For the past four years, stewardship staff from throughout Washington (and even some from Oregon and Idaho) have gathered in September to share ideas, stories, and plans related to their work as land stewards.
The stewardship gathering generates enthusiastic participation from the land trust community. The 2017 get-together was no exception. Hosted by the Jefferson Land Trust, this year’s gathering was set along the beautiful backdrop of the land trust’s Illahee Preserve. Chum were spawning in Chimacum Creek just steps away from the gathering under the picnic shelter.
The idea for a stewardship gathering was sparked by two Olympia Peninsula stewards, Lorrie Mittman, Stewardship Director of North Olympic Land Trust and Erik Kingfisher, Stewardship Director of Jefferson Land Trust. They hoped that by bringing together stewardship practitioners from across the state, it would provide an opportunity to openly and candidly address the multitude of complicated topics that stewards face. Being part of the WALT network, Lorrie and Erik could easily reach out to the Washington land trust community to connect with their peers.
Now WALT celebrates four years of stewardship gathering, which has created provided a venue for professionals to share innovative solutions to shared challenges. “I think these regular gatherings have become a priority for people,” says Erik Kingfisher, “the high-quality, honest conversation draws people in.”
The secret to facilitating high-quality conversation comes from fostering a supportive environment. This sense of inclusivity let newer staff feel welcomed and allowed more experienced staff to share their insights, stories, and wisdom from years doing this vital work.
Topics can range from the practical to the philosophical. This year’s gathering included topics such as: developing clear processes for conservation easement amendments, working with Terrafirma insurance, developing shared ecological integrity metrics to measure success of stewardship work, how to best track reserved rights and approvals for conservation easements, and approaches to integrated weed management.
“In stewardship we all feel this weight of perpetuity every day. Getting together has helped us all build a kind of support network, one that I connect with throughout the year to help figure out tricky issues, or simply to just share how we’re advancing our own programs. I really value the time spent with these good people, and gain a lot from the conversations we have.”
When land trust professionals connect and collaborate, it fosters partnerships, innovation, and ultimately more effective land conservation. Want to support these efforts? Join us by donating to WALT today!