Featured Event: 2025 Together Conference
Possibilities Ahead: What Can We Do Together?
May 13–16, 2025
The 2025 Together Conference will focus on possibility and collaboration as we work for climate resilience and equity, healthy lands and communities. You’re invited to join hundreds of colleagues to make connections and find ways to work together for the lands and watersheds that are integral to a thriving Bay Area and all people who live here.
The conference will feature a variety of venues to explore the question “What can we do together?” with all of the wisdom in the room. Inspiring speakers, engaging exhibitors, useful workshops, structured and unstructured networking opportunities, and bespoke field trips hosted by TOGETHER Bay Area members will support the urgent work we need to do today. Together we will build the foundation for the transformational changes we need to make for an uncertain yet hopeful future. Learn more here
Upcoming Events
Thursday, April 3
11:00 am–12:00 pm
TOGETHER Policy Learning Session: CA Natural Resources Agency Tribal Affairs Program | Open to members
Join us for an hour focused on learning about the tribal affairs program at California Natural Resources Agency! We’ll hear directly from Geneva Thompson, Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs at CNRA and have plenty of time for Q&A. You can learn more about the tribal affairs program here.
Tuesday, April 15
3:00–4:00 pm
Wildfire Data Working Group: Data Workflows | Open to everyone
The Wildfire Data Working Group (WDWG) is focused on regional coordination of data collected before, during, and after wildfires for informed decision making by land management organizations and agencies. TOGETHER Bay Area convenes this working group of data compilers to learn from one another, share information, and build our regional understanding of the impacts of fire on the land.
In this meeting, we’ll discuss management of data workflows, from pretreatment surveys to planning, implementation, and re-treatment. To sign up, email [email protected].
Thursday, April 24
9:00 am–5:00 pm
TOGETHER in Sacramento | Open to members
Join with your fellow TOGETHER members to engage in our coalition’s advocacy work, advance our collective policy priorities, and protect or grow significant and stable funding for the region. This is your chance to strengthen relationships with Bay Area Legislators, staff, and within our own membership. And it’s a productive and joyful opportunity to connect with peers from around the region. Join us for a full day in Sacramento for meetings with legislators throughout the day.
Who should attend?
- Current and prospective members of the policy committee
- Any TOGETHER Bay Area member who wants to advocate for TOGETHER policy priorities
Questions? Email [email protected]! RSVP here by April 10!
Regional Funding
Policy Learning Sessions
TOGETHER Bay Area is thrilled to announce the plan for new Policy Learning Sessions. These sessions will share information and resources to grow our members’ collective capacity for advocacy as TOGETHER Bay Area.
Each session will be engaging and informative, covering topics that are core to TOGETHER Bay Area’s work building legislative relationships and advocating for policies and funding on behalf of its regional goals and membership.
Learning Sessions will be designed for a wide audience including people new to the policy world as well as seasoned advocates!
Thursday, April 3
11:00 am–12:00 pm
TOGETHER Policy Learning Session: CNRA Tribal Affairs Program | Open to members
Join us for an hour focused on learning about the tribal affairs program at California Natural Resources Agency! We’ll hear directly from Geneva Thompson, Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs at CNRA and have plenty of time for Q&A. You can learn more about the tribal affairs program here.
Thursday, April 24
9:00 am–5:00 pm
TOGETHER in Sacramento | Open to members
Join with TOGETHER Bay Area members to engage in TOGETHER’s advocacy work, advance our collective policy priorities, and protect or grow significant and stable funding for the region. This is your chance to strengthen relationships with Bay Area Legislators, staff, and within our own membership. And it’s a productive and joyful opportunity to connect with peers from around the region. Join us for a full day in Sacramento for meetings with legislators throughout the day.
Who should attend?
- Current and prospective members of the policy committee
- Members of the TOGETHER Board of Directors
- Any TOGETHER Bay Area member who wants to advocate for TOGETHER policy priorities
Questions? Email [email protected]! RSVP here
Policy Committee
Our Policy Committee meets every other Thursday to advocate effectively towards our policy priorities through values-driven, collaborative, inclusive participation of our coalition’s members. TOGETHER Bay Area encourages individuals from a variety of member organizations and with various levels of policy expertise to participate in the Policy Committee – it is an active learning, listening, and sharing space.
Staff and board members who are eligible to participate in TOGETHER’s advocacy program (nonprofits, Native Tribes & organizations, local public agencies, and mission-aligned businesses) are invited!
Email [email protected] with questions and to sign up.
Regional Conservation
Wildfire Data Working Group
Since April 2021, we have convened regular calls with professionals at nonprofits, public agencies, and companies who compile data about wildfire on the landscape. We meet every other months for 80 minutes to hear from speakers and facilitate regional conversations about timely topics.The WDWG is focused on regional coordination of data collected before, during, and after wildfires for informed decision making by land management organizations and agencies. TOGETHER Bay Area convenes this working group of data compilers to learn from one another, share information, and build our regional understanding of the impacts of fire on the land.
To participate, email [email protected]. These meetings are open to everyone.
2025 WDWG meeting schedule:
- Tuesday, April 15, 3:00–4:00 pm | Data Workflows: In this meeting, we’ll discuss management of data workflows, from pretreatment surveys to planning, implementation, and re-treatment.
- Tuesday, June 17, 3:00–4:00 pm | Tech Tools: We’ll explore various public domain mapping platforms and tools, such as Fire Aside and Planscape, and how they can be used in our work.
- Tuesday, August 19, 3:00–4:00 pm | Responding to post-fire vegetation changes: This meeting will be centered on how to respond to post-fire vegetation community changes meaningfully.
- Tuesday, October 21, 3:00–4:00 pm | Partnerships: In this gathering, we’ll talk about partnerships, collaboration, and what makes them tick!
- Tuesday, December 9, 3:00–4:00 pm | End of year reflection + celebration: This gathering will be more reflective in spirit, taking time to look back on what we learned through 2025 and generate some ideas for 2026.
Regional Coordination
May 13–16, 2025
Together Conference
Our annual gathering of over 400 professionals and practitioners returns with opportunities to come together online, in-person, and on field trips.
- Tuesday, May 13 | Virtual kickoff from 9:00–10:30 am
- Wednesday, May 14 | All-day, in-person conference at the Fort Mason Center, San Francisco
- Thursday and Friday, May 15–16 | Field trips co-hosted by TOGETHER Bay Area members
Colleagues in all stages of their careers and all arms of an organization are invited – from staff who work directly on the land or water, communicating, interpreting, fundraising, directing, interning, and more.
Regional Tribal Alliances
Right Relations
Right Relations is a 9-month, cohort-based program that supports alliances with local Native American communities through learning, action, and community. We are catalyzing collective action for healthy lands, people, and communities and building the region’s capacity to strengthen Tribal sovereignty. This program is designed specifically for TOGETHER Bay Area members in partnership with Redbud Resource Group.
Going Beyond Land Acknowledgments
Going Beyond Land Acknowledgements is an interactive 2.5 hour workshop for individuals seeking to grow their allyship with Native peoples. Participants learn about the strengths and limitations of land acknowledgements and explore concrete, action-oriented strategies for building connections with Native communities and organizations.
Individuals working for TOGETHER Bay Area member organizations are invited to participate in one of the following online workshops:
- Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm
- Tuesday, April 15, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm
- Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm
- Tuesday, November 6, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm
TOGETHER Bay Area has reserved 10 spots at each of the workshops for people who work for our member organizations. Anyone who works at our member organizations can apply: all departments, at any level. There is no cost for TOGETHER members to attend as part of this program. Please email [email protected] to reserve your space in a GBLA workshop. First come, first served!