(Seminar) Internet Tools for Natural Resource Protection: A hands-on workshop (Both conferences)

Have you ever needed a map that illustrates your resource concerns to take to a public meeting or to share with a group? Have you wondered what a new commercial or residential development might do to water quality or wildlife? Have you searched for detailed information about land use or water quality?

In this workshop you will learn to use free, easy-to-use web-based tools to find important natural resources information. You will also learn to create and customize maps to meet your needs. Take advantage of the resources that were developed to help people like you be good stewards of the environment.

(Seminar) Developing New Leaders for Your Organization ( Camp Matawa only)

Are you down to the same small group of people again who do everything? Can’t find anyone to run for the board? You could be running out of human power on your board and committees because you haven’t made a conscious effort to develop new leaders for your organization.

This session will help you identify new ways to recruit fresh volunteers and build new leaders using your organization’s existing projects and campaigns. You will leave the session with a well-developed plan for your upcoming projects that is designed to grow your organization’s volunteer base.

(Seminar) Communicating Effectively About Conservation ( Holiday Acres only)

Communicating effectively plays an essential role in protecting Wisconsin’s land and watersheds. And yet, conservation organizations often struggle to connect with the general public and gain their support. This workshop will assist your organization to craft an effective communications strategy and convey your message to your target audience. Come to learn about the key steps to developing a communications campaign that motivates action and begin putting them into practice to meet your organization’s conservation goals. This training will also include the results of a recent research project that assessed public attitudes about water in the Great Lakes region, allowing you to integrate proven messages into your own communications.

Rhythms of Our Rivers (Both conferences)

If a river could speak what stories would it tell? If your lake could listen, what would you tell it? What do you wish your community understood about your river, lake, or watershed? Please join us to share your answers to these and other contemplative questions, or your favorite memory, poem, essay or song about water. This facilitated celebration of the human connection to local waters and their surrounding landscapes is part of the Rhythms of Our Rivers, a project to develop a collection of original songs showcasing the energy, emotion, and urgency that influences local water conservation work. You tell us what inspires you and, in turn, your ideas provide the inspiration for songs that will be used to bring messages about land and water conservation to new audiences in a new way.

Submissions can be original or borrowed, given orally or in writing, through words, pictures or sound. Go to the FWSP and RAW Web sites for more information and for suggestions for how to contribute. Rhythms of Our Rivers is funded, in part, through the generous support of the Wisconsin Arts Board. Please note: This program will be useful and fun for State Park Friends groups as well as river groups.

Special Musical Performance: Erin O’Brien (Both conferences)

Erin has played guitar for over 12 years and has accumulated an impressive set of credits, including earning the Madison Songwriters Group “2004 Performing Songwriter of the Year” award and releasing her first recording project, Georgia Nights. Erin’s songs have also been featured on two compilation cds showcasing the work of southern Wisconsin musicians.

In the last few years, Erin has played extensively in Madison, Wisconsin and beyond, including appearances at the prestigious “Folk at Four” summer acoustic music series in 2003 & 2004, and a headliner spot at the Wild Hog in the Woods Coffeehouse Series. She has also appeared live at venues around the state and as far as Chicago and Cedar Rapids. She has performed live on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Higher Ground, 105.5 Triple M’s Jonathan and Kitty in the Morning, WORT’s Muddy Acres Bluegrass Show and WLUW 88.7 FM’s Live from the Heartland Cafe ( Chicago, IL). To learn more about Erin go to www.erinobrienmusic.com.