Nervous Newbie to Confident Conference-goer: Professional Development with the Land Trust
Sam Vasen, Cynthia Perrine, and Hannah Espinosa at the CCLT California Land & Water Conservation Conference.
Sam here, Stewardship Assistant and AmeriCorps member with the Land Trust! Since joining NCRLT in November, I’ve come to see my position extending far beyond simply assisting with our stewardship responsibilities. My time has been full of challenging, engaging, and novel opportunities that both further the Land Trust’s mission and help develop my skills and identity as an early-career environmental professional.
As a recent and admittedly nerdy college graduate, I’m comfortable with research project designs, memorizing equations, and long hot surveys in the field. However, I have not been pushed to develop networking skills, learn how to foster region-wide collaborations, or craft compelling narratives to secure highly sought-after conservation dollars. These skills, among many others, are critical to achieving conservation victories in the dynamic landscape of California. On that note, being born, raised, and schooled on the East Coast, I have gaps in my knowledge when it comes to the complex ecological, sociopolitical, and historical context that makes the Golden State the way it is. Fortunately, my time with NCRLT has pushed me to grow in all these areas. Every day at work is a learning experience but I’ll outline below several opportunities that have particularly driven my professional development so far!
The Wildlife Society – Western Section Conference in Visalia, CA
As part of a small Chico-based cohort of professionals, I attended the TWS-Western Section annual meeting this February for three days of presentations and discussions on the critical work being done to support wildlife in the West. Presenters ranged from state biologists to educators and students, to environmental consultants, to NCRLT’s very own Hannah Espinosa who cogently demonstrated the effectiveness of remote monitoring. Talk after talk from the region’s experts painted a detailed picture of the issues that wildlife around California and more importantly, what conservationists like myself can do about it. Every so often I needed to set back from the firehose of wildlife information, and in those moments I was encouraged to make connections with my surrounding peers. It turns out when you are in a room of like-minded nerds, ‘networking’ becomes more like ‘friend-making’. During this conference I built connections, broadened my knowledge, and began to imagine more ways NCRLT could further wildlife conservation - not to mention winning a pair of new binoculars as the raffle grand prize!
Water Panel at CCLT
Cynthia (yellow) joined a panel reviewing water conservation strategies in California.
California Council of Land Trust Conference in Yosemite National Park
Housed in the cozy snow-covered Tenaya Lodge right outside of Yosemite, the CCLT conference brought the states’ most dedicated non-profit conservationists together – and I was lucky enough to participate. This was a fantastic way to learn about the great work other land trusts have done as well as how they operate. I attended a stewardship session where folks like myself outlined what perpetual stewarding looks like for their organizations and lamented the unique, and universal, challenges they faced in their work. Not only did we learn through presentations, but in conversation I was able to represent and advocate for NCRLT. I shared what is important to stewardship in our region, our stewardship philosophies, and advocated for AmeriCorps programs like mine as a capacity building tool. It’s empowering to contribute to these professional environments, to have a voice at the table. These moments of empowerment give me the confidence to ask informed questions and build relationships. The stories I heard at this conference taught me that for meaningful conservation, collaboration is key. Stay tuned for some inter-Land Trust partnerships in the future!
Sierra Nevada Conservancy Grant Writing Workshop
As I near the end of writing this blog, it feels like a good time to mention writing itself. My scientific education taught me that writing should be precise, informative, and often dull. Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Grant Writing Workshop taught me that in conservation, that is not the case! Over a three-day workshop, participants including Hannah and I, practiced crafting compelling narratives, and learned the nuts and bolts of grant writing. My takeaway was simple: even when one is applying to state or federal grants, they are being reviewed by people and people love stories. Telling a rich and moving story is essential to getting projects funded because there is important conservation work to be done around the state. It’s competitive! The hope is to channel this perspective into my writing and tell stories that will lead to meaningful conservation.
I’m thankful for all the opportunities of growth that working with NCRLT has provided me with so far; thank you for supporting NCRLT as an AmeriCorps host site. I’m excited for what’s to come!
Hannah and Sam exploring Yosemite National Park.
