2026 ANCA Annual Summit: Impact Report

The ANCA Annual Summit builds leadership skills and networks for professionals at nature centers and related organizations. The premier professional development opportunity in our field, the Summit brings together leaders from across the US and Canada to support their professional growth and impact.

As part of the 2026 Summit, over 175 nature center professionals gathered at Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, Michigan, to learn about operations and leadership at nature centers and related organizations. In addition to this professional development, the Summit allows professionals to build networks in support of their work and organizational missions.

ANCA supports best leadership and management practices at nature centers and related organizations, and the Summit is part of that work. Ultimately, we want each nature center to succeed in connecting people with nature.

Here’s what participants said about this year’s Summit:

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“This was the best conference I’ve ever been to.”

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“This is always such a valuable experience. The networking, learning, and engagement is unmatched!”

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“I had an excellent experience as a first-time Summit participant … I have left the Summit inspired and feeling much more confident in achieving my goals over the next year.”

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“Each year, this is the one week I look towards to find refuge in the chaos that is my job! It gives me something positive to look forward to and recharges me until next time.”

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“I was nervous to attend this Summit for the first time by myself, but this was such a welcoming community and I felt so supported and connected.”

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“I can't say enough good things about the Summit. It is a truly amazing group of folks and I always leave feeling seen and inspired. I'm so impressed with what a great job ANCA has done to cultivate a truly collaborative and welcoming community of peers.”

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“I brought back so much for my organization. What a great experience!”

Below is a closer look at the outcomes and success of the 2026 ANCA Annual Summit, featuring evaluation results from Summit participants.

By the numbers

The Summit builds professional networks

97% 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.

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"I met so many people doing a lot of similar things with great ideas to share. I definitely will be reaching out to stay in touch with them."

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"I cannot overstate how important this network is. My ANCA colleagues have been instrumental in the success of our organization, as we share strategies and ideas; help each other problem-solve; and support each other in times of need."

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"This was my first ANCA Summit, so everyone I met felt like a valuable connection. I really appreciated the support others offered to me as a young leader."

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"So many people offered support or offered future help when needed. Made so many connections."

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"As a newer member of leadership coming to this career later in life, I enjoyed connecting with like minded people who also find their work deeply fulfilling. It's great to know I have a ton of people to ask a question of or bounce an idea off of!"

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"I have had this happen to me three times since joining ANCA — I made a Texas connection that I never would have made, had it not been for coming to the conference."

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"We met several attendees who have programs we are going to try to visit."

The Summit strengthens nature centers’ work

92% of participants report that the Summit strengthened their organization’s capacity to fulfill its mission. This means these professionals will lead their organizations to greater impact in their communities.

Here are specific changes that Summit participants report they plan to implement at their organizations:

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"I was inspired to look into putting a nature playscape in at my facility, and received great advice on how to activate our friends group and get them more involved so they can better support our organization and we can better support them."

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"We would love to implement new technologies discussed at the Summit. It also gave us new ideas for partnerships. Overall, the Summit gave us the resources to dream bigger."

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"I am going to look at adjusting our K-12 school programs to include more literacy and have the programs work more closely with the school district's/state curriculum standards."

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"I will implement changes within my own team and the staff I manage through new systems, professional development opportunities, and opportunities to encourage shared leadership."

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"I plan to add public programs like craft nights and hiking/birding clubs based on conversations at the Summit."

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"I am definitely implementing the outdoor speaker system from the wildlife viewing room into our spaces. The sounds of water and birds are calming and will be good for visitors and staff."

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"I plan to implement more shared leadership with the team that I supervise."

Participants gained skills and resources

93% of Summit participants report gaining new knowledge or skills they will apply in their work.

As a result, these professionals are better equipped to grow their impact and help more people in their communities connect with nature through high-quality programs and experiences.

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"I learned about hosting field trips for adults, and will start doing these."

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"I left excited to review our staff handbook... I attended one HR session out of curiosity. It made me realize how much I don't know, so I left excited to re-read ours with my new knowledge."

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"Plenty of land restoration techniques!"

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"I absolutely LOVED the teambuilding session. I learned so much about ice breakers, our types of audiences, how to engage your participants, and different learning techniques. I can't wait to bring it to our Naturalists for them to implement during field trip season."

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"Infusing literacy into science learning at nature centers."

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"I gained some useful language to share with my team to help us along our road towards shared leadership."

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"The 'Gadgets' workshop provided a solid framework for considering the complete lifecycle and cost of implementing technology. I will use this now before any purchase."

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"I learned shared leadership techniques and processes that the Chippewa Nature center land and facilities team uses to operate efficiently."

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"The conversations throughout the Summit about endowments, capital campaigns, planned giving, education, partnerships and organizational growth gave me a great deal to bring home to our board and team."

The Summit’s impact expands outward

Professionals who attended the Summit are returning to work with new ideas, skills, and connections. Ultimately, this strengthens the nature centers doing the important work of connecting people with nature, while also promoting conservation and sustainability efforts in their own communities.

This impact will make a difference at 105 organizations that attended the Summit. Together, these organizations collectively:

• Serve over 9.2 million visitors annually, offering outdoor recreation and social connection.
• Provide programs for over 704,000 K-12 students annually, engaging them in environmental education and promoting connection to nature.
• Protect over 263,000 acres of land, supporting healthy landscapes.

Together, these outcomes demonstrate how the Summit contributes to healthier communities and a more sustainable future.

A fiscally successful event

The 2026 ANCA Summit was successful not only in bringing our community together, but also in generating important financial support for ANCA. Strong registration and event revenue helped us exceed our earned-income expectations. Participants also demonstrated their commitment to ANCA’s future by exceeding our fundraising goals.

We invited Summit participants to kick off the ANCA Annual Fund with a goal of raising $16,000 at the event. Together, they contributed more than $18,000 to the Annual Fund. In addition, participants raised more than $4,000 through Nature Nerd, supporting ANCA’s Operating Reserve and strengthening our long-term financial stability.

In total, Summit participants contributed more than $22,000 in charitable support, an incredible investment in ANCA and the work we do supporting our community.

Support this impact

Do you want to continue the impact beyond the Summit? You can help further strengthen nature centers across North America by donating to ANCA today. Your gift goes directly to providing nature center professionals with the resources and support they need to connect their communities with nature.

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