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 Center for Collaborative Conservation-funded support staff tackling priority network activities, Working Groups advancing knowledge and peer support in their respective focus areas, and partners representing collaborative conservation groups! Learn more about our network’s approach by reading our founding charter.

Learn more about each of our WCCN Working Groups below.

Collaborative Voices Working Group

We collect and share stories from across the West, amplifying the collaborative voices of our network. Our Working Group aims to be a space for communicators in collaborative conservation organizations across the West to find peer support and engage in storytelling with our network. Our flagship project is the WCCN quarterly newsletter “Collaborative Voices”.

Subscribe to our mailing list!
Share your stories with the network by submitting them for our quarterly “Collaborative Voices” newsletter
Read about collaboratives– how they work, how they’re structured, and the important work they do– in the WCCN’s Collaboratives Behind the Scenes blog series here. Read about Emerging Leaders in the field here.
Raise your collaborative voice by guest-writing a blog post! Reach out to Roxie at conserve@colostate.edu with your ideas and/or for more information on our ongoing blog series.
Connect with other WCCN participants and share opportunities (jobs, events, trainings, funding, etc) with them by emailing Roxie at conserve@colostate.edu.
Watch professional development and training videos on our Youtube channel.
Follow our Network on social media.

We meet the 3rd Monday from 1:30-2:30pm. Contact Rox Hicks and 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 varied 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, 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

Convened funders and practitioners to explore regional funding capacity issues for collaboratives and developed strategies to reduce barriers and fill needs.

The Sustainable Funding Working Group 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 held a philanthropy workshop and published an article titled, Best Practices for Collaborative Conservation Philanthropy

Contact John Sanderson to learn more.

Not currently active.