Special Events

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Walking Tour: Discover Hartford’s Main Street and Bushnell Park

Saturday, October 2, 1:00pm – 4:00pm | $20
Learn how Hartford has evolved over the last three centuries by viewing some of Main Street’s most important buildings including: City Hall, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Travelers Tower, Center Church and the Ancient Burying Ground.  Then visit Bushnell Park, America’s oldest publicly-funded park, to view the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, the vintage 1914 carousel, the adjacent State Capitol and historic Bushnell Theater. The tour will conclude at the Butler-McCook House and Garden, with a reception in the Victorian ornamental garden.

Loop Year: 365 Days on the Trail

Saturday, October 2, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
What do you do if you're an amateur adventurer and environmentalist who dreams of hiking the Appalachian Trail or saving the rainforest, but you can't quit your day job or abandon personal commitments? John Sheirer created his own project: For one year he hiked the same trail in Somers, Connecticut, once a day, every day. He chronicled the year in Loop Year: 365 Days on the Trail. Join John Sheirer for this exciting and energizing account of an obsession with hiking and caring for the same New England trail every day.

Regional Receptions

Sunday, October 3, 5:00pm – 6:45pm
Come and meet colleagues from your region for a delightful evening of socializing and networking at the ever-popular regional receptions.  Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be provided for your enjoyment.

Welcoming Dinner

Sunday, October 3, 7:00pm – 9:00pm | $55
Join 1,100+ of your friends and colleagues for dinner as we kickoff the 23rd Rally with the Welcoming Dinner and the Alliance Awards. A special menu will be prepared using local and sustainable products.

Tai Chi at Sunrise

Monday, October 4, 6:45am – 7:45am | $15
Learn how to boost your energy while strengthening and relaxing your body and mind.   Join us for an introductory session of Tai Chi Gong. Tai Chi Gong is a simple, powerful "energy practice" that involves flowing movements and deep breathing in harmony with nature.  Regular practice activates your internal energy (“Chi”) and can: (1) improve flexibility, balance and strength; (2) reduce blood pressure and joint pain; and (3) strengthen your immune system and memory to promote wellness throughout your lifetime.   Prepare for a day of Rally more fully balanced!

Development Directors’ Forum

Tuesday, October 5, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Development Directors, Vice Presidents of Philanthropy, and others holding the highest responsibility for fundraising at their land trust are invited to join in this session for facilitated discussions on your unique challenges and opportunities and networking with your peers. Please R.S.V.P. to Kelly Rollison at krollison@lta.org.

Rallypalooza

Tuesday, October 5, 6:00pm – 9:00pm | $50
Join your friends for this upbeat evening of fun at the historic Society Room of Hartford – a former bank building built in 1891 – in a setting reminiscent of the Great Gatsby.  Dance the night away with entertainment provided by your fellow conservationists.  Hors d’oeuvres and two drink tickets included.

Got Talent?
Back by popular demand! If you can sing, dance, play a drum, guitar, or are in any way musically inclined, sign-up to entertain your colleagues at Rallypalooza and/or before each plenary session.  Enter for a chance to win a basic registration to Rally in Milwaukee, WI in 2011. For more information, contact Pam Nicholls at pnicholls@lta.org; 970-245-5811.

Government Partner Sessions

Join government partners at sessions scheduled throughout Rally as they discuss funding opportunities, partnerships and innovative programs.

Working with the IRS

Monday, October 4, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
A panel discussion with IRS representatives involved in managing conservation easement issues, moderated by attorney Stephen J. Small.

(Home) Land Protection: Partnering With the Department Of Defense

Monday, October 4, 4:00pm – 5:30pm

and

The Army Compatible Use Buffer Program: Opportunities for Conservation Partnerships Nationwide

Tuesday, October 5, 1:30pm -3:00pm
The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to identifying and exploring innovations to leverage funds and conservation and community objectives in partnerships at more than 50 locations nationwide.  Learn about how these DoD partnerships sustain our land, air and sea spaces to protect our communities, the national economy and our national security.

Smart Growth and Land Trusts: Principles to Guide Land Acquisition in Coastal Areas

Tuesday, October 5, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
and

Coastal Climate Change Adaptation: The Role of Land Trusts

Tuesday, October 5, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Coastal smart growth and green infrastructure strategies can be of great benefit to land trusts in targeting properties that best enhance resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities.  Two sessions - convened by Land Trust Alliance’s Coastal Conservation Networking collaborative of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - will provide an overview of these strategies followed by case studies in which land trusts are developing climate sensitive and adaptive conservation priorities through smart growth and green infrastructure planning efforts.

America’s Great Outdoors: A Discussion with the Department of Interior

Tuesday, October 5, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Speak with Department of Interior leaders regarding the status of the America’s Great Outdoors dialogue.

How to Access Farm Bill Programs

Tuesday, October 5, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Speak with USDA leaders regarding Farmland Protection Program and Grassland Reserve Program policy and implementation.

Landscape Conservation with the Bureau of Land Management

Tuesday, October 5, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Meet Bureau of Land Management staff who are advancing on-the-ground collaborations with land trusts.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Water Resources Challenges for the 21st Century

Tuesday, October 5, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
During this session, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide an overview of its perspective on key water resources challenges that will need to be addressed this century as well as key factors to be considered.

U.S. Forest Service

Tuesday, October 5, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
This session will provide an overview of current Forest Service efforts that have particular impact on land trusts such as the Forest Legacy Program, Forest Service Land Acquisitions and new efforts to write a planning rule in support of the National Forest Management Act.