Connecticut Land Conservation Conference
March 21, 2026
Frank Center for Public Affairs, Wesleyan University
238 Church Street, Middletown
Michael J. Sikora
Welcome to the Annual Connecticut Land Conservation Conference!
Together for Land and People
Join us for the Connecticut Land Conservation Conference, the state’s premier one-day gathering for land trust professionals, community stewards, agency leaders, volunteers, and advocates.
Expect a full schedule of workshops, panels, and peer-learning sessions focused on effective conservation, stewardship, climate resilience, community inclusion, and leadership. It’s the place to connect, learn, grow, and help shape how Connecticut conserves its natural legacy.
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Everyone Can Be an Environmentalist: A Conversation with Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru
Join us for a powerful plenary conversation with Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru—national climate justice leader, founder of Black Girl Environmentalist, and Connecticut native.
The session will begin with brief remarks from Wawa, reflecting on how growing up in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner and her academic journey at UConn shaped her commitment to environmental and climate justice. She will then be joined by a conservation leader for an informal fireside-style conversation exploring who belongs in the environmental movement, how community and place shape leadership, and why “everyone can be an environmentalist.”
With messages of hope, possibility, and community-driven action, Wawa will highlight the essential role of local organizations—especially land trusts—in connecting people to land and cultivating the next generation of environmental leaders.
This conversation is for anyone invested in the future of Connecticut’s lands and communities. Come be inspired, energized, and reminded that environmental leadership begins close to home—and grows when we build it together.
Sneak Peek Now Available
Get a first look at what’s in store for this year’s Connecticut Land Conservation Conference with our Sneak Peek! The sneak peek offers an early glimpse of the dynamic workshops and roundtables being developed for the upcoming event, covering topics like land protection, stewardship, biodiversity, technology tools, community-centered conservation, policy, and more.
It’s a great way to start planning your conference experience and see the breadth of content designed to inspire, inform, and connect Connecticut’s land conservation community. Stay tuned as we continue to update this preview and work toward an engaging, collaborative day of learning and networking.
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Connecticut Land Conservation Conference
8:00 am Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:00 am Plenary Session
- Welcome Address
- Keynote Presentation »
10:30 am Break
11:00 am Workshop Session A
12:15 pm Lunch (provided)
1:30 pm Workshop Session B
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Workshop Session C
4:15 pm Break
4:30 pm Workshop Session D
5:15 pm Reception
Stay tuned for more details for the 2026 Connecticut Land Conservation Conference. If you have any questions, contact Cristina at conference@ctconservation.org
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Be a part of something special! Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we strive to keep our conference as affordable as possible.
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“CLCC’s annual conference is like Woodstock for Connecticut’s land conservation community. It’s an opportunity to foster connections, get inspired, and celebrate our collective accomplishments”
- Pete Govert, Executive Director, East Haddam Land Trust
Conference Sponsors
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The Nature Conservancy
Previous Conferences
Interested in reading about past conferences? Check out past years' conference wrap-ups…
