Progress of Conservation Legacy “2.0” Article and photos courtesy of CONSERVATION LEGACY STAFF
T
he first installment of funding from the Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation arrived in 2021, allowing Conservation Legacy (CL) to put into action Year One of a five-year plan. The plan includes program expansion, new program development, and system improvements that will raise CL to a new level of natural resource education excellence.
Year One included more than a dozen new goals, programs, and projects, which currently range in evolvement from “in development” to “complete.” Presented here are four projects that highlight the expansion, development, and improvements underway in Conservation Legacy.
FAMILY LAND, WATER & WILDLIFE EXPEDITIONS - MENTOR TRAINING TWA hosted its first mentor training for the new conservation program, Land, Water & Wildlife Expeditions (LWWE) April 30 and May 1. Nine participants became certified program mentors through this pilot workshop. Over the course of the two-day training, participants learned how to
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plan, recruit, and coordinate for a one- to three-day outdoor experience on private land. They also heard from experts about resources that can be incorporated into LWWE programming. New mentors explored strategies for team building and group facilitation, the use of GIS applications, interpretive
practices, and the use of citizen science applications such as eBird, Merlin Bird ID, and iNaturalist on private land. Congratulations to the first cohort of mentors. CL is excited to see the impact they will make with families across the state.
