Conservation Speed-Dating Workshops
The overarching goal for these workshops is to introduce landowners and producers to their local technical service providers and conservation practitioners (hereafter TSPs), their expertise, and the technical and financial resources, knowledge, and programs they can provide. The strength of this event comes from having these TSPs engage one-on-one with each participant discussing how their programs apply specifically to each landowner’s property and conservation goals, using a large, hard-copy map of each property as a focal point for discussion.
Workshop Objectives
- Introduce landowners and producers to the staff that represent their local “conservation team” comprised of state and federal agencies, non profits, land trusts, and other conservation entities.
- Build community around a sense of shared values, which may include themes such as preserving rural character, protecting a specific watershed, or protecting farmland.
- Catalyze both short and long-term conservation action on working landscapes.
- Send participants home with an informative and inspirational roadmap for adding more conservation practices to their landscapes/operations, armed with the knowledge of who to follow up with and what incentives/programming/cost-share is available to support them.
Event Concept
TSPs rotate around the room, spending one-on-one time with each participant talking through different best management practices and associated cost-share programs that could be implemented on their properties. These conversations happen over a large (24”x36”’) color map that each participant receives of their property. TSPs and participants are able to sketch out ideas directly onto the map.
The expectation is that landowners interested in certain BMPs that are discussed with them will then follow up with TSPs about a site visit and next steps.
Interested in hosting your own Conservation Speed-Dating Workshop? Download our guide below!
Thank you to our Supporters!
