At the 2024 TWS Annual Conference last year in Baltimore, Maryland, a group of TWS members convened for the first time to discuss how The Wildlife Society could better support wildlife professionals working on private lands in North America. Unsure if there would be enough support and interest for a full working group, organizers were cautious in promising a new working group as an outcome.
The meeting was standing room only.
Wildlife professionals from different sectors—nonprofits, federal and state agencies, foundations, academia, working lands and nonworking lands—spent the dedicated hour discussing the challenges and opportunities for the future for private lands conservation. Adequate training, public perception, communication skills, funding and outdated policies were common themes throughout the group. It was clear that there was a need within TWS for a place to work through these issues and, even better, there was a group of TWS members willing and wanting to create that space.
Since the conference, this group of TWS members continues to meet. In fact, The Wildlife Society officially granted the group interim status as the Private Lands Working Group in March.
The group has already started strategic planning efforts to identify its goals and objectives. Overall, the group decided to focus on identifying knowledge and training gaps for wildlife professionals that will improve relationships and outcomes for wildlife conservation on private lands.
The Private Lands Working Group is hosting the “Research, Management and Education on Private Lands: Innovative Methods for the Future of Wildlife” symposium at the 2025 TWS Conference in Edmonton, Alberta, this fall.
If you would like to learn more about the working group or to get involved, please contact Interim Chair Krysten Zummo at kzummo11@gmail.com. You can also join the working group through TWS’ member portal.
