May 13–16, 2025
FAQs | SCHEDULE | SPEAKERS | TICKETS | FIELD TRIPS | SPONSORS |
EXHIBITOR VILLAGE | PAST CONFERENCES
Possibilities Ahead: What Can We Do Together?
The future is uncertain. Yes, there will be challenges, setbacks, and obstacles. And, there will also be opportunities, progress, and celebrations. The future is full of possibilities. How can we collaborate to embrace the potential of tomorrow?
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.
This popular 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.
We can’t believe it but it’s true. The 2025 Together Conference is sold out. Tickets will not be available at the door.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You have questions? We have answers! Check out the FAQs here. And if you still have questions, email us at [email protected].
SCHEDULE
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
Tuesday, May 13 | Virtual Kickoff
9:00–10:30 am
Taking Risks in a Complex & Dynamic World
In 2024, four major dams on the Klamath River were removed. Ten days later, salmon were observed swimming upstream where their ancestors swam over 100 years ago. This was the largest dam removal project in history, and carried with it so much risk. What could go wrong? What lawsuits might be filed and who might get hurt? What if it failed?
The Klamath River Renewal Corporation took a new approach to managing the risks inherent in a project of this scale. They learned from other large scale infrastructure projects to proactively and deliberately assign risks to the appropriate parties, all with humility and creativity.
Join us for a conversation with Richard Roos-Collins, the general counsel for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation and principal in the Water and Power Law Group PC. He will share lessons learned and ways that you – regardless of what scale you’re working on – can change how you think about taking risks in a dynamic world.
This online kickoff will also include opportunities to meet attendees and learn about the plans for the week.
Wednesday, May 14 | Fort Mason Center, San Francisco
TOGETHER Bay Area is excited to host our in-person conference day on May 14 at the Fort Mason Center’s Gateway Pavilion Pier 2. The Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture is located along the northern waterfront between Aquatic Park and the Marina Green in San Francisco. Check out directions and transportation options.
8:00 am
Doors Open | Join us for morning beverages, light fare, and a meetup for First Time Attendees and Ambassadors
9:00 am
Opening Session
Curiosity During Challenging Times
Scott Shigeoka is a curiosity expert. Curiosity, not just for the sake of learning and understanding, but for the kinds of social changes we need for healthy people and communities. Curiosity can be a tool for opening when we feel like closing, for bridging divides, for feeling hope when the despair is all around you. Join us for a conversation about curiosity as our shared super power.
10:00 am
Structured Networking | Meet and connect with your fellow attendees!
11:00 am
Morning Session
Care At Every Level: Healthy Practitioners for Healthy Lands
Authentically engaging with communities takes energy. How can we take care of ourselves so that we can do our best work? Funders, organizations, and each of us have a role to play in caring for one another to ensure we stay grounded in ourselves and our work. Our panel of speakers – including Evan Jones and Yisroel Quint – will discuss what it means to have the capacity to take care of ourselves as practitioners and professionals while also fostering healthy lands and communities. This panel was co-developed with the Environmental Education Funders Collaborative (EEFC).
Small Openings, Big Visions
The change we seek often starts with a conversation, an event, or some kind of spark that opens up new possibilities. Such is the case with the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. Join us for a conversation with Corrina Gould, Chairwoman of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan and co-Director of the Land Trust, and Taylor Pennewell (Berry Creek Rancheria Band of Maidu Indians) about taking advantage of small openings to fulfill big visions.
12:30 pm
Lunch | Enjoy lunch and engage with colleagues!
- Visit the Exhibitor Village: Get inspired about what’s possible when we work together!
- Walk the Collabyrinth! Hosted by Tida Beattie, this is a temporary flower labyrinth where you’re invited to engage in reflection, grounding, and exploration.
- Watch the world premier of a short film: Steps to Land Back: The Return of Rinihmu Pulte ‘irekne
- Meet the Roving Ranger and Tam Van! Two popular community engagement vehicles that connect people to parks and parks to people! Think: a “Nature Pop-Up” on wheels that has a wide variety of interactive activities that inspire awe, wonder and curiosity about local nature.
- Capture the moment in the photo booth! See last year’s photo booth beauties
1:45 pm
Main Stage Grounding + Storytelling
With Ana Maria Ruiz from Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Daniel Olstein from Peninsula Open Space Trust, and Heath Bartosh from Nomad Ecology
2:45 pm
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from one of the following sessions.
- Breakout A: The $10 Billion California Climate Bond Passed: Now what?
- Breakout B: Possibilities in Conservation Careers
- Breakout C: Meetup of Right Relations program participants
- Breakout D: Tracking What Matters: Can Mapping, Measuring, and Monitoring Capture all of Stewardship?
- Breakout E: Meet Your People: Collaboration + Connection Space
- Breakout F: What’s Possible with Ancestral Land Return
See breakout session descriptions below in the Speakers section.
4:00 pm
Closing Session
Stories of Possibility
The future can feel uncertain, complex, and like swimming upstream. Yet, possibilities are all around us and happening all the time. We will close our day together with a grounded hope in what’s possible. Hear from Ruby Choy-Angulo, Melissa Fowlks, and Kahlil Monteiro and get inspired by these remarkable young leaders’ stories about where possibilities have come to life in their worlds.
5:00 pm
Reception brought to you by Nomad Ecology | Celebrate with new and old friends! With thanks to Nomad Ecology for sponsoring one of the highlights of the day.
7:00 pm
Homeward bound!
Thursday, May 15 & Friday, May 16 | Field Trips
Varying times
TOGETHER Bay Area members will host a number of incredible field trips over the two days. Each attendee has access to one field trip included with their conference ticket. Check out the 2025 field trips guide!
Tuesday, May 13
Taking Risks in a Complex & Dynamic World
Richard Roos-Collins | Co-Founder and Principal, Water and Power Law Group PC
Richard Roos-Collins is co-founder and Principal of the Water and Power Law Group PC. He represents water and other public agencies, renewable power generators, tribes, conservation groups, and ranchers. He specializes in complex settlements that advance sustainability of water and power resources. He is general counsel for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, undertaking the largest dam removal in history. He is trial counsel for California Trout in the Mono Lake Cases, which integrated public trust doctrine into water rights for the first time. He is an Adjunct Professor at University of San Francisco Law School and visiting lecturer at UC Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.
Wednesday, May 14
Opening Plenary
Scott Shigeoka | Curiosity Expert, Storyteller, Speaker
Scott Shigeoka is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, TED speaker, and the award-winning author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. His work focuses on how we can strengthen our well-being and relationships, including at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. He is also a playwright and artist.
Morning Session
Corrina Gould | Tribal Chair for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation
Corrina Gould (Lisjan Ohlone) was born and raised in the village of Huichin, now known as Oakland, CA. As a mother of three and grandmother of five, Corrina has dedicated her life to the Native community, working with a multitude of Native led organizations, and is the current Co-Founder and Lead Organizer for Indian People Organizing for Change, a small Native led organization that protects the cultural survival of sacred places in the greater Bay Area. As the Tribal Chair for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation, she has continued to fight for the protection of Shellmounds, her nation’s inherent right to sovereignty, and stands in solidarity with her Indigenous relatives to protect sacred waters, mountains, and lands all over the world. Her life’s work led to the creation of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, a women-led organization within the urban setting of her ancestral territory of the Bay Area.
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust works to return Indigenous land to Indigenous people. Based on an understanding that the Bay Area is home to many peoples that have been oppressed and marginalized, Sogorea Te’ works to create a thriving community that lives in relation to the land. Through the practices of rematriation, cultural revitalization, and land restoration, the Land Trust calls on Native and non-Native peoples to heal and transform legacies of colonization,
genocide, and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do. She has received numerous awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from News from Native California, the Chicana/Latina Legacy Award and was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2023. Her hope comes from the belief in her ancestors, prayer and the next seven generations.
Evan Jones | Program Officer, Sand Hill Foundation | EEFC Co-Chair
Evan joined PFS in 2023. As a Program Officer, Evan believes in the impact and promise of the social sector and the people who make that promise a reality.
Prior to joining PFS, Evan served as the Executive Director of the Mid-Peninsula Boys & Girls Club (MPBGC) (now part of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula) where he helped expand MPBGC’s impact and footprint in San Mateo County. He has worked in Bay Area nonprofits since 2009 and was one of the first youth developers at Opportunity Impact (now part of Mo Magic) in San Francisco’s Fillmore neighborhood. Evan has advised Bay Area nonprofits as a board member and consultant serving on the boards of Facing History & Ourselves, Bay Area as well as the Avery Fuller Welch Foundation for Children and is a Silicon Valley Multicultural Awards fellow.
After receiving his A.B. in history from Dartmouth College, Evan taught high school History and English in the Boston Area. He attended Georgetown Law School where he worked on the Annual Review of Criminal Procedure and as an intern for the Honorable Robert Merin of the DC. Superior Court as well as Earth Justice in San Francisco. Evan lives in San Francisco’s Visitation Valley neighborhood where he can be found enjoying McLeran Park or working on his San Francisco native plant garden. Evan is a native of Washington D.C and hopes to see the day that D.C. has equal representation in the House and Senate.
Yisroel Quint | Program Officer at Pacific Foundation Services
Yisroel joined PFS in late 2022 as a Program Officer. In his role, he embraces the opportunity to support the work of frontline communities and contribute to clients’ positive social impact.
Prior to joining PFS, Yisroel worked as a Program Associate on the Organizational Effectiveness team at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. During his time at the Packard Foundation, he supported conservation & science grantees to identify and design projects to strengthen their organizations. Yisroel has also founded a grantmaking nonprofit, the Dollar a Day Fund for Indigenous Environmental Justice, to increase grassroots giving to Indigenous communities. He is active on the board of directors for two nonprofits: Bay Area Cancer Connections (BACC), which supports anyone affected by breast or ovarian cancer with personalized services that inform and empower, and Operation Period, a grassroots, youth-led nonprofit dedicated to creating a world where menstruation holds no one back.
Yisroel holds a BA in Slavic Languages and Literatures with honors in Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law from Stanford University. When Yisroel is not walking or playing with his dog Rooney, you can find him Face Timing with his nephews, exploring the East Bay’s ever-growing vegan scene, and watching his hometown Yankees.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
A: The $10 Billion California Climate Bond Passed: Now what?
California’s landmark $10 billion climate bond (Proposition 4) passed last November thanks to the support of many of the region’s organizations and Bay Area voters. This is worth celebrating! Are you curious how the Climate Bond will be spent? Does your organization have projects that would benefit from some of this funding? Come learn about programs that will be available because of the Climate Bond. Identify where your organization can plug in, who’s eligible, and who to connect with. Leave this workshop with details on a handful of programs, strategies for developing compelling proposals, and new relationships to support your projects.
Trish Chapman | Central Coast Regional Manager, State Coastal Conservancy
Trish Chapman is the Central Coast Regional Manager for the California State Coastal Conservancy. She has over 29 years of experience in the field of environmental planning and restoration. Her expertise includes project development and management, wetland and creek restoration planning, coastal access planning, complex real estate transactions, multi-agency partnerships, grants management, environmental review, and public processes for planning multi-benefit conservation and access projects.
Jessica Davenport | Regional Manager, SF Bay Area Program, State Coastal Conservancy
Jessica Davenport supports the creation of resilient landscapes for people and nature as the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Manager for the California State Coastal Conservancy. The Conservancy works with partners to protect and restore habitats, to help people get to and enjoy natural areas, and to enhance climate resilience, with a strong focus on engaging and benefitting historically excluded communities and tribes. Prior to joining the Conservancy in 2016, she served as a Program Manager at the Delta Stewardship Council, as a Planner and Permit Analyst at the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and as a Watershed Coordinator at the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District.
Rebecca Fris | Deputy Executive Director for Restoration and Administration, Wildlife Conservation Board
Rebecca is the Deputy Executive Director for Restoration and Administration at the Wildlife Conservation Board where she oversees 17 grant programs implementing restoration and wildlife-oriented public access projects statewide including implementation of the state’s 30 X 30 initiative. She has nearly 30 years of experience with both state and federal government agencies in ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation. She was the first US Fish and Wildlife Service Science Coordinator for the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative, and has worked in granting for both the CALFED Bay Delta Program and CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke School of the Environment.
B: Possibilities in Conservation Careers
The pathways into conservation careers are many, and not always clearly marked. What possibilities are out there when it comes to jobs in the conservation sector, and how do you get there?
In this panel, you’ll hear about the career journeys of four conservation professionals spanning work as fire ecologists, planning managers, consultants, and naturalists. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, come learn from the unique experiences of these panelists and see what’s professionally possible.
Adrienne De Ponte | Program and Volunteer Coordinator, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Adrienne De Ponte brings 30 years of experience as a Supervising Naturalist, Volunteer Coordinator, and Program Administrator, to her current role as the Alameda Creek Watershed Center, Program & Volunteer Coordinator for SFPUC. She leads a team of Naturalists who are co-creating the educational programing for the soon-to-be open Watershed Center in Sunol, Ca on the Cultural Heritage Site of the Muwekma Ohlone.
Before joining SFPUC, she spent 23 years as a Supervising Naturalist at the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center, where she led educational programming, managed naturalist teams, and spearheaded major conservation initiatives, including the development of a Shoreline Master Plan and the reimagining of a public wetland habitat exhibit.
Adrienne’s previous roles include positions with the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Coyote Point Museum, and the USDA Forest Service. Her work ranged from coordinating large-scale volunteer programs to leading field research, and environmental education efforts for diverse communities. Currently, Adrienne also serves as a contract naturalist for the City of San Leandro, leading annual Western Monarch butterfly counts and educational tours at the Monarch Bay Golf Course Overwintering Grove.
Born in Alameda, Ca, Adrienne is an avid hiker, birder, and kayaker. She is passionate about connecting people to the natural world and says, “I bring people together and inspire them to find wonder in nature and to learn more about their natural environment”.
Alison Forrestel | Program Lead for Natural Resource Management and Science, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Alison Forrestel is the Program Lead for Natural Resource Management and Science at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. She has worked for the National Park Service for more than 20 years in a variety of roles related to fire and natural resources management. Her areas of expertise include restoration ecology, fire ecology, landscape scale conservation and management, and biodiversity preservation. She serves on the steering committee of the Golden Gate Biosphere Network, which brings together land and water conservation organizations in the Bay Area under the umbrella of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program. Alison holds a Master of Forestry from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a PhD in fire and forest ecology from UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management.
Katie Gilmur | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Katie Gilmur is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist at Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, where she leads initiatives to foster inclusive practices that reflect and serve the region’s diverse communities. With a multidisciplinary background spanning tech, operations, veterinary medicine, and customer experience, she brings a strategic lens to complex systems, organizational culture, and transformational change. Katie comes from a multigenerational legacy of environmental stewardship, shaped by her family’s deep commitment to conservation, habitat restoration, and community advocacy. She carries that legacy forward by weaving ecological awareness, social equity, and collective responsibility into every facet of her work.
Janet Klein | Director of Strategic Initiatives, WRA, Inc
Janet is a conservation ecologist with 30 years of experience managing public lands and creating collaborative opportunities for community participation in land stewardship, resiliency planning, and research. Over the course of her career, she has worked in the private sector, for government agencies and non-profits. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, watershed management, wildfire risk reduction, ecosystem and community resilience planning, forest health, landscape-scale vegetation and wildlife monitoring, management for threatened and endangered species, community science, multi-jurisdictional partnerships, and community engagement. Currently working as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at WRA, inc, Janet has also served on the executive of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the Director of One Tam Programs, the natural resources program manager for the Marin Municipal Water District, and a trustee with Audubon Canyon Ranch.
Jane Mark | Planning Manager, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Jane F. Mark, AICP, is Planning Manager at the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, a special district of California focused on land conservation, land and resource management and ecologically-sensitive public recreation and environmental education for more than 70,000 acres of open space in the San Francisco Bay region. Jane possesses over 25 years of public sector planning experience and four years of urban design and planning experience in the private sector. Jane currently manages a department with 15 planners and interns working on a variety of planning projects in the San Francisco Bay area. Jane and her team’s work includes long-range comprehensive use and management plan development, policy planning, multimodal access/ mobility planning, feasibility studies, community and tribal engagement, environmental review and permitting for new public recreational facilities that include trailhead parking areas and trail connections. In addition, Jane and her team collaborate with other public agencies, conservation land managers, nonprofits and communities on development and implementation of regional trails plans and active transportation plans that enable people to connect to nature and open space.
C: Meetup of Restoring Right Relations and Right Relations program participants
Are you one of the 100 people who have participated in the Right Relations program? Have you or are you currently participating in the Restoring Right Relations program? You’re invited to meet with your fellow participants in this session where we’ll share successes, crowdsource solutions to issues you’re dealing with, and discuss ways you can put the Allyship Spectrum and other tools into practice. This meetup will be facilitated by Taylor Pennewell and Annie Burke.
D: Tracking What Matters: Can mapping, measuring, and monitoring capture all of Stewardship?
Over the past 20 years, the Conservation Lands Network has evolved with the current thinking of the time. The CLN is a conservation community driven regional strategy that sets goals, tracks progress, provides tools, and catalyzes on-the-ground land conservation. And in 2025, we’re launching version 3.0 which will continue the evolution and will explore ways to incorporate urban biodiversity, landscape resilience, and stewardship in meaningful ways at the regional scale. You’re invited to a dialogue about what this evolution should look like and how you can get involved over the next three years as we engage around 300 people to shape regional goals for biodiversity conservation.
Danny Franco | Senior Project Manager, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Danny Franco, Senior Project Manager, has been working with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for 15 years, primarily on natural resource conservation, vegetation management, and landscape scale habitat restoration projects. Since 2018, Danny has managed delivery of fine scale vegetation mapping and landscape database projects in Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, which included regional collaboration of over two dozen local, state, and federal land managing agencies and partners. In 2023 Danny led completion of the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy, an initiative of the One Tam collaborative that provides a framework for advancing multi-benefit cross-jurisdictional projects that will improve forest and wildfire resilience.
Dina Robertson | Wildland Vegetation Program Manager, East Bay Regional Park District
Dina and her team oversee and advise on managing vegetation for resiliency, for maintaining and increasing biodiversity, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire and overall health and function across 125,000 acres of Park District lands. She oversees staff and programs including the District grazing program, management of rare plant and vegetation communities, permitting and restoration for fuels management, and habitat restoration. Dina also serves on the steering committee for the California Landscape Stewardship Network, which supports landscape level networks across the state. She is passionate about habitat restoration and also locating, mapping and managing for grasslands with high native plant cover and diversity, which only occur on approximately 10% of all Park District grasslands.
Aviva Rossi | Senior Scientist, Resilient Landscapes Program | San Francisco Estuary Institute
Aviva Rossi is a Lead Scientist with the Wetland Regional Monitoring Program. Aviva has over 25 years of experience working in the habitats within and around the San Francisco Bay Area. Her research interests include restoration, biogeography, natural history, mammalogy, climate change, and conservation. Aviva studied Ecology, with an emphasis on species climate response, for her doctorate from University of California, Davis. She earned her MS in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco, and obtained her undergraduate degree from University of California, Santa Cruz. She has worked with nonprofit organizations, academia, and consulting firms.
E: Meet Your People: Collaboration + Connection Space
Possibilities come to life when we connect and collaborate on solutions. If you’re craving conversation, brainstorming, or a space to meet colleagues who might be asking the same kinds of questions you are in your work, this is the breakout for you! Whether you’re a fundraiser, communicator, advocate or beyond, join this lightly-structured space to connect with others working in similar roles and start dreaming up solutions together.
F: What’s Possible with Ancestral Land Return: The Land Back Spider Graph
Land return is happening all across the region, state, and country. It takes many forms and creative solutions,like ownership in fee title, easements, co-management, co-stewardship, and more. Open your mind to multiple ways of returning land and power in this training by Redbud Resource Group, a Native-led nonprofit who has trained thousands of people to build effective partnerships with Native American communities by embodying the values of respect, reciprocity, and relationships.
Sheridan Noelani Enomoto | Resource Specialist, Redbud Resource Group
Sheridan Noelani Enomoto is Kanaka Maoli or Native Hawaiian. She holds a BA in Comparative North American Studies from Macalester College and a MA in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths, University of London. Sheridan has a deep commitment to community and public service and for the past eight years, has dedicated herself to the Indigenous-led movement, Run4Salmon, shedding light on the state of California’s watersheds. Currently, as the Going Beyond Land Acknowledgments Resource Specialist at Redbud Resource Group, Sheridan focuses on providing resources and tools that build respectful and effective partnerships with Native communities.
Rose Hammock | Manager of Community Outreach, Redbud Resource Group
Rose Hammock is a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Mendocino County, located in Northern California. She earned both of her Associate of Art degrees in Early Childhood Education and Social and Behavioral Sciences from the Santa Rosa Junior College. Rose has worked with Native American youth and families for more than 10 years, and currently serves on several advisory boards and committees across Indian Country with a focus on tribal sovereignty and harm reduction work. In addition, Rose is the Community Relations Manager for Redbud Resource Group and Co-Facilitator for their Going Beyond Land Acknowledgements trainings and programming.
Closing Session: Stories of Possibility
Kahlil Monteiro | Trip Leader, YES Nature to Neighborhoods
Kahlil Monteiro has lived in Richmond, CA his whole life. He currently works at King Elementary in Richmond as an after school program instructor and at YES Nature to Neighborhoods as a trip leader for a group called Richmond Rangers, where he takes kids ages 10-13 to different outdoor regional parks. Kahlil is pursuing a career in film and will become a director and writer of his own movies and tv shows after finishing his degree.
Melissa Fowlks | Interpretive Naturalist, East Bay Regional Park District
Melissa Fowlks is an Interpretive Naturalist at the East Bay Regional Park District in California, the largest regional park district in the United States. With a deep commitment to community engagement, she focuses her outreach on Richmond, California, fostering meaningful connections between people and nature.
With extensive experience as a special education teacher in the Bay Area at both the middle and high school grade levels, Melissa specialized in counseling-enriched environments and social-emotional learning. Her work in education reinforced her belief in the resilience of youth and the transformative power of the outdoors. This passion ultimately led her back to her first love—working in nature—where she continues to inspire learning, growth, and connection.
Melissa is passionate about the intersection of community, equity, education, and the natural world, striving to create inclusive, transformative experiences for all. In addition to her work in environmental education, she is a dedicated labor leader, currently serving as Vice President of AFSCME 2428, advocating for workers’ rights and the well-being of those who steward our public lands.
Beyond her professional roles, Melissa finds joy in full-belly laughs, stargazing, sharing warm meals, and helping others discover where they shine.
Ruby Choy-Angulo | Habitat Restoration Intern, Grassroots Ecology
Ruby is a Habitat Restoration Intern at Grassroots Ecology, where she primarily works in Redwood City and broadly across parks and preserves throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. She focuses on community engagement, invasive plant management, and native plant restoration.
Emcees
José G. González | Equity Officer, East Bay Regional Park District
José G. González is a professional educator with training in the fields of education and conservation. He is the Founder of Latino Outdoors as well as having served as a consultant at large as a Partner at the Avarna Group and through his own consulting. His work focuses on Equity & Inclusion frameworks and practices in the environmental, outdoor, and conservation fields. He is also an illustrator and science communicator. He currently serves as the Equity Officer for East Bay Regional Park District.
He received his B.A. at the University of California, Davis, with teaching coursework at the Bilingual, Multicultural, Education Department at Sacramento State. He received his M.S. at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment. He serves as a board member at Parks CA as well as a Commissioner for the California Boating & Waterways Commission.
He also appreciates a witty pun.
Taylor Pennewell | Founder and Executive Director, Redbud Resource Group
Taylor Pennewell is a citizen of the Berry Creek Rancheria of Tyme Maidu Indians, located in Butte County, California. She has a Master in Teaching from the University of San Francisco. Taylor is the Founder and Executive Director of Redbud Resource Group, a Native woman-led non profit organization with the mission to help improve the presence of Native voices in education, stewardship, and public health through education, research, and community partnerships. In addition to her roles at Redbud, Taylor currently sits on the California Governors Council for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
TICKETS
Your conference ticket includes access to the virtual kickoff online, the in-person conference at the Fort Mason Center, and one field trip (on either May 15 or 16). April 23 is the last day to sign up for a field trip!
TOGETHER Bay Area member tickets
Early bird tickets: $299
Regular tickets: $350
General admission
Early bird tickets: $350
Regular tickets: $399
Ticket Information
Let the record show that the Bay Area’s community of climate resilience practitioners comes together when it matters. People like you who work for healthy lands, waters, and communities. You are showing up right now with enthusiasm to connect, collaborate, and coordinate for solutions. So much so that we have some news to share:
The 2025 Together Conference is sold out. It turns out that there are a lot of early birds in this community, and you snatched up almost all of the tickets before the early bird deadline on Friday, March 14. This is the first time this has happened! Wow! We’re amazed that it has happened so far in advance of the conference.
The number of requests for complimentary or discounted tickets is more than ever before. Many of our colleagues around the region have been impacted by the federal executive orders and are craving community but don’t have the financial means to buy a ticket. And there are students, early-stage career professionals, folks in new jobs, people who work for small organizations, and many others who want to attend so they can become a part of this community.
The need to come together as a region is bigger than ever. We don’t want to turn anyone away, so we’re getting creative about how we can respond to what we’re clearly hearing from you. We want to hear from you!
Do you want to attend but missed getting a ticket?
- We’re sorry! We look forward to seeing you at future TOGETHER Bay Area events!
Did you register but you’re unable to attend?
- Please email [email protected] as soon as possible so that we can make your spot available to someone on the waitlist.
Do you want to get involved in other TOGETHER Bay Area gatherings?
- Check out our calendar and consider joining as a member organization to participate in more programming and support our regional coalition.
We are proud to work in a region and with this community who wants to show up in this moment of need. We are in awe of you, and we are excited by the possibilities ahead of us. With this kind of energy, this kind of commitment to collaboration, we can do anything.
Individual registration
If you’re purchasing a ticket for yourself, buy an Individual Ticket. This is where you’ll share basic information about your attendance (e.g., meal preferences), sign up to attend one of the amazing field trips on May 15 or 16, and sign up to be an Ambassador or Volunteer at the conference (optional).
If your organization already purchased tickets or has tickets included with a sponsorship, enter the promo code you received and complete your attendee information with no additional payment required.
Group tickets
If you’re purchasing tickets for 2 or more people, pick this option! Purchase the number of tickets you’ll need for your group, and then you’ll receive a promo code to distribute to the individuals who will attend the conference so they can complete their own attendee information. Group discounts are available using these codes:
5–11 tickets: 10% discount with code SPRING10
12 or more tickets: 15% discount with code SPRING15
Thursday, May 15
Funding and Implementing a Forest Resilience Strategy | 9:00 am–1:00 pm
Join us for a hike in the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed to engage in conversations about how the One Tam Forest Health Strategy is being used to secure state funding, catalyze implementation of on-the-ground projects, build partnerships, and serve as a model for projects across the state.
Hosted by Marin Water with Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Rolling Up Our Sleeves for Burrowing Owls | 10:00 am–1:00 pm
Grassroots Ecology’s habitat restoration project in Alviso supports one of the last remaining populations of burrowing owls in the Bay Area. Join us for a hands-on experience to restore habitat while learning about the partnerships that make the conservation of this adorable species possible.
Hosted by Grassroots Ecology, Talon Ecological Research Group, and Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency
Explore Pacheco Marsh | 9:00 am–12:00 pm
Take a tour of the soon-to-be open Pacheco Marsh! Learn about the site’s natural and human history and about the transformative restoration and public access project offering a shoreline sanctuary for wildlife and people.
Hosted by John Muir Land Trust
Friday, May 16
Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project | Time to be announced
Join us for a hike at Tomales Bay State Park to learn about the meaningful collaboration between the One Tam partners and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria on the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy.
Hosted by California State Parks and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Collaborating for Redwoods, Coho Salmon, and Equitable Access | 10:00 am–2:00 pm
One field trip, two sites full of possibilities and collaborations! This trip is for you if you’re interested in rethinking open spaces (like golf courses) into places of ecological importance and/or creating natural areas for different audiences.
Hosted by Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Marin County Parks
Agriculture, Nature & Community Thriving Together | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Watsonville Slough Farm is a model for demonstrating how large-scale sustainable farming can successfully coexist alongside habitat restoration, thriving wetland ecosystems, and public access and education. This tour will give you a chance to see and learn about restored native plants and grasses, farm practices that protect water quality, and the Land Trust’s future Community Harvest project (think public trails, space for nature education and community gatherings, and garden areas for youth!).
We’ll end the day with birdwatching, overlooking this beautiful landscape and the Hanson Slough! Watsonville Slough Farm is an important bird nesting and foraging habitat, supporting raptors such as Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, and Cooper’s Hawks.
Hosted by Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
The Making of an Exhibit – State of Nature at the California Academy of Sciences | 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Have you ever wondered what goes into making a museum exhibit? Join us for a morning at the California Academy of Sciences with the exhibit development team to learn about the development of our State of Nature exhibit, all about California nature and people. The exhibit highlights the biodiversity and people working to protect it in California. Our team worked closely with Indigenous partners on the development and storytelling in the exhibit. Native voices, art, and expertise are centered in State of Nature. After a short presentation, we will tour the exhibit. Then participants are free to explore the museum on their own!
Hosted by California Academy of Sciences
Birds & Habitat Restoration in Golden Gate Park | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join Golden Gate Bird Alliance and SF Recreation and Parks Department to explore Golden Gate Park’s Chain of Lakes, including the newly restored Middle Lake. Learn about the restoration process, the value of native plants in urban settings and explore one of the birdiest corners of Golden Gate Park. North Lake is known for attracting vagrant species during migration.
Hosted by Golden Gate Bird Alliance with SF Recreation & Parks Department
SPONSORS
Sponsor the 2025 Together Conference and contribute to what’s possible when we collaborate as a region. This year marks five years since we transformed from the Bay Area Open Space Council to become TOGETHER Bay Area. We’ve grown into a large, diverse coalition that’s making an impact, and we’re just getting started. Join the celebration of the past five years of regional collaboration and set us up for success for the years to come!
LEAD SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
EXHIBITOR VILLAGE
Engage your peers from around the region on what’s possible when we work together. You’ll be happy to see the following organizations in this year’s Exhibitor Village:
- Ascent
- Bay Area Resource Conservation Districts
- Bay Area Ridge Trail Council
- Bay Nature
- Biswell Forestry
- CALFIRE
- California High-Speed Rail Authority
- Conservation Corps North Bay
- Civicorps
- CA Natural Resources Agency & 30×30
- East Bay Regional Park District
- GreenInfo Network
- H. T. Harvey & Associates
- HANA Resources
- Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
- Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
- Nomad Ecology
- PlaceWorks
- Potrero Group
- Regional Parks Foundation
- Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
- Sequoia Ecological Consulting
- San Francisco Estuary Institute
- Sonoma Land Trust
- Stillwater Sciences
- Tamien Nation
- TOPO Collective
- Wildlife Conservation Board
- WRA, Inc
The Exhibitor Village is now full. And it’s going to be fun!
Questions? Email us at [email protected]
PAST CONFERENCES
Photos thanks to Jen Hale Photography
2024 Conference Stats
400+
people from across the Bay Area and beyond joined us at the Gateway Pavilion in San Francisco.
23
speakers shared their stories, from the main stage to breakout sessions, online and in person.
280+
participants attended one of our 10 field trips hosted by members.
1/3
of participants attended for the first time. Our coalition is growing!
Reflections from 2024 attendees:
“Loved seeing and meeting people all committed to a similar mission. The Bay Area is a powerful place, and left me feeling inspired!”
“My major takeaways from this conference are that everybody has something to bring to the table no matter how big or small that may be, and also, that it just takes the first step to really put yourself out there because it takes a lot of courage to do that.”
“I left feeling energized and excited about what the future holds.”
Check out past conferences for examples of schedules, programs, speakers, and, of course, photos that capture the joy!
QUESTIONS?
Please reach out to our conference planning team at [email protected] with questions about the conference. We look forward to connecting with you!
Previous conference photos thanks to Jen Hale Photography