Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition has an open Call for Collaboration for the 2023 Annual Meeting, which will be at the at the University of Virginia Darden Center in Arlington, VA. This year’s theme is workforce development in the urban forestry field. Those who submit successful proposals will have the opportunity to present their project or idea at the annual meeting and access the diverse members and supporters of the Coalition to form partnerships. To learn more about this year’s theme and submit a proposal, click here.

The AVoided Emissions and geneRation Tool (AVERT) evaluates how energy policies and programs such as energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) lead to changes in emissions of certain pollutants. EPA is releasing an expanded version – AVERT 4.0 – to include additional information about the impact of electric vehicles on emission. To register for the webinar, click here.

Amanda Santoni, EPA; Jonathan Phinney, National Wetland Inventory; and Marla Stelk, National Association of Wetland Managers, will discuss the Recommendations for Reducing Wetland Loss in Coastal Watersheds of the United States that the Interagency Coastal Wetlands Workgroup (ICWWG) recently released. This webinar will provide an introduction to and background on the Recommendations report and share efforts by agencies and partners to implement specific recommendations. To register for the webinar, click here.

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that represents America’s 3,000 conservation districts. Conservation districts are local units of government established under state law to carry out natural resource management programs at the local level. Districts work with millions of cooperating landowners and operators to help them manage and protect land and water resources on private and public lands. The 2023 annual meeting will be held in New Orleans, LA. Breakout session topics include natural resource management and climate resilience and equity, access, and outreach. To learn more about NACD or register for the meeting, click here.

The 2023 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program will be held March 7-9, 2023, in conjunction with Race Forward’s “Justice and Equity: From the Inside Out” Training Program for Civil Servants. Leaders from various sectors will engage in three days of free exchange of ideas and approaches to achieving environmental justice. These interactive training sessions will feature voices of experience, research, discussions, and thought-provoking dialogue. The program format will feature the needs and challenges of communities, governments, municipalities, tribes, faith-based organizations, and others with an interest in environmental justice. It will highlight programs and collaborations that work, as well as initiatives that have not proven successful. Program speakers will feature representatives from Federal and state agencies, local governments, tribes, community groups, business and industry, public interest groups, academia, and other entities. To register, click here.

The next River Rally will take place in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2024. During River Rally 2024, the Grand River restoration project will be underway to restore the city’s namesake rapids and revitalize the urban waterfront, and attendees will have front-row seats to this Urban Waters Partnership project-in-progress from the venue: Grand Valley State University. Expect outstanding local field trips, stimulating sessions, amazing venues and opportunities to enjoy the riverfront with old and new friends from across the network. To learn more about the next River Rally, click here.