Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference
Strengthening Conservation Impact Through Partnership
November 7-8, 2024
Lake Tahoe Community College
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Featuring Keynote Speaker Madeline Drake
Assistant Secretary of Biodiversity and Habitat, CNRA
Madeline Drake has been Interim Biodiversity Coordinator at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife since 2021. She was a Senior Fish and Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 2017 to 2021 and a California Sea Grant Fellow at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2016 to 2017. Drake earned a Master of Science degree in Animal Biology from the University of California, Davis.
Conference Details
About the Conference
The Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference is scheduled to take place at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe from November 7-8, 2024.
This year’s theme is Strengthening Conservation Impact Through Partnership.
The Sierra Nevada Alliance has been hosting the Conservation Conferences since 1994. The 2024 Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference is a venue to deepen environmental conversations for the Sierra and move the needle on important initiatives. Presenters include naturalists, artists, outdoor enthusiasts, conservationists, agencies, nonprofits, tribal leaders, policy directors, communications professionals, environmental justice leaders, scientists, and friends of the Sierra.
In order to help the Alliance continue to offer events like the conservation conference, please consider making a donation today.
General Schedule
The following is a sample schedule of conference events. Please note some times may be adjusted slightly.
Thursday, November 7
- 3:00-4:00 p.m. Registration
- 3:30-5:30 p.m. Special session: Workforce Development and Tribal Panel
Friday, November 8
- 8:00 a.m. Registration
- 9:00 a.m. Welcome by SNA’s Jenny Hatch, Keynote by Madeline Drake, Tribal welcome with Herman Fillmore from the Washoe Tribe
- 10:00 a.m. General sessions and breakouts
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch
- 1:30 Breakout sessions, general session, and SNA member group meeting
- 4:45-5:00 p.m. Closing remarks
Session Descriptions
The conference will be composed of panels, presentations, and talks that focus on a particular theme or topic. Our aim is to deepen environmental conversations for the Sierra and move the needle on important initiatives.
Thursday Sessions:
- Workforce Development and Training Coordination for Natural and Working Lands
- Speakers: Pamela Cubbler, Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe
- Lydell Wyatt, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
- Waylon Coats, Sierra Nevada Conservancy
- Thurman Roberts, Nevada Works
Friday Sessions:
- General Session: Welcome address, keynote, and tribal welcome
- Speakers: Jenny Hatch, Sierra Nevada Alliance
- Madeline Drake, California Natural Resources Agency
- Herman Fillmore, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
- Building a Resilient Future: The Intersection of Conservation, Wildfire Mitigation, Water Management, and Justice in the 30×30 Initiative
- Speakers: Madeline Drake, California Natural Resources Agency
- Cody Reed, PhD, Point Blue Conservation Science
- Craig Thomas, The Fire Restoration Group
- Beth Middleton, PhD, UC Davis
- Forest Health: Increasing Capacity through Collaboration
- Speakers: Sierra Riker, CARCD
- Victoria Ortiz, TRPA
- Supporting Ecological Preservation through Community Participation
- Speakers: Adi Sadeh, Fungal Diversity Survey (FUNDIS)
- Dean Lyons, FUNDIS
- Hailey Hawkins, League To Save Lake Tahoe
- Conservation Biology: Reconnecting Critical Landscapes
- Speakers: Mari Galloway, Wildlands Network
- Tanya Diamond, Pathways for Wildlife
- General Session: Building Equity in Conservation and Outdoor Access
- Speakers: Luis Cruz, Hispanic Access Foundation
- Darryl Lucien, 40 Acre Conservation League
- Paula Smith, Washoe Tribe
- Dirk Charley, Dunlap Band of Mono Indians and North Fork Mono Tribe
- Sugar Pine Planting with the Sugar Pine Foundation
- Tressa Gibbard and Maria Mercheva, Sugar Pine Foundation
- Toolkits and Timelines for Grassroots Advocacy
- Speakers: Wendy Schneider, Friends of the Inyo
- Allison Silverstein, Sierra Watch
- Case studies in Innovation for Combating Catastrophic Wildfire
- Speakers: Lakpa Sherpa, Ecofirebuster
- Greg Stangl, Phoenix Energy
- Sustainable Recreation Panel: Successful Project Examples to Learn From and Grow
- Speakers: Megan Fiske, Winter Wildlands Network
- John Wentworth, Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation
- Nettie Pardue, Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council
- Ryn Muat, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
- Jeff Gabriel, Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association
- Anthony Cupaiuolo, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance
Registration Information
The Sierra Nevada Alliance is pleased to invite you to South Lake Tahoe for our 2024 Conservation Conference – Strengthening Conservation Impact Through Partnership. Conference registration includes materials, admission to all plenaries and sessions, meals, on-site activities, and more.
Full registration for the 2024 Conference includes:
- All events and sessions on Thursday and Friday
- Friday meals (continental breakfast, lunch, beverages, and snacks)
Member Group Discounts
All Alliance Member Groups receive one discounted ticket to the conference at $115. Please email info@sierranevadaalliance.org for your discount code.
The following Member Groups are eligible for one additional discounted ticket at $75:
- Alpine Watershed Group
- American Forests
- Calaveras Healthy Impacts Products Solutions (CHIPS)
- Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT)
- Mono Lake Committee
- Restore Hetch Hetchy
- Sequoia Riverlands Trust
- Upper Merced River Watershed Council
- Wolf Creek Community Alliance
- California Native Plant Society
- California Watershed Network
- California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
- North Fork American River Alliance
- North Fork Mono Tribe, Eastern Madera County
- Sierra Club Placer Group (Mother Lode)
- Sierra Club Sierra Nevada Group
- Sierra Watch
- Snowlands Network
- Sugar Pine Foundation
- Trout Unlimited Truckee
- Truckee Donner Land Trust
- Tuolumne River Preservation Trust
Location
The conference will take place at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Address:
Lake Tahoe Community College
1 College Dr.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 US
Lodging Information
We are pleased to offer discounted rooms at local hotels in South Lake Tahoe.
- Contact Letty Hernandez at 530-318-5754 or letty@basecamptahoesouth.com to secure the Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference discounted rate; applicable for the nights of November 6-8.
- Rates: Wed/Thurs: $109, Friday: $139 (not inclusive of tax)
- Reservation deadline is October 15
- When booking online, please use code SNVA2024 upon checkout to secure the Sierra Nevada Alliance discounted conference rate, applicable November 6-8
- Single Queen: $107
- Double Queen, Single King and Suites: $173
- You may also contact the front desk at 800-877-1466 to book over the phone. Mention Sierra Nevada Alliance Conference when speaking with a reservation agent.
Scholarships
The Sierra Nevada Alliance is committed to ensuring equitable access to our conference by fostering diverse representation and amplifying underrepresented voices. Thanks to funding from the Parasol Foundation, we are pleased to offer a limited number of stipends to offset the cost of registration, travel, and lodging.
As of October 22, Conference scholarship applications are now closed.
Amplify your organization’s impact by becoming a conference sponsor. Click here to view our sponsorship benefits. Contact Diana Dominguez, Development Director, to learn more.
For questions or assistance, please contact us at joinus@sierranevadaalliance.org.
Please click here for additional information about the venue, hotels, and transit.