Webinars, Workshops and Trainings
Featured Upcoming Webinars
This page contains all information on all upcoming and past webinars, workshops and trainings.
Register for one of our upcoming webinars by selecting from the list below. Missed one of our webinars? Contact Phyllis Lee to gain access to recordings of past webinars and presentations.
2023 Annual Gathering Presentations
Click on the links below to access the presentations from our 2023 Annual Gathering.
Keynote speech: Land Trusts — Building a Bridge Between Conservation and Social Justice
Engagement Organizing: People Powered Change
Innovative Approaches for Land Conservation
Yikes! Conservation Easement Agreement enforcement, amendments, and disposition
Record Keeping: Practices and Tools
Innovative Approaches for Land Conservation
Innovative Approaches for Land Conservation
Hitting the Tax Ceiling: Using CLTIP to your advantage
Indigenous Approaches to Conservation: Mno Aki
Indigenous Approaches to Conservation: All Our Relations
Access to Nature: Planning for Protected Areas
Land and Asset Disposition – Intentional or Not
Pathways to Partnership in Land Stewardship
Building People Power through Engagement Organizing
2023 Workshops & Trainings
Land Acknowledgement Training Workshop
The Canadian Land Trust Standard & Practices (2019) explicitly acknowledges the importance for all Canadian land trusts to actively reach out to and engage with Indigenous partners when engaging in their land conservation activities. As part of OLTA’s Capacity Building project, supported by Land Trusts Conservation Fund (LTCF). OLTA has collaborated with a number of our member Land Trusts that place a strong emphasis on actively involving Indigenous communities in Land Trust operations, providing support in increasing Indigenous understanding and engagement with Indigenous communities.
As part of our Indigenous Learning series for Land Trusts, OLTA held a one-day Indigenous Land Acknowledgement webinar training via Zoom. Presentations were given by Kerry-Ann Charles, Tiffany Taylor and Kassandra McKeown of Cambium Indigenous Professional Services to cover Indigenous awareness training, truth and reconciliation. Through this workshop you will learn the tips to develop a meaningful and truthful land acknowledgement. Contact our office for copies of the presentations.
Available webinar recordings
Protected Areas Reporting Webinar
When: March 29th @ 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Description: OLTA hosted a webinar on Protected Areas Reporting. Canada’s Target 1 Initiative works towards achieving Target 1 of the 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada. Since the passing of the original timeline for Target 1 in 2020, the federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to Canada Target 1 to protect 25% of oceans and coastlines and 25% of land areas by 2025.
Through OLTA’s Protected Areas Reporting Program, OLTA has worked with several of our member land trusts to screen and report land trust properties as either Protected Areas or Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) to the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), the authoritative national database used to account for progress towards Canada Target 1.
Learn more about the reporting process for both fee-simple and conservation easement agreement properties, things to consider when reporting your properties, and resources OLTA has developed to assist land trusts with screening and reporting their properties to CPCAD. During the session, we were joined by land trusts that have successfully screened and reported their properties to share their experiences and challenges with working through this process for their own properties.
Breeding Bird Atlas Information Session
Description: This session included a description of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas project, which is a huge new volunteer-based inventory of the province’s birds taking place from 2021 through 2025. The results of the project will update our knowledge of the distribution, abundance and status of the 300 or so bird species that nest in the province. If you are interested, there may be a role for you in providing data to the project or in having atlas participants do surveys on your property
About the Presenter:
Mike Cadman has been a Songbird Biologist for Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario Region, since 1992. Much of his professional life has been devoted to breeding bird atlases. He coordinated Ontario’s previous two atlas projects (1981-1985 and 2001-2005) and co-edited the resulting books, and is coordinating Atlas-3. He currently chairs the Canadian Breeding Bird Atlas Committee. Outside of atlases, he is involved in several projects looking at the conservation needs of aerial insectivores. Mike does most of his birding in Wellington County but has traveled widely in search of winter warmth and birds.
Climate Change Adaptation Workshops
OLTA’s Climate Action Working Group recently hosted three free online sessions to discuss and share perspectives about land conservation and climate change. Sessions included speakers from diverse backgrounds from Ontario, the USA and Australia. The webinar series focused on building climate resilience and adaptation with an emphasis on the role of land stewardship and conservation practices. Recordings for the sessions are available for viewing at the following links:
To build on the webinar series and continue to improve knowledge in the land conservation community, OLTA hosted a series of workshops over the following few months.
Workshops provided conservation practitioners with training and hands-on experience in:
- assessing the vulnerability of conservation lands to climate change impacts, and
- identifying adaption actions to increase resilience of properties to these impacts.
The workshops were broken into three 2 hour sessions and built on each other.
More information about each workshop can be found below.
Workshop 1: Introduction to climate change vulnerability assessment tools featuring a case study from rare Charitable Research Reserve
When: Tuesday, November 16th, 2021 from 3:30-5:30 PM
During this session, OLTA staff provided an overview of the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool developed and piloted in 2019-2020. We reviewed the information required to undertake the assessment as well as provided some resources that may help you through the assessment process. The session ended with a case study presented by rare Charitable Research Reserve staff who participated in the pilot project to show you a practical application of the tool. We ended the session by providing participants with homework to prepare for Workshop 2.
Workshop 2: Getting started – Steps 1-3 of the property assessment featuring a case study from a land trust
When: Thursday, December 2nd, 2021 from 3:30-5:30 PM
This session started by reviewing your homework – Step 1 of the assessment. We answered questions that came up during the process and provide a case study presented by a land trust that participated in the pilot before jumping into the next steps. Next, participants were split up into smaller breakout groups to work through Step 2-3. Each breakout room had a facilitator to help participants work through the process. By the end of the session, you will have completed Steps 1-3 of the assessment.
Workshop 3: Steps 4-6 – Completing the assessment and determining adaptation actions with a case study from Thames Talbot Land Trust
When: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 from 3:30-5:30 PM
During this session, we reviewed Steps 4-6 and staff from Thames Talbot Land Trust will present a short case study on the results of their assessment and the adaptation actions that they are moving forward with. Next, participants were split up into small breakout groups to work through Step 4-6 of the assessment. By the end of this session, you will have an understanding of the vulnerabilities and how you might increase adaptability.
Climate Change Adaptation Series
OLTA’s Climate Action Working Group is hosted three free online sessions to discuss and share perspectives about land conservation and climate change. These sessions included speakers from diverse backgrounds from Ontario, the USA and Australia. The webinar series focused on building climate resilience and adaptation with an emphasis on the role of land stewardship and conservation practices.
This series was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Connection Grant.
Recordings of the sessions can be accessed using the links below.
Keynote Presentation – Thursday, September 23, 2021 @ 1:00 PM (EDT)
- Megan Leslie, President & CEO, World Wildlife Fund Canada
View the session recording here.
International Panel – Wednesday, October 13, 2021 @ 8:30 AM (EDT)
Panelists:
- Hugh Possingham, Chief Scientist, Queensland Australia
- Kelly Watkinson, Land and Climate Program Manager, Land Trust Alliance
- Adena Rissman, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
View the session recording here.
Ontario Panel – As part of the OLTA Gathering on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 @ 1:00 PM (EDT)
Panelists:
- Gary Pritchard, 4 Directions of Conservation Consulting Services
- Kerry-Ann Charles, Environment Partnership Coordinator, Cambium Indigenous Professional Services
- Dan Kraus, Director of National Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada
- Janet Sumner, Executive Director, Wildlands League
View the session recording here.
Indigenous Learning Series for Land Trusts
As part of OLTA’s Land Trusts Conservation Fund (LTCF) Capacity Building project, our Indigenous Learning Webinar Series for Land Trusts led by Gary Pritchard (Principal Indigenous Ecologist and Engagement Specialist, 4 Directions of Conservation Consulting Services) continued on September 24th & Oct 1 at 1:00-3:00pm(EST)!
Webinar 2: Indigenous Placemaking and Ethical Space
When: Friday, September 24th, 2021 @ 1:00 – 3:00 PM
This workshop focused on learning to create a system of shared environmentalism and acknowledgement.
Webinar 3: Indigenous Conservation Strategies and Practices
This webinar focused on Indigenous Conservation Strategies and Practices. Indigenous land use has always used the land, participants in this workshop learned how the Indigenous model shifts the standard conservation framework.
To access these recorded webinars, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
About the Speaker – Gary Pritchard
Gary Pritchard ~Giniw (Golden Eagle) is a Conservation Ecologist & Indigenous Engagement/Placemaking Specialist from Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario. Gary has had the privilege to work on behalf of Indigenous peoples throughout Ontario and Canada. He has travelled and worked in almost 300 Indigenous communities throughout Canada and the northern United States. He has brought a wealth of knowledge to both his Indigenous and non-Indigenous cliental performing a wide variety of services including: Indigenous Community Planning, land-use/traditional knowledge studies, Indigenous lead conservation and restoration, Ecological Monitoring using Two-eyed Seeing, Indigenous Place-making, capacity building, expert testimony, mediation between western science and traditional science and subject matter expert on behalf of Indigenous communities.
Gary loves to connect and educate people through nature. He does this through several mediums. His favourite way is through his wildlife photography and storytelling. He believes that if individuals especially youth can form a connection with nature then all people can make conscious decisions on how we impact Mother Earth and the next seven generations. Gary likes to spend much of his free time educating the youth about “All Our Relations,” with his most favourite students being his two children.
One of Gary’s greatest strength is that he is often able to be the one who acts as the bridge between the Indigenous Community and the western style of governance. Gary has successfully collaborated with many stakeholder groups, researchers, institutes, government agencies, Indigenous communities, and political organizations to address environmental concerns and identify practical solutions to environmental related issues.
Bat Monitoring Training
When: Thursday, May 28th, 2021 @1:00 – 2:00 PM (EST)
Who: Morgan Roblin (Conservation Science Manager, OLTA) & Jeffrey Driscoll (Program & Communications Coordinator, OLTA)
Description: Through OLTA’s Conserving Species at Risk (CSAR) Program, we hosted a Bat Monitoring Training Session on Friday, May 28th, 2021 from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (EST). This session introduced land trust staff and volunteers to Ontario’s bat species and the acoustic monitoring techniques that can be implemented to collect bat biodiversity data to help guide stewardship actions to benefit Ontario’s SAR bat populations.
To access this recorded webinar, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca
Natural Burials
When: Thursday, April 29th, 2021 @1:30 – 2:30 PM (EST)
Who: Susan Greer (Executive Director, Natural Burial Association) and David Love (Founding Director, Natural Burial Association).
Description: Natural burial grounds and land trusts share common goals. So why not partner? Join the Natural Burial Association (NBA) as they highlight the current status of the movement in Ontario, as well as insights into the conservation burial ground movement gleamed from the US.
To access this recorded webinar, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca
About the Speakers
Susan Greer
Susan is the Executive Director of the Natural Burial Association. One fateful day in 2018 she learned about natural burials while listening to CBC and it sparked a passion that hasn’t shown any signs of waning. She’s also on the board of the US Green Burial Council, and pitches in at her old agency Gravity Inc., a communications agency that supports non-profits.
David Love
David raised his first dollar for the environment in 1969. He raised his most recent one today. In 2013, the AFP Greater Toronto Chapter recognized his efforts by awarding him their lifetime achievement award. David is one of the founding directors of the Natural Burial Association. He also occasionally works on legacies with his daughter’s direct response company, Agents of Good, where he is affectionately known as “The Godfather of Good. On April 22, the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, his book, “Green Green: Reflections on 51 Years of Raising Money for Nature” will be published.
Indigenous Learning Series for Land Trusts
Webinar 1: Common Portrayals and Myths of Indigenous Peoples
When: Friday, April 16th, 2021 @1:00 – 3:00 PM (EST)
Who: Gary Pritchard, Principal Indigenous Ecologist and Engagement Specialist, 4 Directions of Conservation Consulting Services
Description: If Canadians are to create a space for reconciliation, then further education is needed for them to understand Indigenous ways of knowing.
But before we can begin that educational journey together, we need to address and eliminate some of the misconceptions, beliefs and inaccuracies Canadians with Indigenous peoples. This webinar targets some of those misconceptions that most Canadians believe that are true.
About the Speaker – Gary Pritchard
Gary Pritchard ~Giniw (Golden Eagle) is a Conservation Ecologist & Indigenous Engagement/Placemaking Specialist from Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario. Gary has had the privilege to work on behalf of Indigenous peoples throughout Ontario and Canada. He has travelled and worked in almost 300 Indigenous communities throughout Canada and the northern United States. He has brought a wealth of knowledge to both his Indigenous and non-Indigenous cliental performing a wide variety of services including: Indigenous Community Planning, land-use/traditional knowledge studies, Indigenous lead conservation and restoration, Ecological Monitoring using Two-eyed Seeing, Indigenous Place-making, capacity building, expert testimony, mediation between western science and traditional science and subject matter expert on behalf of Indigenous communities.
Gary loves to connect and educate people through nature. He does this through several mediums. His favourite way is through his wildlife photography and storytelling. He believes that if individuals especially youth can form a connection with nature then all people can make conscious decisions on how we impact Mother Earth and the next seven generations. Gary likes to spend much of his free time educating the youth about “All Our Relations,” with his most favourite students being his two children.
One of Gary’s greatest strength is that he is often able to be the one who acts as the bridge between the Indigenous Community and the western style of governance. Gary has successfully collaborated with many stakeholder groups, researchers, institutes, government agencies, Indigenous communities, and political organizations to address environmental concerns and identify practical solutions to environmental related issues.
To access this recorded webinar, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
Two Sides of the Same Coin: Connecting Invasive Species Action and Biodiversity Solutions
As part of OLTA’s Conserving Species at Risk Program , we offered a webinar over zoom on February 3, 2021, at 10:00AM – 11:00AM (EST) to make the case for linking invasive species action and species at risk recovery.
Invasive species are a leading cause of species losses globally and invasive species management provides land managers with an excellent opportunity to affect positive biodiversity change. In this webinar the Invasive Species Centre will demonstrate the many impacts of invasive species including the latest connections to Ontario’s economy, culture and environment. We will build the case for investment in invasive species prevention and mitigation, and highlight the policy and ecological linkages between invasive species action and many Species At Risk.
About the Speaker – Colin Cassin
Colin joined the Invasive Species Centre as a Policy and Program Development Analyst in 2018. His work supports connecting Canada’s many invasive species to species at risk, economics, and other related consequences of biological invasions. He was appointed to Ontario’s Species At Risk Program Advisory Committee in 2020, and is the Chair of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. He lives and works in Peterborough.
To access this recorded webinar, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
Restricted Funds
As part of OLTA’s Land Trusts Conservation Fund (LTCF) Capacity Building project, we offered a Restricted Funds webinar over zoom on January 27th at 2pm – 3pm (EST).
Our promise is to protect our lands forever. An important aspect to keep this promise is financial. Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices (2019) Standard 6 – Financial Oversight, Practice A – Fiscal Health states the need to:
- Build and maintain sufficient operating reserves to sustain operations
- Adopt and implement a plan to build and maintain dedicated or restricted funds sufficient to cover the long-term costs of stewarding and defending the land trust’s land and conservation agreements.
During this webinar we were joined by Mark Bisset (Executive Director, The Couchiching Conservancy) and Susan Walmer (Chief Executive Officer, Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust), who shared their land trust’s experiences with restricted funds.
To access this recorded webinar, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
Conservation Easement Agreement Webinar Series
Webinar 1: CEA Guide and Sample
When: Thursday, December 10th, 2020 @ 1:00 – 3:00 PM
During this webinar we will be joined by speakers Ian Attridge and Vicki Schmolka as they review the new guide and sample CEA. This webinar will highlight changes in the guide while outlining new S&P’s and any updated laws and policies that govern CEA’s. Ian will also provide valuable information on drafting a CEA to reflect and benefit Indigenous peoples and their interests.
Webinar 2: CEA Drafting, Violations, and Challenges
When: Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 @ 1:00 – 3:00 PM
OLTA will be joined by speakers Ian Attridge and Vicki Schmolka for our second CEA webinar – CEA Drafting, Violations and Challenges. During this webinar, we will review CEA drafting practices while referring back to S&P’s where appropriate.
We will also be joined by Tanna Elliott from The Kensington Conservancy and Bob Barnett from the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy who will provide case studies based on their experience and lessons learned when dealing with CEA violations.
Webinar 3: CEA Revitalization
When: Thursday, January 4th, 2021 @ 1:00 – 3:00 PM
This webinar is part 3 of our CEA Webinar Series, and will include case studies presented by Kristyn Ferguson from the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Susan Walmer from the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust to help you understand the process and value of CEA revitalization.
Webinar 4: Baseline Documentation Report (BDR) Guide Webinar
When: Friday, February 19th, 2021 @ 2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Ontario Land Trust Alliance’s (OLTA) Baseline Documentation Report (BDR) Guide was last updated in 2006. A team of four students from Fleming College worked in collaboration with OLTA staff and board to update the BDR Guide to reflect current legislation including the role of the BDR as a monitoring and enforcement tool. This update was completed through undertaking a review of relevant literature, other current BDR templates, feedback from an online survey targeting OLTA members, and valuable input from personal communication with other stakeholders.
An important section in the BDR Guide covers methods for updating a BDR and the reasons why an update may be necessary. Natural or human disturbances, CEA amendments, changes in legislation, and advancements in technology can all trigger an update, but what kind of update is required?
Webinar 5: CEA Monitoring and Landowner Relations
When: Wednesday, February 24th, 2021 @ 1:00 – 2:00 PM (EST)
A key aspect of our promise to protect our lands forever is that land trusts must have a program of responsible stewardship for their conservation agreements. During this webinar we were joined by speakers Bill Lougheed (Executive Director, Georgian Bay Land Trust), Brooks Greer (Land Protection Program Manager, Georgian Bay Land Trust) and Jamie Joudrey (Natural Heritage Coordinator, Ontario Heritage Trust), who shared their organization’s experiences with monitoring CEAs and maintaining regular communications with landowners. We were also be joined by Laura Kucey (Ontario’s Regional Coordinator for the Ecological Gifts Program), who offered an Ecological Gifts Program perspective during the webinar.
To access the recordings from this webinar series, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
Climate Action Webinar and OTF Recognition Event
On November 27, 2020, OLTA hosted a free Climate Action Webinar as a part of our Climate Action Program funded through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
One of our greatest tools in our fight against climate change is hiding in plain site – nature! Nature Based Climate Solutions refer to actions that protect and restore nature which functions to capture and store carbon, reduce carbon emissions and help communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
You can access this recording here.
Introduction to Miradi Training
As part of OLTA’s LTCF Capacity Building project and in collaboration with Réseau de milieux naturels protégés (RMN) and Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia (LTABC), we offered an Introduction to Miradi webinar on December 1st, 2020. Miradi guides nature conservation practitioners to design, manage, monitor, and learn from their projects to more effectively meet their conservation goals following a process laid out by the Open Standards.
This session is a hands-on training session using Miradi software to plan conservation projects based on the Open Standards. Through theoretical support and practical exercises, you will learn how to create a new project, create a conceptual model, assess risks, formulate a work plan and create and use Miradi reports.
This training will provide you with tools to:
- visualize and document your soon-to-be protected sites,
- identify which threats affect their conservation targets or which ones are the most significant,
- assess which actions will influence the situation and results on your property, as well as how you will operationalize your stewardship plan through a clear work plan and a budget.
To access this recorded webinar, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
OLTA Land Securement Webinar Series
Webinar 1: Negotiations from Start to Finish
Presented by Robert Orland and Kate Potter from Orland Conservation
The first webinar in our series will offer a detailed review of the land securement negotiation process. Working from landowner negotiations to dealing with third-party service providers before closing the deal, this webinar will include tips and lessons learned from Orland Conservation’s experience securing 5,000 acres of land in Ontario. Learn how to safeguard your resources while determining solutions that fit everyone’s needs: your partners/funders, the landowner and you!
Webinar 2: Land Securement Funders
Presented by Kate Potter, Orland Conservation, with special guests from land securement funding organizations
Long gone are the days when land securement funding was in ample supply, but it is not all bad news. Hear from current funders about funding opportunities for land acquisition strategies and more!
To access these recorded webinars: OLTA members – $15 per webinar, $25 for both. Non-members – $25 per webinar, $40 for both. OLTA is pleased to extend member pricing to members of any land trust alliance in Canada. To access these webinar recordings, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
Accessible Trails – Practical Design Tips Webinar
Given the excellent response to our Gathering workshop, Sustainable Trails for All, OLTA hosted an additional webinar on building accessible trails with Allen MacPherson from Fleming College. Allen provided an overview of the techniques and hands-on skills that are needed to plan, design and construct a sustainable/accessible trail that provides enjoyment for all. Whether you work with an existing trail or are contemplating a new trail, this presentation is for you! This webinar is free of charge – please request the recording by email.
Land Securement Training Webinars
Webinar 1: Reducing Land Securement Costs – From Contact to Closing
Presented by Robert Orland, Orland Conservation
The first webinar in our series will examine strategic, cost-saving methods to complete land and trail acquisition projects for your land trust, conservation authority or municipality. Learn how you can reduce securement costs through creative acquisitions, negotiations and strategic partnering. The discussion will cover methods for successfully negotiating costs with appraisers, partners and other professionals (e.g., surveyors, environmental consultants, lawyers). These solutions can assist with identifying cost-effective approaches to expand or connect existing natural areas and important trails.
Webinar 2: Landowner Contact – Getting to Yes!
Presented by Kate Potter, Orland Conservation
An effective landowner contact program will foster community education about land conservation and greenspace stewardship. This session will explore best practices in community engagement for land conservation, reviewing the process of landowner contact in detail while identifying and overcoming potential barriers. Topics will include (but not limited to): using GIS to target properties; turning cold calls into warm leads; what to insert into mail out packages; when and how to call, or drop by.
To access these recorded webinars: OLTA members – $15 per webinar, $25 for both. Non-members – $25 per webinar, $40 for both. OLTA is pleased to extend member pricing to members of any land trust alliance in Canada. To access these webinar recordings, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
Ecological Gift Program – Training Webinars
Learn about the Ecological Gifts Program of Environment Canada, and how to promote it to your donors! OLTA has two recorded training webinars on the Ecological Gifts Program, which will provide you with a better understanding of this program, its requirements and processes.
Webinar 1: EcoGifts Primer
This webinar is great for anyone wanting a general overview of the EGP. It will be useful for staff and board members who are new to, or relatively inexperienced with the EcoGifts process, as well as landowners considering making a gift.
Webinar 2: EcoGifts Advanced
This webinar builds on the information presenting in EcoGifts Primer and provides a more in-depth look at the EGP, exploring issues such as change of use, split receipting, conservation easements and more.
To access these recorded webinars: OLTA members – $15 per webinar, $25 for both. Non-members – $25 per webinar, $40 for both. OLTA is pleased to extend member pricing to members of any land trust alliance in Canada. To access these webinar recordings, please contact the OLTA office at 416-588-6582 or admin@olta.ca.
2020 Workshops & Trainings
Carbon Offset – Webinar
This webinar took place on April 16th from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm via Adobe Connect. Presented by Cornelia Rindt from Nature Bank to cover information land trusts and other organizations should know before they enter the carbon market and some information on the new federal protocol which is expected to be released later this year. Bob Barnett from Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy and a representative from Carbon Zero also discussed EBC’s offset project. Through this webinar you will learn the steps involved in evaluating your land, getting your credits to the market, and selling them.
Conservation Planning In Practice – Webinar
This webinar is presented as part of OLTA’s Land Trust Capacity Building project and took place on February 10th at 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm via Adobe Connect. The webinar will cover conservation planning as well as tips to creating your conservation plan on a budget through real-life case studies.The webinar was presented by Kate Potter of Smooth River Consulting.
Kate has worked for 15 years in the conservation field, seven of those working in conservation land acquisition. Since 2018, Kate owns and operates Smooth River Consulting which focuses on multi-stakeholder collaboration projects (www.smoothriverconsulting.com).
You can access the recorded webinar here or just the presentation slides here.
2019 Workshops & Trainings
OLTA Standards & Practices Engagement
After a 15-month consultation process, the Canadian Land Trust Alliance is happy to release the revised version of the Canadian Standards and Practices! It means that the land trust community in Canada benefits from more readable, accessible and up-to-date industry standards. It will help land trusts to uphold public trust, and build stronger and more effective land conservation programs.
OLTA is undertaking a program to assist our members to implement these revised S&Ps more effectively. The program consists of a survey on S&Ps implementation, two workshops, focus groups to identify ongoing training needs and a project to develop collate and share best practice materials.
Two workshops took place on February 19th at the Orillia Library and on February 26th at the Arboretum in Guelph. The workshops covered an overview of S&P changes and a deeper dive into specific Standards, including Ensuring Sound Transactions, Conservation Easement Defense and Endowments. Attendees were encouraged to share their experiences and resources.
Presentations from the workshops are available below:
S&P Overview – Presented by Alison Howson, OLTA.
CLT Standards and Practices 2019 Revisions – Presented by Marie-Michèle Rousseau-Clair, NCC.
Standard 9: Ensuring Sound Transactions & Standard 12A: Funding Land Stewardship – Presented by Antoin Diamond, Bruce Trail Conservancy.
Standard 11: CEA Stewardship and Defense – Presented by Ian Attridge, OLTA CEA Working Group Member, OLTA Governor, and Lawyer
Standard 11A: Funding Conservation Agreement Stewardship & Standard 12A: Funding Land Stewardship – Susan Walmer, Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust.
Standard 12: Land Stewardship – Presented by Marie-Michèle Rousseau-Clair, NCC.
Putting it into practice: DIY species at risk monitoring, management, and outreach
Land conservation plays an essential role in the protection and recovery of species at risk in Ontario. Monitoring, management and outreach programs are an important way to ensure conservation lands continue to protect species at risk and engage the community in species at risk recovery.
This workshop took place on February 14th from 10 am – 3 pm at rare Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge.
The workshop included a series of presentations on native bumblebee and Monarch monitoring and outreach, turtle recovery, butternut tree recovery, and planning prescribed burns. The presentations provided information needed to implement these programs on conservation lands. Speaker organizations included Forest Gene Conservation Association, Long Point Basin Land Trust, Ontario Nature, rare Charitable Research Reserve, and Wildlife Preservation Canada.
The workshop was $55 for OLTA members and $95 for non-members. Price included light breakfast and lunch.
2018 Workshops & Training
Cross-border Conservation Training Workshop
You are invited to participate in a cross-border conservation training workshop taking place on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Toronto Airport, 3299 Caroga Dr. Mississauga, ON L4V 1A3. Full travel and accommodation stipends will be available.
The cross-border conservation tax publication and calculator currently being developed by OLTA and American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts will be demonstrated. There will be presentations from legal, accounting, the Ecological Gifts Program and OLTA member perspectives. We will also provide information on how different programs can benefit US taxpaying land donors.
In addition, we will explore how cross-border conservation can be effectively considered during pro-active conservation efforts like securement strategies and outreach campaigns.
Land Trusts, Conservation Authorities, Municipalities, Lawyers, Accountants, Planners and Real Estate Agents are encouraged to attend. Please feel free to invite others who contribute to your organization to attend the workshop.
Watch for a member bulletin announcing the workshop details.
This project is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Ontario.
Ecological Gifts Program: Regional Workshop
Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program (EGP) provides a way for landowners in Canada with ecologically sensitive land to protect nature and leave a legacy for future generations. OLTA is pleased to announce two regional workshops to provide you with a better understanding of this program, its requirements and processes. Land Trusts, Conservation Authorities and Municipalities are encouraged to attend. Staff and board members involved in land acquisition, donor relations and property management will all benefit from the topics. Please feel free to invite others who contribute to your organization to attend the workshop.
See workshop flyer for more details.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018 Orillia Public Library 36 Mississaga Street West |
Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Bird Studies Canada 115 Front Street, Port Rowan |
This project is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada.
2017 Workshops & Training
Ecological Gifts Program: Regional Workshops
Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program (EGP) provides a way for Canadians with ecologically sensitive land to protect nature and leave a legacy for future generations. OLTA is pleased to announce two regional workshops to provide you with a better understanding of this program, its requirements and processes.
This full-day workshop will be beneficial for anyone wanting a general overview of the EGP. It will be useful for staff and board members who are new to, or would like an in-depth refresher of the Ecological Gifts Program process. In addition to the submission process and how submissions are evaluated, the workshop will also cover the financial benefits of going through the EGP (of interest to your donors and board members), and reviewing appraisals (for those of us who are not appraisers). See workshop flyer for more details.
Thursday, January 26, 2017 The Bruce Trail Conservancy office 55 Head Street, Dundas ON |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 Quinte Conservation office 2016 Old Highway 2, Belleville ON |
This project is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Species At Risk Workshops
Join the Ontario Land Trust Alliance and our new expert presenters for 2017. Download the SAR Workshop flyer – Winter 2017.
London Workshop
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority boardroom, 1424 Clarke Road, London ON, N5V 5B9.
Monday, December 11, 2017 8:30 am—3:00 pm
Topics will include:
- Reptiles At Risk: Growing Threats and Recovery Efforts in Southwestern Ontario
- Loggerhead Shrike Recovery in Ontario
- Evidence-based Conservation Management of At-Risk Bees
- Federal Aquatic Species at Risk
- Bats At Risk
Belleville Workshop
Quinte Conservation Authority boardroom, 2061 Old Highway 2, Belleville, ON K8N 4Z2
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
9:30 am—3:00 pm
Topics will include:
- Management Actions to Mitigate and Promote Recovery of Reptile Species at Risk
- Birds At Risk in Agricultural Landscapes
- Bioacoustic Monitoring of Biodiversity on Land Trust Properties
- How NHIC and Land Trust Associations Can Work Together to Optimize Our Conservation Impact
2016 Workshops & Training
Ecological Gifts Program: Real Estate Appraisal Workshop
This interactive workshop will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the Ecological Gifts Program (EGP) Appraisal Review Panel and considerations for commissioning, undertaking and reviewing real estate appraisals of natural lands and interests of lands.
This workshop will greatly benefit anyone who writes, commissions or is in need of an appraisal of land/interests in land for conservation purposes, including all EGP Eligible Recipients, land securement/conservation staff, real estate appraisers, land trust board members, and landowners working with conservation organizations.
When: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Where: Black Creek Pioneer Village, 1000 Murray Ross Parkway, Toronto, ON M3J 2P3
Cost: $50 for OLTA Members & Associates; $75 for non-members
See workshop flyer for more details.
2015 Workshops & Training
Regional Training Workshops
OLTA held a one-day Assessing Your Organization Training Workshop, March 5, 2015 in Innisfil, ON. We had presentations from Kimberley MacKenzie, CFRE on sustainable fundraising programs and from Wanda Stephen and Laura Salmon of Kawartha Conservation on Human Resource issues. Contact our office for copies of these presentations.
OLTA’s Species at Risk Workshops
OLTA is offering two workshops on Conserving Species at Risk on Land Trust Property in the fall of 2015. These regionally based workshops will cover how to undertake a SAR inventory, and advice on conservation actions for some of the following species/groups: turtle and snake species at risk, plants, forest birds, fishes, mussels and bats.
Orillia Workshop – held at Orillia Library, Orillia, L3V 3A6, on Monday, December 7, 2015 9.30am – 3pm
- How to record Species at Risk on Your Property, including SAR Plants Case Study.
- Identifying and Addressing Threats to SAR Reptiles.
- Bats Species at Risk Surveying and Increasing Engagement
- Fish and Mussel Species at Risk in Ontario.
South West Workshop – held at UTRCA, London, N5V 5B9, ON on Thursday, December 10, 2015 9.30am – 3pm
- Identifying and Addressing Threats to SAR reptiles.
- Best stewardship Practices for Plant Species at Risk.
- Current actions for Species at Risk birds.
- Bats Species at Risk Surveying and Increasing Engagement.
- Fish and Mussel Species at Risk in Ontario.