OutdoorNebraska

4 Nebraska Natural Legacy Conference A Success During the Pandemic By Sarah Nevison, Natural Legacy Biologist, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission A s communities, we were faced with making drastic changes in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic — from teaching kids at our kitchen tables, to working on the front lines or working from home, to only seeing family through digital screens on important holidays. Changes for the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project included the need to plan and host our largest annual event amidst the uncertainties. This pandemic also showed us how we can adapt and still contribute to moving forward. Normally, the Nebraska Natural Legacy Conference is held annually in a different part of the state to highlight regional conservation efforts with presentations, field tours, and networking for natural resource professionals, students and landowners. The conference covers research, education, and management of at-risk species and imperiled ecosystems with topics such as prescribed burning, conservation education, and highlights of species' success stories like river otters. In October 2020, the Nebraska Natural Legacy Conference went completely online via Zoom for the 10 th Annual Conference: A Decade of Connections on the Landscape. The virtual format allowed for over 400 people to attend the conference from all corners of Nebraska and neighboring states, some of whom otherwise would have been unable to attend because of travel and funding restrictions. This doubled the average attendance of our past in-person conferences. We also had presenters located in other states and even other countries, with the virtual format allowing them to share their conservation projects and ideas with us in Nebraska. We filled our presentation transitions by fielding jokes from the audience and sharing additional information on the topic at hand. We found a way to maintain comradery by giving people an option to join in an evening documentary about Aldo Leopold, followed by an engaging discussion of the film. Even with all of the uncertainty of 2020, we perhaps had the most successful conference in its 10-year history. M u l t i p l e individuals and o r g a n i z a t i o n s were recognized for their valuable c o n t r i b u t i o n s to the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. A new Natural Legacy Education Award went to Dennis Ferraro, professor of conservation biology and herpetologist at the University of Nebraska, for inspiring others through education to conserve at-risk amphibians and reptiles. We recognized the Nebraska Environmental Trust for more than a decade of support of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project, ensuring conservation of at-risk species and landscapes for future generations. Our annual Conservation Award went to Lindsay Rogers at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, for her dedication to bring recognition to biodiversity and the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. The Best Student Presentation went to Alison Ludwig, graduate student at the University of Nebraska, for her presentation on endangered American burying beetles. We eagerly await the opportunity to see everyone in person for the 2021 Natural Legacy Conference. To follow the project and get updates about the next conference, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @NENaturalLegacy. Lindsay Rogers Alison Ludwig Dennis Ferrarro

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