A Learning Journey for Board Members & Funders · January–April 2027
Offered by the California Council of Land Trusts and the Collaborative for Right Relations
Centering Right Relations in conservation can catalyze more enduring and effective solutions to both the environmental challenges facing us and the systemic exclusion of Indigenous Peoples from land stewardship. And yet, partnerships often falter. The constraint is not interest; it is the institutional and relational readiness to work differently and to stay with the work through the obstacles that arise over the long arc of this journey.
Board members and funders carry unique responsibilities and face unique challenges in supporting organizations on the ground. After last year’s Land Protection in Partnership with Indigenous Peoples Speaker Series for staff and volunteers in the land trust community, we heard clearly that organizations need their board members and funders alongside them on the Path of Right Relations.
“I’ve grown tremendously in recognizing the importance of building these relationships, but I realize our board hasn’t had the same opportunity to learn and grow alongside me… I wish they all could have attended the series with me!”
The Journey
Over four 2-hour virtual sessions, participants hear from leading Indigenous voices from California and across the country. They explore what these ideas mean for conservation and systems change, and reflect on the particular responsibilities board members and funders carry. In breakout groups, board members and funders meet separately with peers to work out how the learning applies in their own settings.
Participants are also warmly invited to an optional Joint Council in Palm Springs. It’s an intimate, in-person day of dialogue with Indigenous leaders about how we step into Right Relations together and work on the pressing issues we share. It falls on the opening day of the 2027 California Land & Water Conservation Conference in nearby Rancho Mirage, so you can make one trip for both.
Dates
Virtual sessions, Thursdays, 2:00–4:00 pm PT
January 21
February 25
March 11
April 29, 2027
Joint Council (in person, optional): Monday, March 22, 2027, Palm Springs
What we ask of participants
Attend all four virtual sessions
Complete a short preparation step: a survey and a brief letter of intention about what you hope to bring and explore
Carry the learning forward through reciprocity and ongoing work in Right Relations. We don’t prescribe what that looks like. Each person and organization shapes their own next steps, starting from where they are.
Bring a colleague. We strongly recommend that more than one person from each organization take part. Applying this learning is much easier with someone beside you.
Registration closes January 8, 2027.