2010 Chesapeake Watershed Forum Call for Presentations

The Forum Planning Committee is now accepting workshop proposals for the 2010 Chesapeake Watershed Forum. The Forum is a widely anticipated regional training opportunity for local watershed and conservation organizations along with local governments in the Bay region. Participants include volunteers, board and staff members, skilled restoration practitioners, experienced leaders, and funders.

To be considered read the following carefully, all proposals must:

1. meet Forum guidelines described below,
2. be filled-out completely, and
3. be submitted no later than May 28, 2010.

Presenters:

• Must register online for the Forum (registration will be available in early September, 2010).
• Must understand that one and only one registration scholarship is offered for each workshop. If you present at two or more workshops then again only one registration scholarship is available. (Co-presenters are welcomed to apply for a general Forum scholarship.)
• Must be able to cover travel costs.
• Must bring copies of any and all handouts for the presentation.
• Must bring presentation on a thumb drive or disk.

Forum Steering Committee:

• Will inform all applicants of our final decision no later than June 4, 2010.
• Will provide Power Point projector and computer terminals. Please save presentation on thumb drive or disk.
• Will provide one presenter per workshop with a scholarship to the Forum.
• Will provide a room moderator to introduce the presentation and assist with handouts and evaluations.
• Will promote all workshops on the Chesapeake Watershed Forum webpage and in the Forum program.
• Will provide the workshop room and all reasonable requests prior to and at the Forum.
• After the Forum, will provide a summary of workshop evaluations to all presenters.
  Workshop Guidelines:
• Presenters are allowed to submit more than one workshop proposal, but each proposal must be submitted separately.
• Workshops should focus on a combination of instruction and hands-on skill-building - not just lecturing. The steering committee discourages workshops with panel discussions.
• Workshops are scheduled for 90 minutes. Ample time should be reserved for a question and answer session, or preferably, the entire session should be as interactive as possible.
• Workshops should be geared toward the following audience(s):
  • Staff, board members and volunteers with local/regional watershed conservation organizations, AND/OR
  • Elected or appointed officials and staff of local government
• Workshops should highlight valuable lessons learned and potential transferability to other localities and watersheds.
• The Forum Planning Committee is seeking to attract a variety of workshops that could be categorized into but not limited by the following track headings:
  • Restoration Science and Practice
  • Conservation and Preservation
  • Planning and Regulation
  • Engagement and Communication
  • Organizational Development
  • Fundraising and Financing
  • Web Communications
  • Local Government Initiatives
• Within the appropriate track, workshops might focus on one of a variety of potential topics, including, but not limited to:
  • Planning for Climate Change
  • Adult Environmental Education
  • Green Building/Development
  • Stormwater Regulations
  • Land Use Planning and Regulation
  • Forest and Urban Tree Conservation
  • Human Health & Water Quality
  • Organization Development (boards, planning, volunteers, finances, etc.)
  • Conservation Finance
  • Public Relations/Outreach/Media/Communication
  • Community Organizing and Advocacy
  • Regional Issues of Importance
  • Technology
  • Water Quality Monitoring
  • Marcellus Shale
  • Social Marketing
  • Two Year Milestone Updates
  • Capacity Building Case Studies
  • Engaging Local Elected Officials
  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Intersex Fish Update
  • Bay TMDLs
  • Other Topics of Interest to Forum Participants

Please keep in mind that workshops should be informational, interactive, and transferable to other groups, regions, and disciplines.

For further information contact Lou Etgen, letgen@acb-online.org or 410-377-6270

Workshop Proposal Form