The ANCA Annual Summit builds leadership skills and networks for professionals at nature centers and related organizations. The premier professional development opportunity for our field, the Summit hosts leaders from all over the US and Canada to support their professional growth and impact.
As part of the 2025 Summit, over 125 nature center professionals gathered at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, California, to learn about operations and leadership at nature centers and related organizations. In addition to this professional development, the Summit allows professionals to build their networks in support of their own work and organizational missions.
ANCA works to support best leadership and management practices at nature centers and related organizations, and the Summit is part of this work. Ultimately we want each nature center to succeed in connecting people with nature.
To understand the impact of the Summit, we surveyed Summit participants following the event. Here’s what we found.
The Summit strengthens nature centers’ work
94% of participants report that the Summit strengthened their organization’s capacity to fulfill its mission. This means these professionals will lead their organizations to have more impact in their own communities.
Here’s how one participant commented on the Summit’s impact:
"Everything I learn and experience during the Summit helps me to strengthen my nature center's capacity to fulfill its mission. The Summit makes me a better leader through camaraderie and emotional and mental support from my peers, which gives me confidence and motivation to provide better support to my organization. The Summit also gives me practical and immediately applicable solutions to real-time challenges that my nature center is facing."
The Summit builds professional networks
94% of Summit participants made professional connections valuable to their work. This is a major benefit of the Summit that lasts long after the event is over: professional peers are just a phone call away, and can offer guidance and resources from their own experiences.
As one respondent writes:
"I first attended an ANCA Summit in 2024, where I began to build relationships with other professionals in the field … I am walking away from this year's Summit with stronger relationships with folks that I first met last year, as well as growing relationships with numerous folks that I just met for the first time. I also have a short list of folks I want to reach out to when I'm back in the office to continue conversations we started during the Summit."
The Summit helps professionals grow their skills
91% of Summit participants gained new knowledge or skills that they will apply in their work. These skills gained are wide-ranging, relating to many different aspects of nature center operations.
Here, one professional says:
"The most valuable session was the 3-hour workshop on nature center boards. I picked up some helpful tidbits from other sessions and especially through conversations with Summit participants. The most notable of these were advice about capital campaigns and advice about mission/vision work for improved organizational focus. I also learned from other participants that we're likely missing out on opportunities for revenue from rentals, and for support from administrative volunteers."
These impacts have ripple effects
Professionals who attended the Summit are returning to work with new ideas, skills, and connections. Ultimately, this strengthens the nature centers that are doing the important work of connecting people with nature, in addition to promoting conservation and sustainability efforts in their own communities.
This has a significant ripple effect. Based on the data from our evaluation, we estimate that Summit participants’ organizations collectively:
- Serve over 9 million visitors annually, offering outdoor recreation and social connection.
- Provide programs for over 1 million K-12 students annually, engaging them in environmental education and promoting connection to nature.
- Protect over 300,000 acres of land, supporting healthy landscapes.
Because the Summit strengthens these organizations’ work, its impact is multiplied across communities. It enhances the experiences of millions of visitors, deepens environmental learning for students, and supports the stewardship of natural areas. Together, these outcomes demonstrate how the Summit contributes to healthier communities and a more sustainable future.
Next steps
The Summit is a highlight of the year for ANCA as an organization, but the impact doesn’t stop there.
If you want to grow your impact or connect with nature center professionals, join us for the 2026 ANCA Virtual Summit. We’ll have some of the best elements from the professional development that we offer at the Annual Summit, but set in an accessible and easy-to-join format. We hope to see you there, January 21-23.