Gathering Waters

Education and public outreach: educate the general public, professionals, and landowners about the importance of private land conservation and voluntary tools available to set aside private land for conservation. Gathering Waters maintains an interactive website and publishes paper and electronic newsletters throughout the year. During 2023, Gathering Waters organized a statewide conference for land trusts and other conservation organizations, attended by nearly 100 participants; held "land trust days", to promote opportunities for nearly 2,000 people to participate in activities organized by Wisconsin's land trusts on land that they have protected; and held an annual awards event honoring significant contributions made by leaders in land conservation.

Policy and government relations: work with decision makers at all levels of government to promote state, local, and federal policies that support the work of land trusts and the conservation of private land. Specifically, Gathering Waters advocates for continuation of funding for the knowles nelson stewardship program, a program of public financial support for the preservation of land in Wisconsin. In 2023, Gathering Waters connected elected officials with their local constituents and worked with lawmakers and the governor to improve how the knowles-nelson stewardship program functions and is administered and advocated against legislation that would have weakened protections for protected land in Wisconsin. Also in 2023, Gathering Waters advocated for the completion of the 70,000-acre pelican river forest, the largest conservation project in modern Wisconsin history.

Technical training and assistance: increased the capacity of more than forty Wisconsin land trusts and conservation organizations through one-on-one mentorship and technical assistance, peer learning, and workshops. Gathering Waters works closely with the land trust alliance, a national association of land trusts, to offer training opportunities and support services to Wisconsin land trusts. During 2023, Gathering Waters continued to provide legal services directly to Wisconsin land trusts through the land conservation law program.

Program development: planning for the future of land and water conservation in Wisconsin, through consultation with land trusts and other conservation leaders and strategic planning activities.