Saving the places people need and love requires more than hard work. It also requires funding. Just as it took the Chicago Bulls the winning combination of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to bring home six NBA championships, land trusts need both funding and hard work to get conservation done. And you can play a helpful role.

As a child, I was obsessed with the Little Tikes Workshop. Made to resemble a real-life workbench, this playset came with all the necessary fixings: a plastic hammer, drawers to hold big faux-nails and even a fake phone to handle "customer" requests.

There is an old adage that with a new year comes new opportunities. And while 2021 has only just begun, our community is expected to have another stellar year thanks in part to federal funding opportunities such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program.

On the heels of Congress passing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the conservation community has achieved another legislative victory with enactment of the America's Conservation Enhancement Act.

As land trusts continue to navigate the hardships posed by the coronavirus, the Land Trust Alliance is stepping up to help its members in a big way.

As the Land Trust Alliance weighs our response to the coronavirus crisis, one thing has remained at the forefront of all of our thinking: We must prioritize the health and wellbeing of our land trust members, our staff and their families.

We're on the cusp of Congress acting to fully fund both the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Restore America's Parks Act! But we need your help to get this across the finish line.

Over the past 10 years, our community has been tremendously successful in advocating for federal policies that advance land conservation. From passage of the permanent conservation tax incentive to enacting the Farm Bill, these successes wouldn't be possible without your advocacy support.

Now that the 116th Congress is seated, our community is presented with the opportunity to make a difference on federal policies impacting land trusts nationwide.

Growing up, baseball was life. I learned the game as a Pirate but perfected it as a Gator. In between, I saw time as a member of the Cubbies, RiverDogs and Zephyrs.

Enacting change can be hard. As creatures of habit, we prefer the familiar to the unknown. Less work to more. But when we are joined by others who share our values, change is possible. And I believe we — as a community — have the power to usher in a new era for private land conservation.