Institute for Conservation Leadership

05/13/2026

What does it take to sustain collaboration for decades?

ICL President Dianne Russell recently returned to Nebraska's Platte River — where ICL helped convene conservation leaders back in 1989 — to see how that work has grown. The cranes still arrive by the million each spring, and the collaborations protecting their habitat have only deepened.

In our latest blog post, Dianne shares five practical lessons from the leaders coordinating this work today, plus a look back at how it all began.

When the Cranes Depend on Us - Lessons for Collaboration: https://www.icl.org/blog/when-the-cranes-depend-on-us-lessons-for-collaboration/

Photo credits: Dianne Russell The Platte River and Its Ecosystem Imagine a river that once was described as a mile wide and an inch deep. Historically, that was the braided ... Read more

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day to the leaders showing up – in collaborations, in meetings, across sectors and differences – every single day!

At ICL, we know that the work of protecting our communities and our planet isn’t done alone. It’s built through relationships, deepened through practice, and sustained by people who continue to engage even when it is hard.

We are grateful for every leader in our network who does that work. You are the reason we show up and why our mission matters.


Photo by Dianne Russell

03/13/2026

Are you ready to go deeper on collaborative leadership?

Registration closes tomorrow for our spring Energize Your Partnerships and Networks training!

Energize Your Partnerships & Networks offers a live, highly interactive training for leaders whose work spans organizations, partnerships, or networks. Space where authority is shared and progress depends on intentional structure.

After completing Energize Your Partnerships and Networks, you'll walk into every cross-organization room better prepared.

Register here: https://www.icl.org/series/energize-your-partnerships-and-networks-spring-2026/

Spring 2026 Program Join ICL for a three-part live, interactive training to develop skills and practical tools for engaging groups towards more effective collaboration. Collaborative work answers the question: “What ... Read more

03/06/2026

When collaboration depends on goodwill instead of structure, it slows. Accountability weakens. Momentum is lost and it's hard to name exactly why.

If you coordinate work across organizations, partnerships, or networks, you've probably felt this. The work is complex and time-consuming. That's not a relationship problem. It's a structure problem. And it's solvable.

ICL's Energize Your Partnerships & Networks offers a live, interactive training for people responsible for cross-organization collaboration — coalitions, alliances, networks, and partnerships where authority is shared and progress depends on intentional structure.

You'll walk away with clear methods to lead collaborative processes that produce decisions, clarify roles when no one has formal authority, and design structures that keep partners aligned and accountable over time.

Spring registration closes next Thursday, March 12th.

📅 Spring dates: Thursdays, March 19, 26 & April 2 | 1:00–2:30 PM ET
Led by Pri Ekanayake and Sarah Clark

Register today:

Spring 2026 Program Join ICL for a three-part live, interactive training to develop skills and practical tools for engaging groups towards more effective collaboration. Collaborative work answers the question: “What ... Read more

02/06/2026

Have you ever wondered if your collaboration is worth the investment?

A new evaluation from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation offers evidence that it is. The evaluation examined collaborative work in the Chesapeake Bay and found that when partnerships are properly resourced, they accelerate impact and build lasting solutions to environmental challenges.

In our latest blog post, Sarah Clark breaks down the key findings and shares practical ways you can use this evaluation to inform and strengthen your own collaborative work.

Read more: https://www.icl.org/blog/new-evidence-collaboration-accelerates-impact/



Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program

Collaboration works. During my past ten years at the Institute for Conservation Leadership, I have fortunately seen many successes. One of my favorite examples is in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, where ... Read more

01/29/2026

Today is the last day for early bird pricing on our February Facilitating Engaging Meetings training!
https://www.icl.org/series/facilitating-engaging-meetings-february-2026/

Meetings are often where collaboration either works or falls apart. But most of us are expected to facilitate participation, guide discussions, and move groups toward decisions—without ever being taught how.

The result? Unclear agendas, uneven participation, stalled decisions, and a lot of wasted time on work we can't afford to slow down on.

Facilitating Engaging Meetings turns facilitation into a skill you can actually learn and practice. You'll walk away with tools you can use in the meetings you're already leading.

February cohort starts soon. Early bird pricing ends tonight: https://www.icl.org/series/facilitating-engaging-meetings-february-2026/

01/22/2026

Our trainings work — and participants agree.

✔️ "This was a fabulous workshop with a great mix of tools and background info. Well organized."

✔️ "I liked how short it was (though at the same time I want to keep coming back). There were LOTS of practical tips."

✔️ "I learned a lot and enjoyed the balance of information and engagement."

📅 Facilitating Engaging Meetings – Feb 19, 24, 26 | 1:00-2:30 pm ET (early bird ends Jan 29) Learn practical facilitation techniques to design and lead more productive meetings.

🗓️ Energize Your Partnerships and Networks – March 19, 26, April 2 | 1:00-2:30 pm ET (early bird ends Feb 5) Advance your collaborative work with proven strategies from ICL's 35+ years facilitating environmental partnerships.

View complete program details: https://www.icl.org/online-trainings-workshops/

01/06/2026

Start 2026 with meetings that move your work forward!

Join ICL's upcoming training programs to build facilitation and collaboration skills you can use immediately:

> Facilitating Engaging Meetings (Feb 19, 24, 26) Lead confident, productive meetings with your team or organization
Register here: https://www.icl.org/series/facilitating-engaging-meetings-february-2026/

> Energize Your Partnerships and Networks (March 19, 26 & April 2) Amplify your collaborative impact across coalitions and networks
Register here: https://www.icl.org/series/energize-your-partnerships-and-networks-spring-2026/

These programs are led by skilled ICL facilitators, Pri Ekanayake and Sarah Clark

Early bird pricing ends soon!

Learn more and register: https://www.icl.org/online-trainings-workshops/

Online Trainings & Workshops ICL brings decades of proven expertise directly to you through our dynamic virtual programs designed to connect, educate, and inspire. Whether you want to develop new ... Read more

12/31/2025

There are less than 24 hours left to support environmental leaders in 2025!

This year has been relentless. But the leaders ICL serves are meeting it with greater resolve.

When you invest in ICL before midnight, you're:
• Strengthening collaborations that multiply impact
• Building hope when communities need it most
• Supporting gatherings of determined leaders to connect

Make your year-end gift: icl.org/donate

12/18/2025

Do you want to strengthen your meeting and collaboration skills in 2026?

For the first time ever, our complete 2026 training calendar is open for registration—with early bird rates available now! https://www.icl.org/online-trainings-workshops/

Whether you're leading coalitions, facilitating meetings, or building collaborative partnerships to address environmental and community health challenges, we have a program designed for you:

Energize Your Partnerships and Networks | Spring 2026
Learn proven strategies to amplify your collaborative impact, drawing from ICL's experience facilitating hundreds of successful environmental partnerships.
Thursdays: March 19, 26 & April 2 | 1:00-2:30 PM ET
• December Series also available

Facilitating Engaging Meetings | February 2026
Gain confidence designing and leading meetings that matter. Practice skills with your environmental sector peers and walk away with tools you can use immediately.
February 19, 24 & 26 | 1:00-2:30 PM ET
• June & October also available

Build Better Meetings | Online & On-Demand Master meeting leadership on your schedule with our comprehensive digital course—featuring video instruction, practical resources, and community discussion groups. Enroll anytime

All programs are specifically designed for environmental, conservation, and community health leaders who want to make every meeting and collaboration count.

Lock in early bird pricing and secure your spot today: https://www.icl.org/online-trainings-workshops/

Online Trainings & Workshops ICL brings decades of proven expertise directly to you through our dynamic virtual programs designed to connect, educate, and inspire. Whether you want to develop new ... Read more