The 2019 Regional Conservation Partnership (RCP) Network Gathering focused on addressing climate change by using RCPs as cultivators of natural climate solutions. The 10th annual event was held on November 3 at UMass Amherst and was attended by a record-breaking 375 people. Participants came from New England, New York, and beyond, and included RCP members, land trust representatives, planners, researchers, funders, students, and others interested in collaborative conservation and climate change solutions.
The 2019 RCP Network Gathering featured 24 workshops focused on building capacity and increasing the scope of collaborative conservation as a tactic to mitigate climate change. Workshop topics included climate resilience, regional land use issues, conservation finance, collaborative land protection, and engaging new partners and sectors.
To engage students in making a positive change for the climate, the 2019 RCP Network Gathering included several opportunities for students to learn more about real-world conservation in the Northeast. A mentorship program paired students with conservation professionals to give them a one-on-one opportunity to set goals and build their professional network. A poster session allowed some students to present posters on their conservation work side-by-side with experienced conservationists.
Keynote Calls for Radical Collaboration to Drive Natural Climate Solutions
Lynn Scarlett, Chief External Affairs Officer and Global Climate Strategy Lead for The Nature Conservancy delivered the keynote speech rallying attendees to use radical collaboration and systems thinking to advance natural climate solutions.
Below are resources from the presentations at the 2019 RCP Network Gathering. If you know what you are looking for, type CTRL F and type in the session name. Otherwise you can browse the cards below.