to support land trust operations while protecting their trees from being clearcut.
Best For: Conservation Practitioners & Executive Leaders
Land Back in Action
Presenters:
Anna-Liza Victory, Oregon Land Justice Project Manager, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts
Althea Walker, Indigenous Community Liason, Wallowa Land Trust
Kristin Kovalik, Trust for Public Lands
Jerome Viles, Nvn-nes-'a Land Trust
Facilitator: Max Beeken, Conservation Director, Wild Rivers Land Trust
Description:
We are all working on Native land. There is a growing movement to return lands to the care of Tribes and Indigenous people. At this panel we will discuss land return in Oregon with some of the people who are making it happen.
Best For: Conservation Practitioners & Executive Leaders
Lessons Learned: Challenges of Shrub Steppe Management and Restoration
Presenters:
Katherine Fitch, Restoration Ecologist, BFI Native Seeds
David Morgan, Moses Coulee Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Description:
This presentation will discuss measures to increase the chances for favorable outcomes as well as challenges and complexities of Shrub Steppe restoration. We’ll cover topics such as site assessments and what can influence seeding success, goals and objectives, project implementation and follow up maintenance/adaptive management. You’ll hear from David Morgan from The Nature Conservancy at Moses Coulee and Katherine Fitch, a Restoration Ecologist for BFI Native Seeds.
Best For: Stewardship Practitioners
Meaningful Relationship Building in Indian Country
Presenters:
Kathleen Ackley, Executive Director, Wallowa Land Trust
Althea Walker (Nez Perce, Hopi, Gila River), Indigenous Community Liaison, Wallowa Land Trust
DelRae Kipp (Nez Perce), Administrative Legal Assistant, Nez Perce Tribe Prosecutor's Office, Wallowa Land Trust Board Member
Aaron Miles, Sr. (Nez Perce), Natural Resource Manager, Nez Perce Tribe, Wallowa Land Trust Board Member
Description:
When thinking about tribal engagement, it can be hard to figure out where to start. This session will provide real-world examples of how one land trust has successfully engaged with Indigenous people. You will hear firsthand from tribal members and land trust staff about how they have nourished and strengthened relationships over time and how it has benefited both land conservation and tribal communities.
Best For: Conservation Practitioners & Executive Leaders
Narrative Labs for Land Trusts: Telling the Truth About Conservation, Community, and Change
Presenters:
Jamie Rasmussen, Manager & Organizational Strategist, Metamorphic Consulting
India Phoenix, Founder & Leadership Growth Strategist, By the Brujas LLC
Description:
Land trusts face growing pressure to communicate clearly amid complex community dynamics, equity expectations, and internal constraints. This interactive Narrative Lab helps participants clarify their core story, name hard truths, and strengthen trust. Through reflection and hands-on exercises, attendees leave with practical narrative tools they can immediately apply.
Best For: Communications Practitioners
People and Beavers: Restoring & Protecting Watersheds with Conservation Easements
Presenters:
Kate Miller, Executive Director, Okanogan Land Trust
Alexa Whipple, Project Director of the Methow Okanogan Beaver Project
Michelle Martin, Conservation Projects Manager, Okanogan Land Trust
Description:
The session highlights a successful collaboration between Okanogan Land Trust and the Methow Okanogan Beaver Project combining land conservation with beaver-based restoration to both conserve space and re-establish conditions for natural watershed processes to occur. We address project challenges, from reconciling divergent timescales to protecting riparian corridors on rangeland.
Best For: Stewardship & Conservation Practitioners
Protecting Oregon’s Drinking Water Sources with Land Conservation
Presenters:
Laura Johnson, Oregon DEQ
Michelle Smith, Water Project Manager, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts
Margaret Treadwell, Central Coast Conservation Program Manager, McKenzie River Trust
Morgan deMoll, Conservation Manager, North Coast Land Conservancy
Facilitator: Max Beeken, Conservation Director, Wild Rivers Land Trust
Description:
There is a growing trend of land trusts facilitating protection of drinking water source areas in partnership with communities across the state. Panel will include land trusts who are partnering with drinking water providers and a representative from Oregon DEQ’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program highlighting the state’s support of these projects.
Best For: Conservation Practitioners
Red Alerts and Red Herrings: Strategies to Prevent Flare-Ups from Becoming Full-Blown Dumpster Fires
Presenters:
Patrick Williams, Director of Creative Services, Bold Bison Communications & Consulting
Brandon Hayes, Founder and Principal, Bold Bison Communications & Consulting
Description:
Everything is running smoothly at your land trust when suddenly a crisis hits—an easement violation, a problematic donor, someone is bad-mouthing you online. What are the correct next steps? When do you communicate with your members, donors, and community? How do you know if this is even a crisis?
High stress situations can often become high stakes crises, but the way we respond can either become the accelerant or the containment. In this highly interactive workshop, Bold Bison will lead participants through mock “crisis” scenarios to understand how land trusts can navigate these challenging moments. We will share tools and skills to boost your ability to assess risk within your land trust, address oversights, and improve organizational health so that you can avoid the missteps that lead to a crisis. Land trust staff, board members, or anyone who speaks with folks outside of your organization is encouraged to attend.
Best For: Executive Leaders & Board Members
Strategies for Implementing Prescribed Fire on Land Trust Properties
Presenters:
Moderator: Steve Wise, Executive Director, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Brent Ross, McKenzie River Trust
Peter Cooper, Deschutes Land Trust
Kristi Mergenthaler, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Lyndia Hammer, Stewardship and Outreach Associate, Pacific Trust
Description:
In this session a panel will share reasons why we conduct controlled/prescribed burns, why all fires have importance, perspectives on strategies for resourcing and staffing prescribed fires, and discuss approaches to address common roadblocks to getting good fire on the ground, including liability, politics and neighbor relations.
Best For: Stewardship Practitioners
Trail Tales - Connecting Our Community to Conserved Lands
Presenters:
Molly Jennings, GIS & Monitoring Manager, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
Hanne Bosket, Executive Director, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
Sam Jordan, Stewardship Director, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
Mickey Flemming, Conservation Director, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
Description:
The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) is known for conserving land for both habitat and public access and currently manages 51 miles of trail. A group of CDLT staff will discuss how CDLT became a major local recreation manager and how we balance the healthy tension between public access and conservation.
Best For: Stewardship, Conservation & Community Engagement Practitioners
The Funder's Perspective
Presenters:
Erin Borla, Executive Director, Roundhouse Foundation
Kim Newman, Senior Program Officer, Murdock Charitable Trust
Carlos Garcia, Senior Program Officer, Environment, Oregon Community Foundation
David Vernier, Vernier Software
Description:
Insights from community, regional and national foundations into trends, opportunities and challenges for securing funding from private foundations.
Best For: Development & Fundraising Practitioners
Tales from the Trenches: Fundraising Tactics that Work
Presenters:
Kristi Schneider, Philanthropy Advisor, McKenzie River Trust
Charlie Quinn, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, McKenzie River Trust
Description:
Join us as we explore innovative strategies for raising more funds, earlier in the year for unrestricted and stewardship purposes. Learn how strategic matching opportunities can lead to more productive conversations with donors resulting in earlier, larger, and more unrestricted donations. Finding more funding at the beginning of projects for long-term land stewardship will also be discussed as a part of "full-cost acquisition" fundraising. Share our pain as we strive to strike just the right balance between head-down, proactive, strategic moves management work while retaining the head-up awareness and schedule flexibility to recognize and respond when our donors are ready to talk and/or act.
Come prepared to share your own inspiring stories (or cautionary tales! ;) as we have targeted discussions about how to move donors through the giving pipeline and move their gifts up in the calendar year - including options to turn after-life planned gifts into outright annual gifts today.
This session is designed to provide actionable fundraising ideas relevant to development shops both large and small, as well as fundraisers both new and experienced.
Best For: Development & Fundraising Practitioners
Title Review: Tools, Tips, and Legal Insights for Conservation
Presenters:
Karen Neorr, Conservation Due Diligence & Title Review Consultant, Neorr Consulting
Andrew Miller, Attorney, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP
Description:
Title review is critical to successful land and easement acquisitions. This interactive workshop introduces a practical approach to reviewing title and identifying issues that could affect closing, stewardship, or future enforcement. Drawing on both practitioner and attorney perspectives, the session will explore how conservation staff can organize and analyze title information, spot potential risks, and work effectively with legal counsel to resolve defects.
Best For: Conservation Practitioners
The Glen Tana Story: Bridging the Gap
Presenters:
Carol Corbin, Philanthropy Director, Inland Northwest Land Conservancy
Mike Crabtree, Conservation Director, Inland Northwest Land Conservancy
David Allen, Development for Conservation
Description:
Glen Tana is a near-urban conservation project protecting forest, river corridor, and future public access along the Little Spokane River. This presentation explores the deal structure, partnership dynamics, funding strategy, and lessons learned balancing community visibility, donor engagement, and long-term stewardship.
Best For: Executive Leaders, Development, Fundraising & Conservation Practitioners
The strength of weaving together Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Conservation
Presenters:
Victor Vasquez-Ibarra, Community Coordinator, Bird Alliance of Oregon and Columbia Land Trust
Chi Magallanes, Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge Expert
Mariah Jiang, Backyard Habitat Certification Program Contract Coordinator, Columbia Land Trust
Katherine Noble, Backyard Habitat Certification Program Co-manager, Bird Alliance of Oregon
Description:
This discussion will be focused around decolonizing conservation practices. By interweaving Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) into western conservation programs and project work, we have more community reflective results, holistic partnerships based on needs rather than project goals, and heals our own relationship with land and how we connect others to it.
Best For: Conservation Practitioners
Using Search Engine Optimization and Accessibility to Engage a Broader Audience
Presenters:
Samantha Hale, Communications Manager, Great Peninsula Conservancy
Mitch Sloan, Digital Media Producer, Bold Bison Communications & Consulting
Description:
In today’s digital landscape, search engine optimization (SEO) and web accessibility are crucial for online visibility, yet these complex topics often seem out of reach. This session demystifies SEO and web accessibility by breaking down nebulous ideas into actionable strategies. You will leave with tools and checklists for your website.
Best For: Communications & Outreach Practitioners
Wellness and the Outdoors
Presenters:
Ayla Medina Ulloa, Community Inclusion Coordinator, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
Description:
Everyone who has been outside has probably experienced the benefits of nature on their well-being, such as feeling more relaxed and an increased sense of belonging. Through this workshop, we will explore the relationships between ancestral knowledge, historical trauma, and why nature is vital to our souls. Learn simple ways to apply this to your personal practice or with the community you serve.
Best For: Executive Leaders, Board Members, Organization Management & Community Engagement Practitioners
Image by: Javier Montes d'Arce