Southeastern Massachusetts Land Trust Convocation Saturday, January 31, 2015 8:30 am to Noon Canal Club Facility, 100 Trowbridge Rd off Bourne Bridge Rotary, Quality Inn Hotel, Bourne Co-sponsored by The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Buzzards Bay Coalition, and Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition Funding provided in part by The Island Foundation and The Bilezikian Family Foundation 8:30 am 9:00 am ARRIVAL: free coffee, danish, muffins KICK-OFF: Welcome and Introductory remarks Richard Johnston, President, The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts Rich Hubbard, President, Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition 9:15 – 10:15 am SESSION ONE (choose A or B workshop, each will include time for Q&A) WORKSHOP A. Best Practices and Resources for Managing Invasive Plants Bittersweet, knotweed, phragmites, Oh My! You don’t need to be a wizard to tackle what may seem like a daunting task of finding the resources to control and manage invasive plant species. Sit in on this workshop, and you will leave feeling like you found Oz. Kristin Andres, Conservation Agent, Town of Chatham Matt Cannon, Land Stewardship Coordinator, Harwich Conservation Trust Matt Spinner, Stewardship Director, Buzzards Bay Coalition WORKSHOP B. Strategic Planning for Your Organization and Board “Hey, gang, let’s form a land trust!” That seemed so simple 20 or 30 years ago. But 15 years into the new millennium, your organization may be feeling its age. This workshop will focus on why and how organizational strategies are critical to sustaining an effective and successful land trust. Hal Minis, RTI International and President, Brewster Conservation Trust Mark Rasmussen, President, Buzzards Bay Coalition 10:15 am BREAK 10:30 – 10:50 am Plenary Session: Sea Turtle Stranding Rescue Program Robert Prescott, Director, MassAudubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary 11:00 am – Noon SESSION TWO (choose A or B workshop, each will include time for Q&A) WORKSHOP A. Effective Use of Volunteers to Increase Capacity Interested in starting a volunteer program or looking to expand your current program? This session will help you identify roles for volunteers; and give you pointers on how to recruit, train, cultivate, and manage volunteers (and keep them engaged!). Lisa McNeil, President, Cape Cod Volunteers Linda Vanderveer, Land Manager, Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust WORKSHOP B. Leveraging the Conservation Land Tax Credit in Bargain Sale Negotiations Learn how the State tax credit can be a powerful tool in closing the shortfall in land transaction negotiations. Presenters will use case studies to illustrate how this new state funding resource has proven to be a win-win for the landowner and the land trust. Rich Hubbard, Executive Director, Franklin Land Trust Mark Robinson, Executive Director, The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts Thank-you for attending the Southeastern Massachusetts Land Trust Convocation.