Programs

The New Field Trip Landscape — Engaging Schools Post-Pandemic

Since the pandemic, public school partnerships have changed dramatically for many of us. How do we re-engage teachers, principals and school districts and capitalize on the growing trend of taking students outside to learn science? Let’s discuss successes, failures and strategies for challenges such as reduced funding, communication, teacher buy-in and evaluating program effectiveness.

FACILITATOR
Rachel Anderson, Naturalist at Warner Park Nature Center

Public Funds, Partnerships, and Capital Campaigns: Make Your Money Work for You!

Is your nature center part of a public/private partnership? Need some capital improvements? Have you successfully launched a capital campaign for your nature center on public property? Join the discussion about how to leverage public funds to kick-start or contribute to your capital campaign! Learn and discuss how working with public partners such as your city councilperson or county commissioner can lead to supporting capital improvements. Let’s discuss what it takes to get to the next step- taking those public funds and multiplying them with private funding.

FACILITATOR
Sara Beesley, Director of Mitchell Lake Audubon Center

Prioritizing Animal Welfare: Benefits of Happy and Healthy Animals for Your Nature Center

Our animal ambassadors connect visitors to nature in an exciting way! They create memorable experiences that can inspire people to help conserve and protect wildlife and the environment. But without prioritizing animal welfare, these “magical moments” with guests may come at the cost of an animal’s quality of life. Stressed animals mostly hide or lay still, while animals that feel safe and secure will explore and exhibit natural behaviors that visitors truly enjoy. Anyone that utilizes animals at their nature center are encouraged to join this roundtable to learn, share, and ask questions. You will leave this discussion with tools to implement systems that prioritize, maintain, and evaluate animal welfare, regardless of the amount of staff or resources you have.

FACILITATOR
Elizabeth Schultz, Nature Center Coordinator at Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center

Succeeding at Succession Planning

What is succession planning and why is it important for your organization? Let’s focus on the “success” in succession planning and how it can set your organization up for  long-term sustainability. Whether you have done a succession plan before or not, come join us to delve into the different types of succession plans, common misconceptions, when is the right time to do one, how much it costs, how long it takes, how to convince your Board to do it, and resources to help get you started. Bring your experience and your questions and let’s help each other plan for success.

FACILITATORS
Kay Carlson, President/CEO at Nature Center at Shaker Lakes
Kitty Pochman, Executive Director at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation

Hiring and Retaining a Diverse Staff in the 2020's

The goal of the discussion will be to learn best practices and sharing new innovative tactics and strategies to hire and retain a diverse staff. In today's market hiring practices, onboarding and retention is vital to nature centers future. This session will feature time for small-group discussion, and create a toolkit for participants to walk away with.

FACILITATORS
Leigh Ann Miller, Director of Grange Insurance Audubon Center
Sara Beesley, Director of Mitchell Lake Audubon Center

Maximizing Our Marketing

A marketing professional at a nature center often wears many hats: copywriter, photographer, videographer, graphic designer, public relations specialist, social media manager, website designer, fundraiser, and more. How do we balance it all?

In this Facilitated Discussion we’ll talk about strategies to prioritize time, how small teams (or teams of one) can get the most out of their work, and the best tools and resources for marketing at nature centers. Let’s discuss what’s working for you, what isn’t, and all the marketing topics in between.

FACILITATORS
Kristen Cooper, Director of Marketing and Communications at Irvine Nature Center
Asa Duffee, Director of Marketing and Communications at ANCA

Giving Gratitude

In this session, we will focus on the importance of giving gratitude in our day-to-day work. From thanking donors (acknowledgment letter, special thanks for specific giving levels, new donor thank you, special events, etc.) to acknowledging the good work of staff (job preference, special skills, etc.), these interactions can make or break a relationship. As a group, we'll discuss tips and tricks for making this action a priority in your day-to-day life. We'll spend time sharing specific tactics that you and others have found to be successful, and we'll practice delivering gratitude. You'll find that no matter the mission, budget, or location, acknowledging the good in others is a key for success!

FACILITATORS
Jenn Wright, Executive Director at Grass River Natural Area
Dennis Pilaske, Executive Director at Chippewa Nature Center

Food Justice

We talk about sustainable farming, seed saving and urban gardening, but are we missing an opportunity to truly fight for food justice? How do we build authentic relationships with Black-led organizations and Indigenous people to reframe the narratives on key issues such as land access, food sovereignty and the “alternative food movement.” Let’s have a conversation and share ideas on how our nature centers and organizations can take an active, supportive, intentional role in expanding food access and championing food education in our communities.

FACILITATOR
Rachel Anderson, Naturalist at Warner Park Nature Center

Historical Giving Analysis: Is Your Organization Ready to Consider a Capital Campaign?

After working in philanthropy for more than 20 years and leading and supporting several capital campaigns, I noticed that leadership teams often decide to launch campaigns because they hope they can raise the needed funds. I frequently say, however, “hope is not a strategy,” and my entire career in fundraising has really borne this out.

Thinking critically, honestly, and strategically about your organization’s philanthropic track record should be the first step to considering whether to launch a capital campaign. This process should be informed by actual data and a detailed historical giving analysis. Often, nonprofit leaders have important subject matter expertise, but limited fundraising experience. In this session, consider 1) what historical giving analysis is, 2) how it can benefit your planning, 3) how to complete one internally, and 4) how to use the recommendations that flow from it to inform your leadership’s decision-making and planning. This topic feels particularly relevant to nature centers, which often have serious capital needs as they work hard to care for extensive physical infrastructure that needs to be maintained, replaced, and endowed.

Workshop goals:

• Learn what historical giving analysis is and how it can help your organization explore growth.
• Learn how to gather the information you'll need to conduct an internal historical giving analysis.
• Learn how to conduct an internal historical giving analysis.
• Learn how to use the results of an internal historical giving analysis to inform decision-making on whether and what size capital campaign might be appropriate.
• Build core skills in philanthropy to support your organization's mission.

PRESENTER
Heather DeGaetano serves as Managing Director and General Counsel for Reflection Arboretum and Nature Center. She also founded Right Hand Strategies, which provides training, facilitation, and consulting services to organizations across the Southeast. Previously, Heather served as Director of Development at the Chi Omega Foundation and the Tennessee Aquarium. She served as the CARES Fund Administrator for Southeast Tennessee, distributing more than $24 million to community-serving organizations. She served as an Adjunct Professor in the Public Administration program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, teaching Legal Aspects of Nonprofit Management and Resource Development and Management. She is a licensed attorney and the primary author of A Guide to Starting a Nonprofit in Tennessee.

Inspiring Climate Change Action for the Next Generation

The Howard County Conservancy recently launched two climate change education programs for students in grades 6-12, bringing current climate science, realistic solutions, and action projects to thousands of students within Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS). Funded by a NOAA B-WET grant, the goal of Climate kNOWledge is to implement a district-wide climate change curriculum with meaningful watershed educational experiences that engages every sixth grade HCPSS student and teacher in robust hands-on climate science. Climate kNOWledge pairs climate change and climate justice education, schoolyard data collection, and a solutions-based field experience with intensive teacher professional development to support student action projects in their school communities. The Youth Climate Institute is a youth-led, three year certification program for high school students. By participating in the program, students will learn the fundamentals of climate science, join an action team focused on positive solutions in their communities, and become better science communicators. During a student’s senior year, they can earn an honors designation for their certification by working closely with a community partner on a climate change capstone project that addresses a specific community need. The Howard County Conservancy, a local, non-profit environmental education center, headquartered at the 300 year old, 232-acre Mt. Pleasant farmstead in Howard County, Md. 

PRESENTERS
Bess Caplan began her career teaching at an outdoor science school in California and has since worked in a variety of environmental-based positions including as a natural resources scientist, as the lead educator for the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, and now as the Climate Change Program Manager for the Howard County Conservancy.

Jessica Kohout began her role as the Youth Climate Institute Manager at the Howard County Conservancy in February, 2022. Prior to this, she taught high school Biology for 17 years. She was awarded the Howard County Green Apple Award in 2020 for her tireless efforts helping to connect students to STEM and environmental opportunities in and out of the classroom.

Risk Management for Outdoor Programs

This workshop aims to help nature center administrators take advantage of the best contemporary thinking on incident prevention and mitigation to help ensure their outdoor programs exhibit excellence in risk management. We’ll take a look at theoretical models of incident causation developed by researchers in the aviation and healthcare industries, and explore how they can be applied to nature centers, environmental learning centers, and outdoor schools. We’ll explore how complex systems theory and resilience engineering can be used to develop and implement high-quality risk management plans for outdoor programs. Participants will leave the workshop with practical ideas they can use right away to improve safety at their organization. The workshop is most applicable to programs that offer activities in remote outdoor settings, or provide adventure experiences (like whitewater or backpacking trips).

PRESENTER
Jeff Baierlein (he/him) is an author, consultant, and trainer on environmental education, outdoor risk management, and nonprofit leadership. Jeff directs the consultancy Viristar, providing safety, curriculum design, and strategy consulting and training to environmental education and related organizations. Jeff worked as a naturalist with Massachusetts Audubon, Maine Audubon, Aullwood Audubon Center, and Glen Helen. He administered environmental education programs as Director of Education Services of NatureBridge-Olympic and Executive Director of the Boojum Institute. Jeff is an outdoor safety expert witness and the former Executive Director of Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School. He has served on numerous nonprofit Boards and provided training and consulting to organizations in over 40 countries. Jeff has degrees in Environmental Education, Human Development, and Business Management, and lives in Seattle, Washington.

Roots & Fruits: How Campaigns Can Ground and Grow Your Organization

This workshop will teach you how to design, implement and execute a campaign using real cases, decisions, and examples. We’ll review best practices and emerging issues in campaign preparation, communications, and the ability to adjust in this changing environment. You will walk away understanding the how and way of fundamentals and enhanced steps to manage and develop a comprehensive campaign.

• Understand how to develop strategies for resourcing a campaign and building a case for support.
• Learn the fundamentals of building a comprehensive/capital campaign.
• Discuss how feedback in a feasibility study impacts the eventual campaign, how campaign committees are structured (and the benefits and challenges of working with volunteers), and the breakdown of responsibilities play out in partnering with a consultant.
• Be able to adapt to the unexpected and develop strategies to keep your campaign on track.
• Learn how to employ campaign analytics including goal setting, tracking progress to goal, and projections.
• Create mini campaigns to keep campaign momentum and meet institutional goals during unprecedented times.
• Closing a successful campaign- we’ll discuss how the public phase differs from the quiet phase, how to activate a campaign committee and the Board, what to do when a campaign lulls, and how to keep momentum going as the campaign moves into the later years.

PRESENTERS
Jason Sanders, Executive Director of Dodge Nature Center and Preschool in West St. Paul Minnesota. With 22+ years of experience in the nonprofit sector, he brings a passion for environmental education and conservation to the forefront of philanthropy. Jason is currently leading Dodge through a $40 million comprehensive campaign, including Capital, Annual Support, and Endowment.

Jake Muszynski, of Creative Fundraising Advisors (CFA), a Twin Cities-based fundraising consulting firm that serves a national base of clients. As CFA’s VP, Jake works directly with clients, creating custom solutions unique to their needs. Jake has extensive consulting experience working on campaigns, and has been the primary consultant working with CFA’s Environment & Parks and Recreation clients, including:, Green Minneapolis, Saint Paul Parks Conservancy, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center.

Unpack Your Strategic Plan! How to Maximize Your Nature Center with Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is a key tool for nature centers to envision a future that meets the needs of an organization and its community. Unpack what goes into making action-packed and effective strategic plans that meet your nature center's vision. We will use BLM Campbell Creek Science Center as a case study on how strategic planning creates dynamic change in an organization. Practice developing your own simple plan — and come away with something tangible to take home and put into action! 

PRESENTER
Nancy Patterson serves as the director of the Bureau of Land Management’s Campbell Creek Science Center (CCSC) in Anchorage, Alaska. CCSC works with learners and partners across Alaska’s diverse socio-geographic areas to provide statewide environmental education for BLM Alaska. Nancy has led the CCSC's effort to expand its statewide outreach using diverse methods in relationship building, strategic planning, social emotional learning, and organizational change management. Nancy holds a Master of Science in Conservation Social Sciences from the University of Idaho and has worked in and supported protected area management across the Western United States, Ecuador, Guatemala, and the Republic of Georgia.

Building, Engaging and Maintaining a Great Board of Directors

Developing a well-functioning board of directors is Job #1 for organizations committed to achieving their mission. Burnout is a common phenomenon, with a few heroic board members carrying the freight for the entire group. In this workshop Cathy Allen, aka "The Board Doctor," will discuss high-yield strategies for analyzing your board’s composition and building a well-rounded board with all the skills and characteristics needed to meet current and future goals. She helps you design a program of orientation and ongoing communication that will keep board members engaged and active throughout their tenure. There’s no need to go it alone! Come learn Allen’s top ten tips to building and maintaining a great board. As a special bonus, she will step you through a recruitment technique using LinkedIn she’s been successfully implementing for her clients over the past few years.

PRESENTER
Cathy Allen launched The Board Doctor, LLC in 2016 after 15 years of doing nonprofit organizational development consulting in her native Ohio. She holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource as well as a Certificate in Nonprofit Financial Management from the Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Center for Nonprofit Resources in Toledo, Ohio. She graduated from The Ohio State University with bachelor’s degrees in history and political science. She is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Ottawa County and a 2017 graduate of Leadership Brevard. Prior to consulting with nonprofits, Cathy had a long career in government, environmental advocacy, and candidate and issue campaigns. An active volunteer, she has served as vice president of Friends of the Carr Refuge and as president of Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. She has assisted dozens of Friends groups as a volunteer and as a paid consultant through the US Fish and Wildlife Service (NFWF/NCTC), National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA), Public Lands Alliance, and Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates.

Revitalize Your "Post" Pandemic Fundraising

Throughout the pandemic, everything changed… and so should your fundraising strategies! Donors have changed when and how they give, as well as how they communicate. Even with limited staff time, it’s possible to increase your fundraising and cement donor relationships. In this workshop, we’ll cover a range of actionable tips and topics: mailed solicitations (annual fund), a formula for cultivation, board member templates, and creative marketing ideas. You’ll walk away with lots of examples, your own year-long development calendar, and more.

PRESENTER
Heather Hahn Sullivan is the Chief Operating Officer at Dunes Learning Center, a residential environmental learning center located inside Indiana Dunes National Park. Throughout her career working in nature centers and natural history museums, she has secured corporate sponsorships, planned gala auctions and events, and worked extensively with individual donors. Heather began consulting in 2021, helping a non-profit birth center exceed their capital fundraising goal by 25%. She holds a BA in French and Geology from Hope College and an MBA from Drexel University. 

Pearlstone Retreat Center and Outdoor Education Campus: Sustainability as a Guiding Principle

Tour the 180-acre Pearlstone Retreat Center and Outdoor Education Campus and learn about their organization’s commitment to sustainability and DEI. Pearlstone’s mission is to foster a culture where sustainability and environmental health are integral to Baltimore’s Jewish community.

Learn about how to operate a Retreat & Conference Center with Sustainability as a guiding principle. Renewable energy projects, community engagement, eco-stewardship programs, farm-to-table dining, and more, sustainability is woven into everything Pearlstone does!

Participants will enjoy a Farm to Table lunch before returning to Irvine Nature Center.

PRESENTERS
Greg Strella, Pearlstone Director of Stewardship
Eve Wachhaus, Pearlstone Chief Operating Officer
Jakir Manela, Pearlstone Chief Executive Officer

Cylburn Arboretum: Nature Education in an Urban Setting

Cylburn Arboretum is an urban oasis in Baltimore, rich in history and beauty. Two hundred acres in all, woodlands spotted with trails wrap around the cultivated areas and collections. Explore with us. 

Join us for a tour that will include information on the $6.5M campaign to create a Nature Education Center that will expand Cylburn Arboretum’s educational and training opportunities, enhance the visitor experience, and increase community initiatives. Learn about what it takes to manage a greenspace and programs in an urban setting.

PRESENTER
Patricia Foster, Executive Director, Cylburn Arboretum Friends

Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area: State Legislature Support for Endemic Species Protection

Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area comprises 1,900 acres of serpentine barren, the largest of its kind in the eastern United States. The area has over 39 rare, threatened, or endangered plant species as well as rare insects, rocks, and minerals. Rare grassland plant species are threatened by the invasion of Virginia Pines. Currently, a five-year effort of removing 1,000 acres of pines and prescribed burning is underway to return the area to its natural serpentine habitat.

Join us for a tour which will include information on the Scales & Tales program, including meeting their education animals, learning about how they have adapted during the pandemic, recent increases to their budget because of gained support in the state legislature, and meeting with Wildlife & Heritage partners to learn about the serpentine barrens, deer, and controlled burns.

PRESENTER
Jennifer Scully, Facility & Program Manager, Montgomery Parks

Marshy Point Nature Center: Public/Private Partnerships

Marshy Point Nature Center sits on the Chesapeake Bay and features hundreds of acres of coastal plain forests, meadows, freshwater wetlands, and tidal marshes. The center is a Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks facility, and is also supported by the Marshy Point Nature Center Council, a non-profit partner organization.

Come learn about a public/private partnership in running a successful center with innovative programs, inclusive park features, interactive exhibits, and quality park management to engage residents of Baltimore County and surrounding areas in meaningful and educational outdoor experiences. Presenter Ben Porter will share his perspective on Marshy Point operations and programs, as well as at four other nature centers within the Baltimore County Park System.

PRESENTER
Benjamin Porter, Chief of Nature, Environment, Ag and Programs for the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks

Ladew Topiary Gardens: Turning Global Challenges into New Opportunities for Nature Education

Visit 22 acres of formal gardens featuring over 150 topiaries at historic Ladew Gardens in Monkton, Md. With a mile-long Nature Walk and native Butterfly House, there is a lot to explore. 

Prior to your tour, staff will provide a brief overview of Ladew’s response to recent global challenges and opportunities. Along with these efforts, you can learn about their many adult, family, and child programming from gardening basics, Plein air painting, lecture series, and nature informed mental health and wellbeing.

Irvine’s Native American Site: Indigenous Recognition & Collaboration

Irvine Nature Center is located on land which served for millennia as a shared place for seasonal hunting, trapping, and trade by Indigenous Peoples living along the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River. The majority of these came from Algonquin tribes, most notably the Piscataway people, located to the south, and several groups of Iroquoian speakers, especially the Susquehannock tribe, to the north. 

Today the Baltimore area remains home to descendants of these tribes, as well as to several thousand members of the Lumbee and Cherokee tribes, many of whose parents or grandparents relocated from North Carolina to pursue industrial jobs in Baltimore following World War II.

In partnership with the Baltimore American Indian Center, Stevenson University, and local experts and historians, Irvine’s Native American Site offers visitors a unique glimpse at the dwellings, structures, and tools utilized by the First Americans. Elders from the Baltimore American Indian Center — “a place where people are treated with dignity,  respect, and understanding, and cultural practices are kept alive” — advised Irvine on the location and layout of the Native American site. Members of the Center assisted with the construction of the wigwams and performed a ceremonial blessing. 

On this field learning experience, participants will hear from Irvine staff about the coordinated effort to fund and initially construct their Native American site. Through a visit to the site and an explanation and demonstration of the school field trip offered there, you will also learn about the site’s maintenance, state funding of field trips to the site, and how it inspired their land acknowledgment statement.

PRESENTERS
Brian Rollfinke, Director of Education, Irvine Nature Center
Clare Walker, Senior Naturalist, Irvine Nature Center

An Introduction to Forest Bathing

Humans have always received health benefits from nature forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, which literally translates as “forest bath.” Forest bathing was formalized in Japan as a health treatment after a startling increase in auto-immune disease was discovered in Japan during the early 80’s. The health benefits of Forest Bathing include boosted immune function, improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, attention restoration, a reduction in stress and depression, and an increased sense of wellbeing.

Participants will be introduced to Forest Therapy/Forest Bathing, learn about the history and benefits of the practice, and experience a style of forest bathing that was developed in the United States by the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). It derives the same health benefits as Shinrin-yoku while emphasizing the principle of reciprocity and the relationship between human beings and the more than human world.

Workshop participants will also engage in a discussion on the benefits of working with a Certified Forest Therapy Guide to introduce forest therapy offerings to your organization. 

This workshop will be led by ANCA Board Member Merica Whitehall of Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd Forest Bathing, a program of the Xena Foundation. Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd is a reference to the Big Dipper and Little Dipper; the constellations that guided African Americans north as they traveled under the stars making their way to freedom from slavery. Similarly, forest bathing and nature connection is a way for people today to experience a sense of freedom and well-being.

Explore the Visitor Experience: Irvine Nature Center

Workshop Sponsors: GWWO Architects and Taylor Studios, Inc

Often we think of “education” in the form of programs — but what if every aspect of the visitor’s experience was educational, not just the program?

Here we’ll explore how to create an educational and memorable experience through building, exhibit, and site design. Associates from GWWO, Taylor Studios, and Irvine Nature Center will share how to integrate these design elements so that they work together, rather than providing unconnected experiences. Using Irvine as a hands-on example, these experts will explore how the nature center is adding event space and classrooms to its site, while also reimagining its exhibit space.

Learn directly from experts about working with architects, landscape architects, and exhibit designers in a collaborative process. See firsthand how GWWO integrated existing structures — native barns and a silo — to create a unique and sustainable space for nature center operations, and how Taylor Studios envisions informative and safe exhibits in a post-pandemic environment.

Following the workshop, participants will have some downtime at Irvine. This could be an opportunity to relax, explore the nature center, network informally, or catch up on work. Later, we will enjoy dinner (provided on-site), a campfire, and storytelling at the Irvine Nature Center campsite.

PRESENTERS
Chris Elcock, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP — Associate Principal at GWWO
Sarah Drees — Business Development Manager at Taylor Studios, Inc
Jamie Brown, PLA — Irvine Nature Center Facilities Chair and Principal of Beechbrook Landscape Architecture

Vision for the Future: The National Aquarium and Brown Advisory

Workshop Sponsor: Brown Advisory

This workshop has an additional fee of $45, which covers transportation, National Aquarium admission (a $39.95 value), two Featured Speakers, a cocktail reception, and dinner.

Travel to the heart of downtown Baltimore to explore the National Aquarium and enjoy a cocktail reception and dinner at the offices of Summit Presenting Sponsor, Brown Advisory. This Field Workshop includes Featured Speakers at both the Aquarium and Brown Advisory.

We will first visit the National Aquarium to see why it’s a world-class destination for science and education. After time to explore the Aquarium on our own, we will hear from Featured Speaker John Racanelli, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Aquarium. Racanelli will present on the Aquarium’s efforts to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2025, as well as share how the organization managed the financial impacts of the COVID pandemic.

Following the Aquarium tour we will take a water taxi to the offices of Brown Advisory, our Summit Presenting Sponsor, for a cocktail reception and dinner overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The Presenting Sponsorship goes to a company that has shared values with ANCA and will concretely support these values within the ANCA membership; Brown Advisory exemplifies these values through its sustainable investing, commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and more. 

While at Brown Advisory we will hear from Featured Speaker Dr. Mamie Parker, who serves on the board of Brown Advisory. Dr. Parker made history serving as the first African American Fish & Wildlife Service Regional Director of the 13 Northeastern states, and she has an extensive amount of experience in building bridges to nontraditional partners in the conservation community. Dr. Parker will speak to us about safe spaces for nontraditional partnerships in conservation.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

John Racanelli, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Aquarium
As president and CEO of the National Aquarium, John Racanelli leads a diverse and talented team of employees and volunteers in pursuing the Aquarium's mission to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures and in welcoming 1.2 million guests annually. He joined the National Aquarium in July 2011 after 10 years as founder of a San Francisco-based consulting firm that provided expert counsel to nonprofit leaders nationally and globally. Racanelli also spent 16 years in leadership positions at U.S. aquariums. Read more about John Racanelli here.

Mamie Parker, PhD, Principal Consultant at Ecologix Group, Inc
Dr. Mamie Parker is a professional fish and wildlife biologist, success coach and principal consultant at Ecologix Group, Inc. Dr. Parker spent a career as a biologist and senior executive in the federal government as the FWS Chief of Staff, Assistant Director of Habitat Conservation/Head of Fisheries in this country. She has an extensive amount of experience working with her staff in building bridges to nontraditional partners in the conservation community. This work resulted in her receiving the 2020 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies John L. Morris Lifetime Achievement Award, William P. Reilly Environmental Leadership Award and the Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor bestowed upon federal employees. Read more about Dr. Parker here.

Set Sail with Living Classrooms Maritime Education

Time: 8am-1:30pm
Cost: $75, includes a boxed lunch

Board the Skipjack Sigsbee at the Frederick Douglass and Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum. On our 2-hour sail to Masonville, we will learn to set sail, steer, and maybe go trawl fishing in the river. Once we dock at Masonville, a Living Classrooms educator will provide a tour of the Masonville Cove Environmental Education Campus. Living Classrooms Foundation is working with the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration, Maryland Environmental Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Aquarium to create and manage the Masonville Cove Environmental Education Campus, located on the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. This site acts as a gateway to connect under-resourced communities to the outdoors and the Chesapeake Bay through environmental education, stewardship activities, and academic enrichment.

A Taste of Baltimore Arts

Time: 8am-3:30pm
Cost: $50, includes a boxed lunch

Join your ANCA Peers as we tour three of Baltimore’s premier art museums, including:

• The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) — AVAM specializes in original thematic exhibitions that seamlessly combine art, science, philosophy, humor and especially social justice and betterment.
• The Walters Art Museum — among America’s most distinctive museums, the Walters Art Museum forges connections between people and art from cultures around the world and spanning seven millennia. Through its collections, exhibitions, and education programs, the Walters engages the City of Baltimore, Maryland, and audiences across the globe. The museum’s campus includes five historic buildings and 36,000 art objects.
• The Baltimore Museum of Art — an institution that connects art to Baltimore and Baltimore to the world, embodying a commitment to artistic excellence and social equity — creating a museum welcoming to all.

Participants will enjoy a boxed lunch in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, the city’s cultural and historic center.

Canoe at Eden Mill Nature Center with Wildlife Photographer Frank Marsden

Time: 8am-2pm
Cost: $50

Enjoy the waters on a relaxing canoe trip as we explore the natural surroundings of Deer Creek, which is one of nine “Scenic Rivers” designated by the State of Maryland. Wildlife photographer and naturalist Frank Marsden will guide participants on the water and share his extensive knowledge of the area, based on more than 30 years of experience at Eden Mill Nature Center.

Following canoeing, participants will enjoy a boxed lunch at Eden Mill.

The Journey to LEED Platinum at Robinson Nature Center

Time: 9am-2pm
Cost: $50, includes a boxed lunch

Howard County’s Robinson Nature Center is LEED Platinum certified and includes exhibits, classrooms, a multipurpose auditorium, offices, a 50-seat “Naturesphere” state-of-the-art digital planetarium, and a nature playscape. When designing the Robinson Nature Center, GWWO Architects incorporated the most logical visitor sequence — Arrival, Decompression, Reception, Orientation, Interpretation, and Transformation. Nestled into its sloped site and largely below grade, the building immerses visitors in a rich environmental education experience from the moment they enter the site and throughout their visit. Our visit will include a tour of the building and the opportunity to explore the trails and the nature playscape.

Robinson Nature Center's design awards include:

• AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Citation Award
• AIA Baltimore Design Award Honorable Mention
• USGBC Maryland Wintergreen Sustainability Award
• WoodWorks Institutional Wood Design Award
• MD Office of Tourism Green/Sustainable Tourism Award

Participants will enjoy a boxed lunch on the center’s patio before returning to Irvine Nature Center.

Habitat Restoration at Pickering Creek Audubon Center

Time: 8am-5pm
Cost: $65, includes lunch

Pickering Creek Audubon Center comprises 400 acres on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and over the last twenty years, the organization has converted over 125 acres from agricultural lands to shallow water wetlands, warm-season grass meadows, and forest. During your visit, we'll investigate those habitats, learn the process of conversion from ag to habitat, and see the on-the-ground value of creating these habitats for wildlife. We'll explore the habitats as our school students do, so you'll have the opportunity to see how these large-scale restorations can inform the experiences of students. In the afternoon, we'll dive a little deeper into how we encourage student-driven action projects before finishing the day with a walk through the woods along the banks of tidal Pickering Creek.

PRESENTERS
Mark Scallion, Executive Director
Mary Helen Gillen, Director of Education
Samantha Pitts, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Please note that this Field Trip includes a 90-minute shuttle to Pickering Creek in the morning, and a 90-minute return trip to Irvine in the afternoon.