What is a Stewardship in Action Field Workshop?

NAA supports land and water practitioners wherever they are located, wherever they are in their practice, and wherever they are in their career through the exchange of scientific advances, new methodologies, and innovative best practices. To that end, there is no substitute for gathering practitioners face to face in an applied setting.

Stewardship in Action Field Workshops (SIAFWS) shine a spotlight on model approaches to conservation that can be adapted by others. Small by design, the goal is to be hands on and to maximize opportunities for interaction, demonstration, and an exchange of knowledge and experience from both presenters and participants.

We are always looking for workshop ideas. Have a suggestion?

Email us at info@naturalareas.org

Relatively intact natural communities still exist within metropolitan areas and, in some cases, harbor rare and endangered species. Just ask Linda Lehrbaum, Program Manager, Kansas City WildLands. Kansas City WildLands, a coalition of resource professionals, private conservation organizations, government agencies, and community-members, is determined to restore and conserve the remnants of Kansas City’s original landscape - within boundaries that cross two states! There is much to be shared about this unique approach.

Rising from Ashes: A Tribe’s Nature-based Approach to Watershed Restoration will highlight an innovative and iconic case study in public and private collaboration on sovereign tribal lands following a series of catastrophic wildfires. Given the increasing frequency of these fires, there is a vital need to mitigate destruction through preemptive nature-based restoration practices before disaster strikes. By collaborating with federal agencies and other partners to incorporate indigenous knowledge and values into the recovery planning process, the Santa Clara Pueblo is working to achieve long-term, sustainable resiliency of the watershed.

The Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan is a model for public-private collaboration in conservation and is a national model that can be adapted and emulated. Hosted in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR), this workshop was designed specifically for on-the-ground practitioners and statewide coordinators from across the Midwest (8+ states). The goal is to bring the larger community together in order to learn from each other throughout the workshop while showcasing the shared strategy responsible for the significant preservation and management of Minnesota’s prairies and grasslands.

The Natural Areas Association (NAA) and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (VDCR), Natural Heritage Program hosted a VIRTUAL professional training on managing sensitive natural communities concurrently for biodiversity conservation and public access.

Filmed during an in-person event during September 2021, the virtual field workshop featured unique case studies in Virginia, Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve, Bull Run Mountain Natural Area Preserve, and The Channels Natural Area Preserve.

Sustainable Summits was a two-day workshop that included expert-led discussions of the sites‘ natural history and innovative stewardship strategies for improving the sustainability of public access to rare plant communities on public lands. The workshop featured opportunities for collaboration and networking among land managers, ecologists, and outdoor recreation experts working in Virginia, the mid-Atlantic region and beyond.