AUTHORS: Rachael Carlberg, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Claire Beck, Midwest Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies; Kate Parsons, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Lorisa Smith, Missouri Department of Conservation; Alexander Wright, US Fish & Wildlife Service
ABSTRACT: This symposium will conclude with a panel discussion offering diverse backgrounds and perspectives on working in collaborative landscape conservation. Panelists will share their professional journeys and what led them to engage in collaborative work. The panelists will discuss how conservation practitioners across different roles and organizations can advance landscape conservation in the Midwest. They will be asked their vision for shaping the future landscape of the Midwest, including what they foresee as the toughest challenges. The panel will also discuss skillsets needed to successfully engage in collaborative landscape conservation and how early-career professionals can advance this work in their careers. Everyone is invited to join the conversation, especially students to focus on the future of collaborative work. We encourage the audience to ask questions and share their perspectives. We invite all backgrounds to join this conversation, from directors to management biologists to students to field technicians to policy analysts and everyone among and between. The work in our region is enhanced by the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives shared.
