MADISON – The Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association (WI Land+Water) will host its 66^th Annual Conference next week, March 13-15, 2019 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The conference is expected to bring together over 350 conservation and resource professionals for a series of educational presentations, speeches, youth education competitions, networking opportunities and exhibits.

“Our conference is a wonderful space for our membership, partners, and the larger statewide conservation network to share their work and glean new approaches to the complex challenges they work to solve,” said Matt Krueger, Executive Director of WI Land+Water. “This year’s conference is especially exciting; we have fantastic speakers, breakout sessions, and exhibitors lined up, which is made possible by the generous support from our sponsors, partners, and members. We look forward to seeing you there!”

WI Land+Water’s annual conference is a distinguished event for public conservation officials and environmental leaders in Wisconsin. The conference provides a forum to share innovative practices, programs, technologies, and research, as well as an opportunity to connect with others about building solutions to some of Wisconsin’s most complex challenges.

Tia Nelson, Managing Director of Climate at the Outrider Foundation, will be delivering the conference’s keynote speech during the opening luncheon on Wednesday. Additional featured speakers include Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Brad Pfaff, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Assistant Deputy Secretary Todd Ambs, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Assistant State Conservationist Tom Krapf.

Over the three days, attendees have access to 40 breakout sessions that will cover a wide range of topics, from technical environmental structures and county-based programming to sustainable agricultural practices and communication strategies. Read the full list of breakout sessions and their descriptions here.

WI Land+Water also presents awards to outstanding individuals that go above-and-beyond to advance conservation in Wisconsin. The featured award is the Conservation Farm Family of the Year, given to a farm family in Wisconsin that is a leader in best-management practices and helps others improve their operation’s sustainability. The family will host the 2019 Conservation Observance Day this summer on their farm.

The WI Land+Water Youth Education Committee will hold two state competitions: the Conservation Awareness Poster Contest and Speaking Contest. Student posters will be on display in the main foyer of the conference for attendees to vote, with the winners of each age group moving on to the national competition, hosted by the National Association of Conservation Districts. Student speakers will deliver their speeches on Wednesday morning and first-place winners will perform their speeches to all the conference attendees during the Wednesday luncheon.

The conference will host a multitude of exhibitors that provide exceptional information and resources about their programs, products, and tools. Our exhibitors are:

• Carbon Cycle Consulting & Composting Systems
• Center for Watershed Science & Education - UW Stevens Point
• Conservation Services, Inc.
• Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
• Grassworks, Inc.
• Midwest Environmental Advocates
• Pheasants Forever National Seed Program
• River Alliance of Wisconsin
• Transcendent Technologies, LLC
• USDA-NRCS
• UW-Extension Water Action Volunteers
• Wellntel, Inc.
• Wisconsin DNR
• Wisconsin Wetlands Association
• WI Land+Water Youth Education Committee

Additionally, the conference will include a silent auction, raffle, and 50/50 raffle. Attendees are encouraged to browse the auction items during the two social hours. Proceeds support the Association’s scholarship and youth education programs.

The conference would not be possible without the incredible support from our sponsors. Special thanks to:

Contributing Sponsors

• Transcendent Technologies, LLC
• Petenwell and Castle Rock Stewards

Community Sponsors

• Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies
• American Society of Agronomy
• Conservation Services, Inc.
• The Nature Conservancy
• Wisconsin Farmers Union

Friends of Conservation

• American Transmission Company
• Discovery Farms of Wisconsin
• River Alliance of Wisconsin
• Sand County Foundation
• Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards
• Wisconsin Wetlands Association

Online registration for the conference is now closed, but will be reopened at the event and will include a $20 late fee. Click here for more registration details.

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Click here for complete information about the upcoming conference.