Let’s get to work. Together.
May 9–12
Online, In Person, and On The Land
TICKETS | SCHEDULE | SPEAKERS | FIELD TRIPS | PARTICIPATE | SPONSOR
Want to meet the people who are meeting the moment? Join us!
Everyone who works for climate resilience and social equity is encouraged to attend and participate! This year’s conference is for folks who want to get things done. Who want to get their hands dirty. Who walk in with questions and want to walk out (or dance out!) with answers.
Three big topics are on the agenda. From the main stage and in small groups, we will work together on how to:
ACCESS PUBLIC FUNDING FOR PROJECTS & PROGRAMS
Access public funding for crises like flooding and fires, for land conservation efforts like 30×30, for land stewardship and restoration, and for environmental justice and equitable access to the outdoors.
DEVELOP A DIVERSE WORKFORCE AND CREATE GREEN JOBS
Increase and diversify the workforce for nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, and build meaningful career pathways within our organizations.
BE ALLIES AND BUILD ALLIANCES WITH NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES
Be an ally to and build alliances with Native American tribes and communities for healthy lands, people, and communities.
TICKETS
Conference registration opens on March 21! Purchase by April 21 for $10 off. Your conference ticket includes access to the virtual kickoff online, the in-person conference at the Craneway Pavilion, and one field trip on the land (on either May 11 or 12).
TOGETHER Bay Area members
Early Bird Ticket Pricing: $169
Regular Ticket Pricing: $179
General Admission
Early Bird Ticket Pricing: $189
Regular Ticket Pricing: $199
Registration is a two-step process:
Step 1
- Purchase your tickets through EventBrite.
- Got a group from your organization planning to attend? Great! For group tickets, please use the following codes at checkout:
- 5–11 tickets from one organization, receive a 10% discount: SPRING10
- 12 or more tickets from one organization receive a 15% discount: SPRING15
Step 2:
- Once you purchase tickets, you’ll receive a link to the Attend & Participate Form to complete the second part of your registration. All attendees must complete this form by Tuesday, April 25. This is where you’ll sign up for a field trip, indicate which workshop(s) you’re interested in attending, and share other essential information for attending!
We invite everyone to the conference who wants to attend, regardless of ability to contribute financially. If cost is a barrier to attend, please reach out to us at [email protected]! Discounts are available and we’d love to hear from you.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 9 | Virtual kickoff online from 9:00–10:30 am
Wednesday, May 10 | All-day, in-person conference at the Craneway Pavilion, Richmond
Thursday and Friday, May 11–12 | Field trips on the land co-hosted by TOGETHER Bay Area members
Tuesday, May 9 | Virtual (Zoom)
9:00–10:30 am
Conversation with California State Parks Director Armando Quintero and TOGETHER Bay Area’s executive director, Annie Burke
Wednesday, May 10 | Craneway Pavilion, Richmond, CA
8:00 am
Doors open, exhibitors, coffee, and breakfast foods await you
9:00 am
Program begins with opening remarks from Andrea Mackenzie, TOGETHER’s Board President, stories about food and land by Crystal Wahpepah, and other speakers to be announced
10:00 am
“Fast Friends” structured networking
11:00 am
Live Q&A with Dr. Daniel Swain about weather, climate change, and what it all means on the ground
12:00 pm
Lunch catered by Wahpepah’s Kitchen. Lunchtime activities including a birding walk, a mini bioblitz around the Craneway (there’s a low tide!), and a visit to the Rosie the Riveter center next to the Craneway will be available.
1:15 pm
Stories of Meeting the Moment, speakers to be announced
2:30 pm
Concurrent Workshops: Accessing Public Funding, Workforce Development, Allies and Alliances. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get work done together! See who you’ll meet and what you’ll learn in the workshops here.
3:30 pm
Closing plenary with special guests to be announced
4:30 pm
Reception!
6:00 pm
Homeward bound
Thursday, May 11 and Friday, May 12 | Field trips on the land
TOGETHER Bay Area members will host 9 incredible field trips over the two days. Click here to learn more about the field trips
SPEAKERS
Blanca Hernández and Annie Burke will serve as this year’s Emcees!
Armando Quintero has served as director for the California Department of Parks and Recreation since September 1, 2020. An experienced parks professional with expertise in park operations, outdoor education, equity and access, and diversity and inclusion in hiring and retention, Quintero is an environmental scientist by training. Since 2015, he was the executive director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California, Merced, where he was also director of development from 2008 to 2014. He also served as a member and Chairman of the California Water Commission from 2014 to 2020.
Hello! My name is Megan Nguyen. I am the Asian American daughter of Vietnamese refugee parents. Growing up in Sacramento, CA, I wasn’t exposed to nature until I attended a white water rafting field trip in college that sparked my outdoor journey. This experience inspired me to become a science communicator and rafting guide to teach people about rivers and nature.
In my current role as Community Events Manager at the Peninsula Open Space Trust, I organize events that bring people to nature and nature to people. I envision creating inclusive spaces that bring together diverse groups and allow people of all backgrounds to engage with nature. I use my voice, creativity, and passion to fight for social, racial, and climate justice while building people and community power. My latest event was an LGBTQ+ affinity group birding event called Queers of a Feather.
Dr. Daniel Swain is a climate scientist focused on the dynamics and impacts of extreme events—including droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires—on a warming planet. Daniel holds joint appointments as a research scientist within UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, a research fellow in the Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and as the California Climate Fellow at The Nature Conservancy. He also authors the Weather West blog, which provides real-time perspectives on California and western North American weather and climate, and can be found on Twitter.
Chef Crystal Wahpepah is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo nation of Oklahoma. She was born and raised in Oakland, California, on Ohlone land, surrounded by a multi-tribal, tight-knit, urban Native community. She received the Indigenous Artist Activist Award and has been inducted into the Native American Almanac for being one of the first Native American women to own a catering business. She has traveled all over the country attending food summits and building networks with other Native American and Indigenous farmers, land stewards and chefs.
Wahpepah’s Kitchen will be catering the event at the Craneway, and Crystal will speak on where her food comes from and honors its roots, its Indigenous cultivators and stewards, and its place within the seasons.
Stay tuned for additional speaker announcements as the event approaches!
WORKSHOPS
In addition to speakers and exhibits and networking and food, a portion of the in-person conference on May 10 will be dedicated to concurrent workshops. These are different workshops than your typical conference. These are more like expos with a purpose. They’re about matchmaking, sharing ideas and information, and getting work done together. Visit one, two, or all three workshops and get your work done.
ACCESS PUBLIC FUNDING FOR YOUR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS
You will find public funding agencies who can share their funding guidelines, resourceful partners who can share funding opportunities, and professional grant writers can answer your questions and direct you to resources. Meet with:
- CA Natural Resources Agency
- State Coastal Conservancy
- Wildlife Conservation Board
- Stay tuned for more!
DEVELOP A DIVERSE WORKFORCE AND CREATE GREEN JOBS
You will find workforce-providing organizations who want to meet workforce-needing organizations. You can talk about seasonal staff, training programs, restoration and stewardship crews, career pathways, and funding opportunities to support all of this work. Meet with:
- The Student Conservation Association
- Merritt College
- Ecological Workforce Initiative
- Grassroots Ecology
- Civicorps
- Stay tuned for more!
BE ALLIES AND BUILD ALLIANCES WITH NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES
You will find mini-workshops by Redbud Resource Group, a Native American-led training nonprofit. You will also find TOGETHER Bay Area members telling short stories about being an ally and building alliances. Rotate around the workshop to get inspired, learn, and get tools you can use. Meet with:
- Redbud Resource Group
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
- Stay tuned for more!
TIP: Make the most of these workshops by bringing examples of projects or programs that would benefit from public funding, workforce development, and/or alliances with local Native American communities. Come prepared to talk about the projects or programs. Come prepared to meet people, learn a lot, and get work done!
FIELD TRIPS
Join friends and colleagues on a grand day out! TOGETHER Bay Area member organizations will host engaging, welcoming field trips for the 2023 conference on May 11 & 12. All Spring Conference tickets include access to a field trip.
Field Trips are a great opportunity to visit regional landscapes and learn about project details, successes and lessons learned from the folks involved! It’s also an opportunity to spend a day outside, and who doesn’t want that?
Thursday, May 11
Friday, May 12
Presidio Tunnel Tops: Creating a Park for All
10:00 am – 12:00 am
Join Presidio Trust for a walking tour and stories of partnership, public engagement and sustainable design for San Francisco’s new innovative, freeway-top parklands.
India Basin Waterfront Park Project:
Fulfilling a Promise
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department to learn of plans and partners for transforming a significant 64-acre network of waterfront parkland in an historically underserved community.
Ride Marin’s North-South Greenway and Bay Trail
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Marin County Bicycle Coalition will lead a modest 9-mile bicycle tour of some of its greatest hits along segments of the North-South Greenway and Bay Trail.
Creating Place-Based, Community-Centered Education
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Join the Field Semester for coffee, cornbread, conversation and a tour of their unique educational site in the hills of Port Costa.
Sonoma Developmental Center Park and Open Space Walking Tour
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Enjoy a walking tour with Sonoma Land Trust of a unique historic re-use project, open space and wildlife corridor habitat near Jack London State Park.
San Vicente Redwoods:
A Visionary Conservation Project
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Explore this Santa Cruz County forest with co-hosts Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Save the Redwoods League, and Sempervirens Fund to learn about its conservation, restoration, resilience, and access efforts.
A Rendezvous at Ravenswood Open Space Preserve
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Join Midpeninsula Open Space District on a walking tour of the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve located near East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The tour will highlight the recent Bay Trail project, which closed a critical gap and included trail construction and wetland restoration.
Richmond Wellness Trail
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Join The Trust for Public Land to walk or bike a recently-completed portion of the Richmond Wellness Trail in the Iron Triangle neighborhood. The street improvements were designed with community and connect residents to Shoreline access.
Sibley Creek Restoration Project
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Set in a deep canyon and rolling grassland hills, tour the East Bay Regional Park District’s largest creek restoration project and the largest creek daylighting project in the East Bay!
PARTICIPATE
This will be an active conference at which you are invited to participate. You are invited to meet new people and build on existing relationships. You are invited to find funding for projects and programs, meet current or potential partners, advance work, make connections, deepen understanding, and more.
We invite each of you to come to participate, not just attend!
What to Bring
- Examples of projects or programs that would benefit from public funding, workforce development, and/or alliances with local Native American communities. Come prepared to talk about the projects or programs.
- Issues you’re dealing with at work. What issues, topics, and challenges are you struggling with? What is taking a lot of your time these days?
- Ideas you’re playing around with. What do you wish you or your organization could do? What are you wondering about?
Buddies & Volunteers
The conference is big and time is short. Let’s create a sense of belonging right away. There are two ways you can pitch in to enrich your participation and help make the 2023 Conference the best yet. We invite you to level up your conference experience by volunteering as either (or both!) a:
- Buddies! Is this your first time attending a TOGETHER conference, or are you just starting out in your career? Great! Do you want to connect with someone new to the field and welcome them into this community? Great! We will pair you up based on shared interests. We encourage you to introduce yourselves via phone, email, or zoom before May 9. And then make a plan to meet at the conference.
- Volunteers! Step into an official role while you still participate in the conference fully. We need volunteers to greet and register attendees and activate the event by promoting connections and conversation. Show your commitment by lending a hand in setting up and breaking down the event (volunteer positions that get their own perks!).
SPONSOR
Sponsor our 2023 Spring Conference and lead the way in supporting regional collaboration. TOGETHER Bay Area is bringing together everyone who works for climate resilience and social equity to reconnect, have FUN, and make tangible progress. The sooner you sign on as a Conference sponsor, the more impact you have—both for your organization and for the region. Learn more about sponsorship levels here.
Key dates: Sign up by March 15 and receive Early Bird Bonus tickets. Registration for conference participants opens on March 21 (lots of publicity!). Final deadline for sponsorship is April 26.
Sponsorship Levels
Exhibit | $250
Includes 1 complimentary ticket to the conference, your organization’s name in our event materials, and a table in our exhibitor hall at the conference.
Trail | $500
Includes 2 complimentary tickets to the conference, 1 social media highlight, a live thank you from the podium, and your organization’s name in our event materials.
Park | $1,000
Includes 5 complimentary tickets to the conference, 1 social media highlight, a live thank you from the podium, and your organization’s logo in our event materials. Sign up by the Early Bird deadline for 2 bonus tickets!
Watershed | $3,000
Includes 10 complimentary tickets to the conference, 2 social media highlights, a live thank you from the podium, and your organization’s logo in our event materials. Sign up by the Early Bird deadline for 3 bonus tickets!
Ecosystem | $5,000
Includes 15 complimentary tickets to the conference, a table in our exhibitor hall at the conference, 3 social media highlights, a live thank you from the podium, and your organization’s logo in our event materials. Sign up by the Early Bird deadline for 4 bonus tickets!
Regional | $7,500
Includes 20 complimentary tickets to the conference, a table in our exhibitor hall at the conference, 4 social media highlights, a live thank you from the podium, and your organization’s logo in our event materials. Sign up by the Early Bird deadline for 5 bonus tickets!
Lead | $10,000
Includes 25 complimentary tickets to the conference, a table in our exhibitor hall at the conference, 5 social media highlights, a live thank you from the podium, and your organization’s logo in our event materials. Sign up by the Early Bird deadline for 6 bonus tickets!
Thank you to our sponsors!
Regional Sponsors
Ecosystem Sponsors
Watershed Sponsors
Park Sponsors
OUR TEAM
- You! You and your involvement are what will make the Spring Conference what it is. Will it be meaningful and special? That’s up to you!
- Annie Burke, TOGETHER’s executive director, leads the planning team to develop a conference vision and agenda that meets your needs!
- Jen Isacoff is our people organizer and is leading the Ambassador program including field trips, activators, activity leaders, and volunteers. Contact her at [email protected]
- Laura Rosenthal is our Membership & Communications Coordinator. Reach out to her with any & all questions about sponsorship and tickets! Contact her at [email protected]
- Meg Loughran and Stanley Bahorek are our strategy and communications leads, and they’re also professional actors and theater producers. Learn more.
- Jessica Little and Tom Robinson are contributing to the planning team in fun and thoughtful ways.