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January 2026 | Land Trust eNews
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Maryland Environmental Trust Spotlight |
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 Co-held Easement Monitoring Reports
If your land trust co-holds easements with Maryland Environmental Trust, please submit your co-held monitoring reports to MET (for visits completed in CY2025) no later than January 31, 2026. For more details about annual monitoring requirements please contact Michelle at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
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Share Your Views on the Future of the Land Trust Alliance
The Land Trust Alliance invites you to share your thoughts and aspirations for the next decade — clarifying what success looks like, refining our mission and vision, and identifying the key priorities on which to focus our collective efforts.
The planning process will unfold in four phases, culminating in the launch of the new plan at Rally 2026. Please complete the survey before January 30. Learn more.
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New Maintenance Program for Restoration Projects – Accepting Applications Now!
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is excited to announce a pilot program to tackle maintenance on small-scale restoration projects in Maryland. This program will focus on projects that are $500 or less, specifically for invasive species removal/control and/or plant replacements/enhancements.
Watershed restoration projects like tree planting, rain gardens, bioswales, conservation landscaping, pollinator habitat, and stream buffers generally have two phases: 1) installation and 2) operation and maintenance for the lifespan of the project. Maintaining projects keeps them functioning as designed and ensures aesthetic value, which maintains public support for these investments. We want restoration practices to clean water, cool neighborhoods, and provide habitat benefits long after installation. Learn more.
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Stewardship Tea and Talk 2026
February 12 | Registration Fee*
Have you been wishing for a conversation with someone working through the same challenges as you? Did you love the stewardship breakfast and roundtables at Rally? Then you should attend the third annual Stewardship Tea and Talk! Join the Land Trust Alliance on Zoom to discuss the most pressing stewardship issues for lasting conservation facing you and your peers. Whether you started in your position two weeks ago or have been stewarding land for decades as a staff, board or a volunteer member, come prepared to ask and answer questions. You will make connections with your peers from across the country, sharing ideas, experiences and support. (*This webinar is available free to Alliance members. See website for non-members registration fee.) Learn more.
Invasive Plants: The Big Picture
February 26 | Registration Fee*
Join the Land Trust Alliance for this webinar to see the big picture on what invasive species are, what makes them invasive, how they impact our landscapes and conservation values, and what can be done about them. Adam Black, rare plant conservationist with Bartlett Tree Experts, will provide foundational terminology, biological characteristics, environmental impacts and management options. for workshop or webinar. Include series description, type of audience, time and date, etc. (*This webinar is available free to Alliance members. See website for non-members registration fee.) Learn more.
Beyond the Data: Communicating Science and Impact with GIS
Two-part Webinar Series on March 17 and May 12
Leading land management organizations are leveraging GIS to connect with new audiences and offer innovative ways to communicate the impact of their work. ArcGIS StoryMaps, Dashboards, Hubs and more have become essential tools for telling compelling stories, engaging stakeholders, and demonstrating the impact of conservation work. Behind these storytelling tools is a comprehensive spatial ecosystem that supports every stage of a land manager’s workflow; from planning and prioritizing conservation actions to tracking field activities, organizing data, and sharing results with stakeholders. Join Sunny Fleming, Director – Environment, Conservation & Natural Resources Solutions, Esri, and colleagues for a special two-part webinar series focused on communicating the impact of your work. You may register for one or both programs. Learn more.
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Tools, Tech and Tutorials |
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 Ways for Land Trusts to Learn
The Land Trust Alliance understands people learn in different ways, and that is why they offer a wide variety of resources, including self-study courses, books, Practical Pointers, webinars, discussion forums, magazine articles, detailed guidance on implementing Land Trust Standards and Practices and more.
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 New Maryland Plant Guide Piedmont Region
The Piedmont guide is the first in a series of three native plant guides covering the EPA Level II ecoregions in Maryland: Mountain, Piedmont and Coastal Plain. The 184-page Piedmont Region guide includes photos and descriptions of 300+ featured plants, advice on managing invasives, and more.
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 TNC Releases “Sediment Strategies” Report
The Nature Conservancy released the Sediment Strategies report which provides a roadmap to restore marshes by recycling dredged material, provides actionable information, and case studies highlighting the immense conservation opportunity provided by the beneficial use of dredged material in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region.
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Share Your News
If you would like to share relevant conservation news, success stories, announcements or events with Maryland's land trusts and conservation partners through this publication, please contact Michelle Grafton by the first of each month at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
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