Webinar Library

As a thank you to the land conservation community, we are pleased to share video recordings of our webinar series. We appreciate all that participated (speakers, attendees, sponsors and committee planning members) and your role in making our ongoing webinar series a success. We could not have done this without you.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 | What Happened During the 2024 Maryland Legislative Session?
Owen Bailey (Partners for Open Space), Matt Stegman (Chesapeake Bay Foundation), Jose Coronado-Flores (CASA), Shari Wilson (Trash Free Maryland), Randy Lyon (& Judy Fulton) Sierra Club Maryland Chapter, Annie Richards, (ShoreRivers), Mark Southerland (Vernal Pool Partners), Carol Bean (Eastern Shore Land Conservancy), Betsy Nicholas (Potomac Riverkeeper Network) and MORE!

The panelists discuss what conservation, environment, and natural resource related bills advanced (or didn’t advance) during this past 90-day state legislative session. The panel will discuss 2024 conservation funding, trails, a new invasive species bill, flooding mitigation funding, solar siting and much more.

Webinar Recording

Thursday, April 13, 2023 | What Happened During the 2023 Maryland General Assembly Session?
Ann Jones (Partners for Open Space), Matt Stegman (Chesapeake Bay Foundation), Charlotte Davis (Rural Maryland Council), and Reed Perry (Chesapeake Conservancy)

The panelists discuss what conservation, environment, and natural resource related bills advanced (or didn’t advance) during this past 90-day state legislative session. The panel will discuss exciting new Maryland the Beautiful (SB470) and Greenspace Equity (HB503) bills among many others. This discussion also includes an update on major environmental bills from the 2023 session as well as an update on budget allocations for Maryland key land conservation programs.

Webinar Recording

Friday, March 24, 2023 | Baltimore Oriole, Diamondback Terrapins and More: What Will it Take to Restore Maryland’s Most Iconic Species?
Christopher L. Rowe, Ph. D.,  Physiological Ecologist at the University of MD Center for Environmental Science’s Chesapeake Biological Laboratory; and Amanda D. Rodewald, Ph.D., Garvin Professor and Senior Director of Center for Avian Population Studies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Webinar Recording / Dr. Rodewald’s Presentation / Dr. Rowe’s Presentation
Impact of a Bycatch Reduction Device on Diamondback Terrapin and Blue Crab Capture in Crab Pots
Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) Mortality in Crab Pots

Maryland’s most iconic species are facing great challenges to their survival, but that doesn’t have to happen. In 2022 the Maryland Darter fish was officially declared extinct and many more plant and animal species are going the way of the Dodo Bird.

Join this great webinar to hear Dr. Chris Rowe and Dr. Amanda Rodewald, discuss a few of Maryland’s most iconic species, and the challenges they are facing regarding habitat loss, species decline, and what you can do to prevent further loss of these species.

Christopher L. Rowe, Ph.D. is a physiological ecologist at the University of MD Center for Environmental Science’s Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, MD. His work investigates how natural and anthropogenic stressors affect how animals function, and what that means for their populations and communities. His work has addressed contaminants such as heavy metals and synthetic organic compounds, as well as variables related to climate change such as temperature change and sea level rise.

Amanda D. Rodewald, Ph.D. is the Garvin Professor and Senior Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University.  Prior to joining Cornell in 2013, she spent 13 years as a professor at Ohio State University.  She received a B.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from University of Montana, an M.Sc. in Zoology from University of Arkansas, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from Pennsylvania State University.   Amanda leads an interdisciplinary research program that addresses conservation and socio-ecological challenges in temperate and tropical ecosystems.  She has published over 175 scientific papers, an Ornithology textbook, 10 book chapters, and over 70 popular articles and commentaries.   Amanda is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Ornithological Society, from which she received the William Brewster Award in 2022.  She also serves on the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has testified before Congress about conservation issues, and publishes regularly in The Hill about environmental policies.  In addition to her research, Dr. Rodewald engages with a wide range of conservation practitioners, decision-makers, and leaders in government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector to develop practical and innovative approaches to conservation that can accommodate social and ecological needs. 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 | How Can Farm Leases Support Conservation?
Sarah Everhart, Senior Legal Specialist, Agriculture Law Education Initiative and Jared Parks, Land Programs Manager, Lower Shore Land Trust

The panelists will discuss the challenges to implementing conservation on leased farms and conserved farms. The webinar will include a demonstration of new resources to support farmers and farm landowners to form simple farm leases to protect business interests, encourage environmental stewardship, and support on-farm conservation practices.

Webinar Recording / Presentation

Sarah M. Everhart is the Senior Research Associate and Legal Specialist with the Agriculture Law Education Initiative at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School Of Law.  Sarah is a graduate of Washington College and a cum laude graduate of Pace University School of Law.  She began practicing law in Maryland in 2005 and her areas of expertise include land use law, municipal law and environmental policy. 

Jared Parks, Land Programs Manager, Lower Shore Land Trust has 15 years of experience in land conservation. He spent the first 11 with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the last half decade as the Land Programs Manager for the Lower Shore Land Trust. He has worked with multiple Federal, State, and Local partners to complete projects in every county on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Previously, Jared was a field technician and crew leader conducting research on bird communities across the country. Jared holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Lawrence University in Wisconsin and a Master of Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College in Washington.

Monday, January 9, 2023 | 2023 Forever Maryland State Legislative Preview
Josh Hastings, Forever Maryland; Ann Jones, Baltimore Land Trust Alliance; Matt Stegman, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Kristen Harbeson, MD League of Conservation Voters; Reed Perry, Chesapeake Conservancy; Mark Southerland, PhD., Safe Skies Maryland
View Recording

The 445th session of General Assembly convened in Annapolis on January 11, 2023.  With a new governor, new cabinet leadership, and new budget process, we encourage you to view our Legislative Preview to understand how these changes could effect conservation priorities, and how you can help.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022 | Species Loss in Maryland: What Has Happened and How to Prevent Further Loss
Dave Curson, Director of Bird Conservation (Maryland) at Audubon Mid-Atlantic; and Judy Fulton, Founder, EcoPlant Consulting and Board of Maryland Biodiversity Project
Webinar Recording / Dave Curson Presentation / Judy Fulton Presentation

A 2019 report showed that North America has lost nearly 3 BILLION birds since 1970 alone. But birds aren’t the only species experiencing immense decline. Maryland is not unique in dramatic declines of plant and animal species. This session will discuss what has happened and how to prevent further loss.

David Curson has worked as Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon in Maryland since 2004, covering many aspects of bird conservation in the state. These include leading efforts to protect, manage and monitor bird habitats across Maryland’s network of Important Bird Areas, and coordinating grassroots advocacy on issues and legislation affecting birds, through actions including the annual “I Bird, I Vote” summit.

Judy Fulton, founder of EcoPlant Consulting, believes functioning ecosystems are crucial for human survival. She transforms places overrun by invasives into healthy native landscapes, shares her knowledge via workshops, and consults as an expert in invasive plant litigation.

Judy serves on the Boards of the Maryland Native Plant Society and the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council. She is a pro bono trainer and speaker with the University of Maryland Extension’s Master Gardener Program and the Natural History Society of Maryland. She previously earned an MBA from Harvard. The Daily Record selected Judy as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 1998, 2001 and 2004, and inducted her into its Circle of Excellence.

Because she is passionate about natives and healthy natural communities, Judy is also active in fighting invasive species. As Chair of the Committee on Invasives Lists for the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC), she coordinated a major update of MISC’s invasive species lists. Her consulting and her lead role in creating the Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool, an online guide to more than 900 invasive species, have positioned Judy as a sought-after advisor in eco-restoration.

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | Funding Initiatives for Clean Water & Conservation
Jamie Baxter, Program Director, Chesapeake Bay Funders Network; Jake Reilly, Program Director, Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation; Michael Roberts, Deputy Director, Maryland Water Quality Financing Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment
Webinar Recording / Presentation

Now is the time to take advantage of the many organizations that are focused on bringing about clean water in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Join to hear about funding options that you can take advantage of for a cleaner environment.

Jamie serves as CBFN’s Program Director, applying his unique blend of experience to assist members in the development of effective and practical solutions to the vexing challenges facing the regional conservation community. Before joining CBFN, Jamie held leadership positions with Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Cahaba River Society and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Jake Reilly serves as the director of Chesapeake Bay programs for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation where he oversees a comprehensive portfolio of competitive grants and technical assistance programs, core networking and information sharing partnerships. Prior to NFWF, Jake served as a budget and policy analyst for the White House Office of Management and Budget, providing expert analysis and guidance to senior administration officials on conservation programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Michael Roberts serves as Deputy Director of the Maryland Water Quality Financing Administration at the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), where he oversees the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) , Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and Maryland Bay Restoration Fund and implementation of the Conservation Finance Act. Prior to serving at MDE, Michael was program manager of the CWSRF and the Georgia Land Conservation Program at the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority. He is a Professional Engineer in Maryland and Georgia with a background in water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022 | Land Cover, Land Use and Change: The Latest High Resolution Data for Chesapeake Bay Conservation & Restoration
Katie Walker, Geospatial Program Manager, Chesapeake Conservancy’s Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC) and Sarah McDonald, Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey
Webinar Recording / Presentation

Learn about the latest land use/land cover data products and how these novel data are revealing insights about the changing landscape to empower better decision-making, especially for on-the-ground conservation & restoration.

Katie Walker is a Geospatial Program Manager with 6 years of experience in geospatial analysis, project management, and partner coordination. Her focus lately has been collaborating with Chesapeake Bay Program partners to support planning efforts for meeting Chesapeake Bay TMDL goals, including land use/land cover data production and utilizing remote sensing for agricultural management planning. Katie is dedicated to informing decision-making and outreach efforts with geospatial analysis and data visualization.

Sarah McDonald is a geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, stationed at the Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBP) in Annapolis, Maryland. She is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Land Data Teams. Sarah has developed computer code to map current land use and land cover change and to simulate change into the future. Most recently, she has assisted the Chesapeake Conservancy to map 1-meter resolution land use and land use change for the entirety of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and intersecting counties, a 100,000 square mile region.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | Millions of Trees Coming to Maryland: Who, How, and the Expected Challenges
Greg Burks, Urban Trees Program Manager, Chesapeake Bay Trust; Joanna Ogburn, Principal, JBO Conservation and Coordinator, Envision the Choptank; Justin Bowers, COO, Baltimore Tree Trust
Webinar Recording / Presentations / Tree Solutions Now Act Overview

Trees provide habitat, shade, soil stability, community beautification, and so much more. Join Greg Burks, Joanna Ogburn, and Justin Bowers to learn more about the 2021 Tree Solutions Act and how Maryland will be planting 5 million trees in the near future.

Greg joined the Chesapeake Bay Trust in November 2021 where he manages the Urban Trees Program. He has worked for over a decade in the non-profit, community engagement, and social change space. Prior to joining the Trust, he worked for John Hopkins University and Medicine as a Senior Community Programs Manager where he led initiatives to build stronger communities by addressing social justice issues, food insecurity, and environmental restoration in underserved neighborhoods. Greg holds a BA in Clinical Psychology from Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

Joanna Ogburn is the Principal at JBO Conservation and Coordinator of Envision the Choptank. Joanna has more than a dozen years of experience bringing people together to solve shared conservation challenges. Joanna specializes in integrating community needs and environmental objectives, ensuring the sustainability of conservation initiatives.

Previously, Joanna served as the Director of Programs for the Chesapeake Conservancy and developed and ran an award-winning land conservation program in Savannah, GA for the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission. Joanna has a Masters of Environmental Management (Duke University) and a Bachelors of Science (University of Richmond).

Justin oversees daily operations, programs, and community partnerships at the Baltimore Tree Trust to keep the organization on mission and on track to reach its ambitious long-range goals. Beginning his career at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Justin has over 10 years of experience as an ecological consultant and designer in both the public and private sectors.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
David Lillard, Catocin Land Trust and Greg A. Bowen, AICP, American Chestnut Land Trust
New Partnerships, New Successes: Regional Conservation Partnerships in Maryland
Webinar Recording / Mr. Lillard’s Presentation / Mr. Bowen’s Presentation

As the African Proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Regional conservation partnerships and networks will continue to be the vehicle for large scale, thoughtful, and collectively impactful conservation. Join this special webinar to learn how new partnerships are sprouting new successes across Maryland and beyond. David Lillard and Greg Bowen will discuss how they are helping their regions go far, together, and to bring about new conservation successes.

David Lillard is Executive Director of Catoctin Land Trust, and coordinates the Heart of Maryland Conservation Alliance. He serves on the steering committee of two other RCPs, including the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative in West Virginia, which he helped form in 2017 while on staff with West Virginia Rivers Coalition. He likes to disappear into the Maryland mountains and walk along their hidden streams.

Greg Bowen has served as Executive Director of the American Chestnut Land Trust for six years. Prior to that he worked for the Calvert County Department of Planning and Zoning for 32 years, the last six as its Director. During that time, he oversaw the county land preservation program, which featured the first transferable development rights program in Maryland, along with two county purchase-of-development rights programs and three state easement programs. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Kate Medina, Founder and Executive Director & Hannah Sholder, Founder and Deputy Director, Charles Koiner Conservancy and Atiya Wells, Founder and Executive Director, Backyard Basecamp, Inc.
Urban Conservation & Urban Agriculture
Webinar Recording / Kate Medina & Hannah Sholder’s Presentation / Atiya Wells’ Presentation

An agricultural renaissance is happening in unexpected places and unexpected ways. Urban pocket parks and urban farms are helping a new generation of individuals feed, inspire, and provide jobs to their communities. Join us to learn how urban agriculture and urban conservation is helping transform communities in new and positive ways.

Hannah Sholder is a housing, community and economic development specialist. She has over ten years of experience working with individuals and organizations both internationally and domestically to support the creation of equitable, sustainable and inclusive communities. Hannah creates conservation land trusts and community land trusts to remove land from the speculative market and preserve it for affordable housing, community-driven economic development, and urban agriculture. In 2016, Hannah started volunteering with Charles Koiner, and over the course of three years tried to absorb as much of his farming wisdom as possible. In 2018, she co-founded the Charles Koiner Center for Urban Farming (CKC Farming) to share Charlie’s knowledge with the next generation and preserve his farm. Hannah now serves as CKC’s Deputy Director, Interim Farm Manager and Program Director for Land Stewardship.

Atiya Wells is a registered nurse, outdoor educator, and the Founder/Executive Director of Backyard Basecamp, Inc. - a nonprofit with a mission to (re)connect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to land and nature. While learning more about our natural world, she often noticed that she was one of the few, if not the only, persons of color in the room. By diving into research and history, she learned that ancestral wounding and historical trauma are key players to the lack of diversity in nature-based programming. She has since dedicated her time to slowly (re)introducing her community to nature by starting in their own backyards and eventually embarking on a journey into the many wild spaces across Baltimore.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Marks, United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) and Dr. Dennis J. Timlin, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS)
Climate Change & Agriculture: What to Expect & What We Should Be Thinking About
Webinar Recording / Elizabeth Marks’ Presentation / Dr. Timlin’s Presentation

Elizabeth Marks serves as a biologist for the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) in the Hudson Valley (New York). A certified Holistic Management educator, she works with landowners to improve soil health and biological diversity on their farm and forest. Elizabeth received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Mount Holyoke College and attended King’s College London. She lives in Chatham, NY in a net-zero, energy efficient home she designed herself.

Dr. Dennis J. Timlin is a Research Soil Scientist with the USDA-ARS Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD. He grew up on Long Island, in NY and has lived and worked in Maryland since 1991. He earned his B.A. Degree in Biology from the State University of NY at Buffalo, NY in 1974 and his M.S. and Ph.D degrees in Soil Physics from Cornell University in 1987. He is a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America. His program is directed toward quantifying the effects of environmental variables on crop growth and soil processes. Current research involves development of plant and soil simulation models for use in climate change and agricultural management assessment, and in research. His interests are in how plants and their environment (soil, temperature, and carbon dioxide) interact and how to quantify that interaction in simulation models. His experimental research utilizes sunlit growth chambers to study carbon assimilation, growth and development of plants. He has developed and worked on computer simulation models for corn, soybean, potato, cotton, and rye (as a cover crop).

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Heather Holm, National Honorary Director of Wild Ones
Pollinators, Backyard Habitat, and Why It Matters

Your backyard and neighborhood shared space can be a place of positive change. It’s time we start to fully realize the ecosystem services that can come from these often neglected or overlooked spaces.

Join us as Heather Holm, a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author, helps you evolve your understanding of native pollinators, beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that can thrive in your own back yard.

Heather Holm is a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. In addition to assisting with native bee research projects, she informs and educates audiences nationwide, through her writing and many presentations, about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them. 

Her first book, Pollinators of Native Plants, was published in 2014, and her second book, Bees, published in 2017, has won six book awards including the 2018 American Horticultural Society Book Award. Her forthcoming book, Wasps, will be available in January 2021.

Heather is a National Honorary Director of Wild Ones. She also serves on the board of the Friends of Cullen Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary, a 501(c)3 non-profit. In her spare time, Heather is an active community supporter, writing grants and coordinating neighborhood volunteer landscape restoration projects.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan, Ph.D., LCPC, NCC, ACS, Chesapeake Mental Health Collaborative and
Dr. Jennifer D. Roberts, DrPH, MPH, University of Maryland
Personal Resilience: The Mental & Physical Benefits of Open Space
Webinar Video / Dr. Schreiber-Pan’s presentation

Open space can help increase personal resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped reveal the true value of the outdoors and public spaces. From recreation and nutrition, to mental clarity and much more, open space and access to nature can provide numerous benefits. However those benefits and access to greenspace has not historically been distributed equally or equitably for many people of color. Join Dr. Heidi Schrieber-Pan and Jennifer D. Roberts to delve into how open space can be a positive, transformational, place for all. Learn about nature's ability to help individuals reduce anxiety and depression and improve overall wellness, while also learning how you can help your community understand and overcome historical and contemporary barriers that have led to unequal access for African Americans and other marginalized communities.

Heidi Schreiber-Pan, Ph.D., LCPC, NCC is a successful psychotherapist, author, clinical director and sought-after nationwide speaker on topics of resilience, anxiety, neuroscience, and occupational burnout. As an affiliate and former faculty member of Loyola University, Maryland, her past research has focused on resiliency and psychological well-being, including nature-based mental health.

Dr. Schreiber-Pan has worked with various organizations, schools and corporations to reduce stress on a communal level and to increase structural well-being through training in positive psychology as well as emotional intelligence coaching.

Dr. Schreiber-Pan has developed unique continuing education courses that combine established clinical methods such as CBT with innovative treatment approached including nature-based psychotherapy and neuro-counseling.

She is the author of Taming the Anxious Mind: A guidebook to relieve stress and anxiety.

Jennifer D. Roberts is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health at the University of Maryland College Park (UMD). Dr. Roberts is also the Founder and Director of the Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment (PHOEBE) Laboratory as well as the Co-Founder and Co-Director of NatureRx@UMD, an initiative that emphasizes the natural environmental benefits interspersed throughout and around the UMD campus. Her scholarship focuses on the impact of built, social, and natural environments, including the institutional and structural inequities of these environments, on the public health outcomes of marginalized communities.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
John Griffin, Chesapeake Conservancy Partnership; Jennifer Miller-Herzog, Land Trust Alliance; Jonathan Doherty, National Park Service; Renee Thompson, Chesapeake Bay Program - Main Current: 2020 Wrap-up - News You Can Use From The Chesapeake

*The PowerPoint and webinar recording will be shared at a later date.

The panel will share updates and “news you can use” and gather input to inform the development of new programs, initiatives, and tools, including:

• A new methodology for identifying and assessing impacts to scenic landscapes, to better protect historic and cultural viewsheds

• Efforts to document and map important African-American cultural sites in the region that represent more diverse perspectives, values, and histories for land conservation

• New working groups’ efforts to accelerate private capital investment in land conservation and restoration in the watershed

• The use of new Land Policy BMPs in state Watershed Implementation Plans to date, and next steps to leverage these new tools to highlight protected land’s importance for water quality.

John Griffin works to advance large landscape conservation initiatives as the program manager for the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership. The Partnership is a landscape collaborative with over 50 partners from government agencies, land trusts, and other nonprofits around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. John is the former Secretary of Maryland Department of Natural Resources under two Governors, the Deputy Secretary of the department, the General Manager of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, and served as Chief of Staff for Governor Martin O’Malley. He brings decades of experience with resource conservation and environmental protection.

Renee Thompson is a Geographer with the USGS Lower Mississippi Gulf Water Science Center, based at the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) in Annapolis, MD, and works with GIS to provide data driven resources for science-based decision making. Renee is the Coordinator of the Maintain Healthy Watersheds Goal Team and the CBP working with partners to sustain currently healthy waters and watersheds. Renee is currently focused on working with partners to develop story maps and analysis tools for communication and visualization of the Chesapeake Healthy Watersheds Assessment.

Jennifer Miller Herzog, Eastern Division Director of Field Programs at the Land Trust Alliance, supports land trusts and partners working at the intersection of land conservation and water quality through the Alliance’s Chesapeake Land and Water Initiative. She is based in Annapolis, Maryland.

Jonathan Doherty is Assistant Superintendent for the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office, which manages the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network and facilitates collaboration on large landscape conservation and public access throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Doherty has extensive experience facilitating a wide range of stakeholder and public meetings and working sessions. Previously he served as Executive Director of the Columbia River Gorge Commission, managing conservation planning and implementation for the 300,000 acre Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Doherty also served as NPS chief of planning for national parks and national heritage areas in the Mid-Atlantic States.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Paddy Morton, Maryland Nonprofits - Strategic Alliances, Corporate Integrations and Mergers for Nonprofits.

*At the request of Maryland Nonprofits, the video and PowerPoint for this webinar was shared with registered attendees only.

Year in and year out, nonprofits face the challenge of maximizing community impact while living with the uncertainty that comes with changing interests of funders and reductions of federal appropriations. Corporate integration takes many forms with each being a viable possibility for organizations that are exhibiting either a state of weakness or ripe for growth. Both ends of the spectrum give boards reason to pause and ask, will merging or integrating with another nonprofit strengthen our mission and increase our ability to continue to serve the community with excellence? Maryland Nonprofits walks nonprofit organizations considering integration thorough exploration and evaluation of the strengths (and weaknesses) of all potential partners. This session will go into depth regarding the steps that organizational leadership should take to minimize risk and maximize benefit as it pertains to integrating services with another nonprofit organization.

Padraic (“Paddy”) Morton has served as Counsel for Maryland Nonprofits since 2002. Prior to her work with Maryland Nonprofits, Ms. Morton was an Associate with Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP and a Law Clerk to the Honorable William Nickerson of the United States District Court in Baltimore. For more than 25 years, Ms. Morton has provided legal advice and volunteer services to nonprofit organizations throughout Maryland, and has served on numerous boards in leadership positions.

Wednesday, August 19, 2020 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Francis Gray, Piscataway Conoy Tribe - Conservation and American Indians: Renewing a Relationship at the Core of the Conservation Movement.
Webinar video / ICL Webinar Handout

This webinar will call for a renewal of active and intentional collaboration and partnership between conservation organizations and indigenous communities to protect land and natural resources, and to achieve conservation goals that meet the needs of nature and the needs of indigenous communities. Traditions and practices from American Indian cultures can be found at the very root of the conservation movement in North America, but like many minority communities, American Indians have historically been excluded from environmental conservation. Recent success stories from around the world offer learning opportunities for how to pursue collaborative conservation, leveraging the rich knowledge and cultural traditions of American Indian tribes with the environmental and real estate expertise of conservation groups.

Francis Gray is the Tribal Chair of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, which includes a membership of about 3,000 enrolled tribal members primarily in southern Maryland. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Francis Gray has served on the tribal council since 2012 and has been working diligently to build a solid and sustainable cultural foundation on which to build tribal heritage for future generations.

Thursday, July 30, 2020 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Martha Williams, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; Rose Harvey, The Regional Plan Association - A Conversation on Land & People from Maryland to Montana (with a stopover in New York).
Webinar video / Powerpoint

Introduction by Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Secretary of Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Join Martha & Rose for a dynamic discussion about the connection between land and people. The discussion will focus on how growing up in Baltimore influenced the work they do today in Montana and New York and that understanding and appreciating land and nature is essential to future conservation and preservation efforts. Martha and Rose will converse on how germinating a land ethic in the cities radiates out to larger landscape and ecosystem initiatives like those in Montana, which are essential to the restoration of the earth. During this webinar there will be time to ask real time questions to the dynamic duo. Topics also include: The issues we tackle and love rely on partnerships and solutions are durable only when built around people and their community.

Martha Williams is the Director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and has spent her career dedicated to natural resources management. She served as legal counsel for the agency and also co-directed UM’s Land Use and Natural Resources Clinic. Martha worked as the deputy solicitor for parks and wildlife at the U.S. Department of Interior, where she oversaw legal issues and litigation for the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Martha grew up on a working farm in Baltimore County.

Rose Harvey is a Senior Fellow of Parks & Open Spaces at the Regional Plan Association and leads New York City Parks. Rose served eight years under Governor Cuomo as Commissioner of the Office of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and prior to that as a National Director of Urban Programs for the Trust for Public Land. In all jobs, she worked with community partners to acquire, establish, and steward gardens, parks and ecosystems for all and is a Maryland native.

Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Secretary of Maryland Department of Natural Resources is an Eastern Shore native, born and raised in Talbot County, Maryland. From 2004 to 2014, she served in the Maryland House of Delegates where she worked on a variety of issues including economic and environmental policies. In 2014, she joined the Hogan Administration serving most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff, advising on issues related to natural resources, agriculture, energy, environment and labor.

Restoring Ecological Function and Diversity to our Preserved Lands
Scott McGill, Ecotone, Inc
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 | 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Webinar video / Powerpoint

Anyone passionate about ecology and the environment can embrace land preservation as a useful tool and beneficial end-goal. However, many properties are preserved and protected from further development, in perpetuity, in a manner that is not always ecologically functional or diverse. This webinar explores ways to integrate ecological diversity and function with traditional preservation efforts as well as continued agriculture, as well as the following topics:

- Conservation easements are the first step
- Vibrant agriculture and ecological function are not mutually exclusive
- Easement language is important
- Beaver, Coyote, Deer - don’t believe everything you think

Scott McGill is the co-founder and Principal of Ecotone, Inc. and oversees/manages the design, mitigation and construction divisions. He is a recognized expert with over 23 years of experience in the design of stream, wetland, and watershed restoration solutions.

Ramping Up Land Conservation is Critical for Meeting Maryland's Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions
Dr. Donald F. Boesch, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Webinar video / Powerpoint

Maryland’s Greenhouse Gas Reductions Act (GGRA) requires a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030. The draft plan includes questionable assumptions about carbon sequestration by forests and other natural lands and very modest objectives about increasing such sequestration. Even deeper emissions reductions will have to be achieved to achieve net-zero by 2050 and it is clear that much greater offsets through sequestration will be required. This presentation reviews the math and offers some proposals for substantial but realistic increases in carbon sequestration by forests and agricultural lands.

Dr. Donald F. Boesch is a professor of marine science and, from 1990 to 2017, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Dr. Boesch is one of the nation’s most recognized and experienced experts in the application of science to policies for the protection, sustainable use, and restoration of coastal ecosystems and for adaptation to global climate change.

Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network
Dan Murphy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Josh Hastings, Lower Shore Land Trust
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Webinar video / Powerpoint / Resource links

Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network. This presentation introduces a Delmarva-wide effort by a group of local, state, and federal government agencies and non-government organizations who are collaborating on a restoration and conservation implementation plan for the entire Peninsula in order to address the future impacts of climate change and developments to the Delmarva countryside.

Dan Murphy is the Chief, Division of Habitat Conservation at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chesapeake Bay Field Office and works in collaborative partnerships to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat throughout the Chesapeake Bay.

Josh Hastings is the Deputy Director of the Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) and serves as the Coordinator for the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network

Current Federal Tax Issues for Conservation Easements
Timothy Lindstrom, Law Office of Timothy Lindstrom
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 | 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Webinar video / Powerpoint

Current Federal Tax Issues for Conservation Easements. Is it harder to satisfy the IRS and Tax Court than to get a camel through the eye of a needle? This workshop covers recent federal cases and rules pertaining to conservation easements with suggestions for dealing with them; including amendment provisions; building envelopes; forestry; and an update on syndications.

Timothy Lindstrom holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He represents land trusts and landowners in conservation transactions nation-wide. Timothy has written and lectured extensively about the tax law relating to conservation easements, including numerous continuing education programs for lawyers, appraisers, accountants and realtors.

Regional Conservation Partnerships & How They Can Catalyze Conservation in Maryland
Bill Labich, Highstead Foundation
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 | 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Webinar video / Powerpoint

This presentation includes information about a successful model called regional conservation partnerships (RCPs) employed in New England, eastern New York, and, more recently, in Maryland. It explores why people and groups form RCPs, how they overcome challenges, who are their members, examples of what they’ve achieved, and the role of the RCP Network in their development and collaboration.

Bill Labich is a senior conservationist with the Highstead Foundation and coordinates the Regional Conservation Partnership (RCP) Network, Northeast Forest Network, and the Northern Appalachian Trail Landscape Partnership. With 35 years’ experience in forestry, land use planning, and landscape conservation, Bill assists others in the development of RCPs and RCP Networks in the Eastern United States and beyond.

Large Landscape Conservation: Global Progress from Beijing to Baltimore
Jim Levitt, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy/Harvard University
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 | 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Webinar video / Powerpoint

Jim Levitt discusses the emergence of large landscape conservation as a key environmental strategy for the 21st century. In the face of climate change and a global pandemic, the imperative of collaboration across boundaries for our physical and mental health, and for the health of the planet, is clear. Such collaboration must span all sorts of boundaries - across parcel ownerships and political boundaries; across public, private, non-profit and academic sectors; across urban-rural transect; and from the owners of small-scale backyard forest lots to managers of expansive national parks and forests. Levitt emphasizes that Maryland has long been a leader in collaborative large landscape conservation, and continues to forge ahead in the field, from the rising waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the heights of Appalachian ridgetops.

A big thank you to our keynote speaker and industry renowned expert Jim Levitt for kicking off our May webinar series. Jim leads the team focused on the Sustainable Management of Land and Water Resources at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and is Director of the Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest, Harvard University. Levitt focuses on landmark innovations in the field of land and biodiversity conservation (both present-day and historic). Among his current efforts, Levitt plays an instrumental role in the effort to organize the International Land Conservation Network (ILCN), whose mission is to connect organizations around the world that are accelerating voluntary private and civic sector action to protect and steward land and water resources.