An official website of

Confluence

Confluence (n)
“A coming or flowing together, the junction of two rivers, especially rivers of approximately equal width, an act or process of merging, joining, meeting place, gathering, a point of mixing”.

Save the Date for Confluence 2024!

Western Collaborative Conservation Network’s  Confluence 2024 

To be held April 2-4, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona

Confluence is the Western Collaborative Conservation Network’s premier community-building and learning event, open to practitioners, researchers, community members, and students working in the collaborative conservation field.

  • Meet new collaborative conservation professionals and reconnect with old friends.
  • Join peer-to-peer learning sessions and other capacity building opportunities.

Please let us know if you are interested in coming! 

To be added to the interested list and to receive Confluence details in the coming months:

WHO SHOULD ATTEND WCCN CONFLUENCE? Confluence is perfect for conservationists, collaborative practitioners, local, state and federal agency members, land owners, academics, students, and community members from across the Western US who are experienced or interested in collaboration as a key element of their work.

BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS: Come away equipped with new skills and knowledge in the practice of collaborative conservation by expanding your “collaborative toolbox”, find new inspiration in the sharing of lessons learned and by examining relevant case studies, and deepen your connections to the values, places, and people that make our work so enriching.

To stay up-to-date with details about WCCN events, subscribe to the WCCN newsletter.

Questions? Please contact Aireona Raschke at araschke@colostate.edu.

SPONSORSHIPS: Interested in helping sponsor the next WCCN Confluence? Reach out to Aireona Raschke for more information about becoming a sponsor and the benefits you’ll receive.

Confluence 2022

Thank you to all who joined us for Confluence 2022 on September 19-21, in beautiful Paradise Valley, Montana

We loved gathering in person with you all and re-connecting as a network with members across 11 states. During Confluence 2022, we discussed pressing issues in our collaborative work, catalyzed action, and provided capacity-building opportunities to participants.

Find key takeaways, summaries of the keynote presentations, and speaker reflections and resources from this year’s Confluence in our Confluence 2022 Key Takeaways Report.

Confluence 2022 focused on three key collaborative conservation topics:

  • Cross-cultural Collaboration
  • Community-based Landscape Conservation
  • Collaborating on Water in the West

 

We took a deep look at Paradise Valley, Montana and used it as a lens to learn about collaborative conservation throughout the American West.

Confluence is a perfect conference for conservation practitioners, academics, students, and volunteers from across the Western United States who are experienced or interested in collaboration as a key element of their work.

MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES: We support emerging leaders through Confluence by connecting people looking for mentors with folks willing to support through mentorship. Read more about the mentorship program here!

PEER-TO-PEER: Confluence 2022 featured six concurrent workshops (aka peer-to-peer sessions) focused on skill-building, and cross-pollination exercises that allowed for enhanced networking among participants and “equipping” opportunities.  Topics of the workshops included: (1) measuring collaborative impacts, (2) emerging leadership, (3) storytelling, communications and media, (4) conservation finance, (5) the collaborator’s toolbox, and (6) cross-cultural partnerships.

“ECO-TERRAIN” CASE STUDIES: The “Eco-terrain” case studies were four place-based scenarios in Montana that showcased new (and old) collaborative partnerships among Montana residents, and address various social and environmental challenges. Together, we learned and problem solved through the exploration of these case studies.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Full and partial scholarships, as well as travel stipends, are made available by the WCCN Team each Confluence.

FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to acknowledge and thank the funders and supporters that are making Confluence 2022 possible:

Benefactors: $10,000 and above

Alper Family Foundation

Ed Warner and Jackie Erickson

World Wildlife Fund, Northern Great Plains Program

Leaders: $5,000 – $9,999


Center for Collaborative Conservation

The Kendeda Fund

University of Montana, Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy

US FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife

Guarantors: $2,500 – $4,999


National Parks and Conservation Association

The Nature Conservancy in Montana

Champions: $1,000 – $2,499


Bill and Dana Milton

Heart of the Rockies Initiative

Montana Forest Collaboration Network

Montana Watershed Coordination Council

National Forest Foundation

Salazar Center for North American Conservation

Western Landowners Alliance

Guardians: Up to $999


American Conservation Experience

BioRegions International

Jessica Western

John Sanderson

Kestrel Aerial Services, Chris Boyer

Montana Wilderness Association

Park County Environmental Council

Rox Hicks

Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition

SeaBird Strategies

Slam

South North Nexus

Swan Valley Connections

The Common Ground Project

Wild MT

Confluence 2020

The WCCN held its inaugural Confluence in March 2020. 

Members of collaborative conservation groups and their support organizations gathered from across the West to CONNECT to peers, CONVENE to learn new collaboration skills and practice new tools, and CATALZE action on issues that limit conservation success.

The Confluence program, re-cap video, report, and post-Confluence evaluation can be found here:

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