Gathering Waters: Wisconsin's Alliance for Land Trusts

Gathering Waters aims to develop strong sustainable land trusts; durable and effective legal tools to provide landowners with the opportunities and options for lasting land conservation; funding and other resources for land acquisition and management; integrated networks of organizations and individuals leveraging resources, expertise, and influence; and engage people who value, support, and join together in land conservation.

Gathering Waters strives to develop the capacity of Wisconsin's land trusts; advocate for public land conservation policies and funding; enhance strategic conservation planning and implementation; advance effective financing options for land conservation; cultivate cross-sector collaborations; connect people to the land; and celebrate success as we compile, maintain, and market information about the benefits of land conservation and land trusts.

Land Trust Support:
Gathering Waters supports and strengthens land trusts by offering tailored training, technical assistance, and other support to meet the evolving needs of Wisconsin land trust organizations. Through our Land Trust Excellence and Advancement Partnership (LEAP) with the Land Trust Alliance, we leverage expertise and resources to provide high-quality, high-impact services.

In collaboration with the Land Trust Alliance, we provide opportunities to connect, learn, and share experiences to create a vibrant community for land conservation capable of collaborating to address complex systemic challenges. Gathering Waters hosts the Wisconsin Land Trust Conference to build capacity and community among land trust staff, board members, and partners as they gain new knowledge and skills, reinforce best practices, celebrate successes, and commit to continued progress in land conservation.

Gathering Waters has implemented a Geographic Information System (GIS) to serve as a direct service to many land trusts and as a starting point for future capacity building and collaborative efforts.

Advocacy:
Gathering Waters is committed to advocating for reliable, sustainable state funding for land acquisition and management, through the renewal of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and alternative sources of revenue.

Gathering Waters will focus on the development of Team Knowles-Nelson to engage local voices for impact in advocacy. We will enhance the effectiveness of our state and federal advocacy efforts by increasing the number of land trust staff, board members, supporters, and landowners who have relationships with their elected officials and can share compelling stories of land conservation from their communities.

Through collaboration with state, regional, and national partners, we will engage members of Wisconsin's Congressional delegation and federal agency officials to strengthen relationships and advocate for funding and policies that support land conservation, including the Farm Bill, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Awareness:
Wisconsin Land Trust Days is a new initiative aimed at leveraging the statewide voice of Gathering Waters with fun, local events hosted by land trusts in August and September each year. Gathering Waters will create a statewide branding and marketing effort as land trusts showcase special places around Wisconsin. Land Trust Days is intended to celebrate the impact that Wisconsin land trusts have in their communities.

Wisconsin's Land Conservation Leadership Awards Celebration raises the profile of land conservation, land trusts, and celebrates the outstanding achievements and contributions of individuals, policymakers, land trusts, and other organizations protecting the places that make Wisconsin special. This event honors the power of committed citizens and offers inspiring examples of conservation success.

Gathering Waters has increased staff capacity to facilitate the new initiatives.

Gathering Waters continues to provide information and services to its land trusts. To help land trusts make acquisition and management decisions, the organization invested in the development of a detailed GIS conservation database.

To meet its advocacy objectives, Gathering Waters has invested in and implemented a third-party advocacy program to allow people to easily contact their elected officials. In addition to reaching concerned citizens, Gathering Waters' leaders will continue to meet with elected officials from key districts as needed.

To build community awareness, Gathering Waters continues to promote Wisconsin Land Trust Days and will feature four selected events on a regional television broadcast.