A celebration of conservation in the Feather River region

Our speakers

Our guest speakers offered short, engaging talks in their areas of expertise and passion, followed by a brief update on the conservation successes your support is making possible. Here’s the lineup.

Ryan Burnett

Sierra Nevada Group Leader, Point Blue Conservation Science

What’s so special about Sierra Nevada meadows and why do we need to protect them?

Ryan’s expertise is in developing strategies to bring science to bear on land management decisions. His work at Point Blue focuses on guiding and evaluating the management and restoration of a broad range of important Sierra Nevada habitats including riparian, aspen, oak, meadow, and burned forest. His passion for birds and other wildlife has led him all over the world to study diverse species, but it is the vast Sierra Nevada Ecosystem that has inspired his work for the last 13 years. As a member of FRLT’s Land Protection Committee, he advises on strategic conservation priorities and projects.

 

Dawit Zeleke

Sierra Valley Lead Partner, The Nature Conservancy

Why protecting ranchlands benefits us all: Ranchers as partners in community-based conservation

At The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Dawit has shaped the strategic vision for a conservation region that includes forests in the Sierra Nevada, river systems in Northern and Central California, and more than 100,000 acres of agricultural and rangeland properties throughout California, including Sierra Valley. As a fellow member of Northern Sierra Partnership, TNC is a key partner to FRLT in our collective work to conserve biodiverse ranches, wetlands, and open space in Sierra Valley. A farmer himself, Dawit also owns and operates a certified organic orchard and is a partner in an agricultural operation in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

 

Trina Cunningham

Tribal Conservation Specialist, Mountain Maidu

Indigenous relationships to land and what traditional fire management can teach us in this era of catastrophic wildfires

Trina advises FRLT and others on the cultural values of land conservation and stewardship projects throughout the Sierra Nevada. She served on FRLT’s board from 2002-2008, is a founding member of the Maidu Summit Consortium, and serves on the Plumas County Fire Safe Council. Trina shares her Mountain Maidu cultural knowledge through public presentations for audiences from preschoolers to legislative bodies, consulting with state and federal agencies, writing natural resources curriculum, and educational gatherings.

 

Shelton Douthit

Executive Director, Feather River Land Trust

2020 Update: Conservation successes in the Feather River country

With over 30 years in land conservation, Shelton has helped conserve over 575,000 acres of important lands throughout California. In addition to serving as FRLT’s Executive Director, he also leads our Land Protection Program, working with landowners to permanently protect conservation values critical to the region and the nation.