Catalyze

WCCN catalyzes resources and expertise to solve and reduce barriers to collaboration, fill critical gaps in collaborative capacity, and share best practices.

Together, we create more durable and lasting conservation solutions.

Structure of the WCCN

The WCCN partnership is comprised of the Steering Committee, six Working Groups tackling priority network activities, and partners representing collaborative conservation groups!

You can view the WCCN All Partners List here (formerly called the Leadership Team).

Learn more about our network’s approach by reading our founding charter.

The following Working Groups advance objectives of the Network.

Steering Committee

Responsible for Network oversight and governance. Makes decisions in consultation with Leadership Team. Advances high-level tasks e.g., annual work plans, budgets and fundraising. Coordinates and communicates between Working Groups. Meets monthly. Consists of 1 or 2 people per state, from collaboratives or support organizations and representing Working Groups.

The current Steering Committee:

Aireona Raschke, Center for Collaborative Conservation, Colorado
Dave Bastian, Canyon Country Discovery Center, Utah
Richard Alper, Mediator & Facilitator, Colorado
Rox Hicks, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Wyoming
Tahnee Robertson, Southwest Decision Resources (and Southwest Collaborative Support Network), Arizona
Barb Kipreos, University of California, Irvine, California
Audrey Clavijo, Collaborative Decision Resources, Colorado
Crystal Medina, New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, University of New Mexico, New Mexico

Contact Aireona Bonnie Raschke if you have any questions.

Awareness & Engagement Working Group

Maintains communication platforms to connect network participants and grow our community of practice. Uses communication tools to increase awareness of and support for the collaborative approach to conservation. Tools include: newsletter, listservs, regional collaboration map, case studies and stories, and social media.

Subscribe to our mailing list!
Connect with other WCCN participants
Watch our videos and read about collaboratives throughout the American West– how the work, how they’re structured, and the important work they do– in the WCCN’s Collaboratives Behind the Scenes blog series
Follow our Network on social media

We meet the 3rd Thursday of the month from 9:00am-10:00am. Join the Zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/91357376822.

Contact Rox Hicks or Rich Alper to get involved.

Capacity Building Working Group

Convenes the collaborative conservation community, virtually and in person, to strengthen collaboration skills and sharpen tools, and build the capacity of collaborative groups. Peers learning from peers, on the ground, across diverse landscapes and communities, is a priority. Confluence is the signature event co-hosted regionally every 18 months.

Learn about upcoming opportunities and capacity-building trainings here
Find resources and trainings for capacity-building opportunities in CRaFT
Internships and Mentoring Directory (downloadable excel file)
Organizational Capacity Building Directory (downloadable excel file)
Join us at WCCN Events

We meet the 3rd Thursday of every month. Contact Aireona Bonnie Raschke to get involved.

Emerging Leadership Working Group

Convenes conservationists new to the field of collaborative conservation with innovative visions for the future of conservation work and the motivation, passion, and collaborative mindset to work toward that vision. We invite collaborative conservationists at all career levels to join our Emerging Leaders Working Group conversations which cover topics including mentorship, supporting emerging leaders from marginalized communities, and so much more.

Check out some of the network’s emerging leaders in our Emerging Leaders blog series!

We are currently developing a mentorship toolkit of best practices – click HERE to learn more.

Join us for deep discussions and peer support. We meet 3rd Tuesdays from 1:00pm-2:30pm on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86715994181. Contact Jessica Archibald to get involved.

GIS Working Group

Convenes collaborative groups with any interest or skill level in mapping and Geographic Information Systems with the goal of sharing ideas and resources that can enhance collaboration through the use of geospatial technology. This group also serves as a community of practitioners to help one another troubleshoot problems or learn about new techniques for using GIS.

The WCCN GIS Working Group has recently launched a new Google Group for anyone interested in GIS in the conservation realm. This platform is intended to serve as an information-sharing platform and a place to ask for advice, get GIS-related questions answered, and connect with other GIS practitioners in the conservation realm.

If you are looking for GIS support and community, join the group by following this link: https://groups.google.com/g/wccngis. We also invite you to check out our new website!

Legacy Working Groups

Collaborative Governance Working Group (formerly called Public Policy WG)

Identified and encouraged ways public land management agencies can institutionalize collaborative conservation as a way of doing business. This working group developed and shared keys to success for public agency personnel as effective collaborative conservation partners and leaders:

Not currently active.

Sustainable Funding Working Group

Convenes funders and practitioners to explore regional funding capacity issues for collaboratives and develops strategies to reduce barriers and fill needs. Designs and implements a long-term funding strategy to sustain the Network.

The Sustainable Funding Working Group is focused on learning about and addressing funding challenges for the WCCN, including the many organizations that are part of the WCCN.

Donate to support this Network and it’s diverse participants
We recently held a philanthropy workshop and published an article titled, Best Practices for Collaborative Conservation Philanthropy

Contact John Sanderson to learn more.