Sharing the learning

By Jon Dain, NRLI Director

People may be enjoying the final weeks of summer in the northern latitudes, but here at NRLI we are past the summer and ready to dive into “fall” activities - despite the date and the temperatures. That said, it is worth noting that things were pretty busy and exciting from June through mid-August. Below you will find described just one example of Project Team summer activities - Wendy-Lin Bartels’ July work with NRLI alumni developing engaging and effective meetings for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. She also held discussions on NRLI approaches to training with colleagues in Costa Rica. Meanwhile, Joy Hazell worked with alumni on an oyster management project in Cedar Key/Suwanee before heading to San Diego, California to facilitate complex fisheries discussions. As for me, I taught a short-course at the University of Maine before heading to Belem, Brazil to use NRLI approaches in an international meeting focused on cross-border collaboration in the Amazon (the rainforest, not the technology company…). 

Each of these Project Team activities led to insights and “ah-hah” moments that we are excited to incorporate when we meet with the impressive group of professionals who make up the new NRLI cohort.  In fact, this week Class 23 gathers for the first time in Crystal River for a session titled "Rooted in Sea Grass: Community Supported Resource Protection and Management”.  It should be a fascinating case study and a great opportunity for the new NRLI Fellows to see collaboration in action as they convene for the first time. Lessons from the above-mentioned meetings, courses and projects will not be limited to the current NRLI class, or to the project team, they will also be a part of the new “Tips from the Field” initiative described below. As we continue to expand our alumni engagement activities, we hope that this new on-line forum will strengthen NRLI as a “community of practice” where alumni as well as Project Team members “share the learning” with each other. 

In closing, I hope this finds you all well, welcome Class 23 and please keep in touch! 

Summer Farm Bureau Fraternizations

This summer, NRLI alumni from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF) wielded flipcharts, sticky notes, and small-group breakouts to NRLI-fy their staff meetings. 

On July 8th, John Dooner (Class 17) engaged participants for a session in Orlando entitled: Putting the Y back into the Young Farmers & Ranchers Program. John remarked that he is always amazed at how the NRLI process moves an audience from being hesitant about buzz groups and timelines to fully buying into participation and interaction so that real progress can occur. One of his fellow committee members said, “I was skeptical about this interactive session you kept proposing, but after participating I’m convinced, we need to do more of these sessions.”

Jared Lanier (Class 21) organized the Southern Region Field Staff Conference in Jacksonville. On July 24th, he coordinated a session on time management and witnessed a participatory human timeline with 84 field staff professionals from across the nation. “It is always a joy to work with Wendy-Lin to apply the skills that were taught through NRLI to ignite a large group to not only talk but engage in the discussion. This session was the first on our agenda to ensure the rest of the conference went well.” 

NRLI tips from the field: tune-in, tune-up!

Join us for a new online series to refresh, exchange & expand your NRLI skillset. We are offering a monthly virtual learning opportunity to hone collaborative leadership skills. Let’s remind one another of what works (and what doesn’t). You said it: Use it or lose it!

Each session will feature brief experiences from alumni on how they are using collaborative (and conflict management) approaches in the field. We will listen, reflect together on lessons learned, and cross-pollinate ideas.

Make a habit of it - tune in for your lunch break from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm on the first Thursday of every month. Mark your calendar now!

Note that our December and May sessions are “expansion” courses during which NRLI project team members will offer new tools and approaches. We invite you to save 2 hours for those sessions. 

Please contact Wendy-Lin (wendylin@ufl.edu or 352-222-2672) if you have any questions about the alumni virtual learning series.

NRLI Synchronous Social Gatherings

We are planning seven synchronous soirees (i.e., social gatherings of NRLI alumni) across the state of Florida. In each region, two alumni have agreed to co-anchor/coordinate these informal events. 

So far, we have anchors in: Tallahassee, Tampa/St. Pete, Ft. Myers/Naples, West Palm, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Gainesville. Please plan to join a gathering in your area on Oct. 19th

FYI, it only takes two or three alumni to constitute a “gathering” – Refer to our online map to see clusters of alumni in your area.

If you would like to serve as an anchor in an unrepresented area, please contact Wendy-Lin (wendylin@ufl.edu or 352-222-2672).

You will be hearing more from us as the date draws closer. Stay tuned for upcoming emails with details on your regional co- anchors and meeting locations.

Update your NRLI online profile

For the proposed regional social gatherings, we’ll be coordinating communication with clusters of NRLI alumni. To find you, we will be using the NRLI online map (and associated database). If you are NOT located in the right place, we could miss you. Please take a moment to UPDATE your profile. Many of you have switched positions, jobs, and emails since graduating. We need your new info for our records and to serve you in ongoing learning / exchange opportunities.

Our NRLI alumni website is located at https://nrlialumni.org/

You may have forgotten your password. That is OK! You can request a new one easily by clicking on the green button below.

If you forgot the username, email, or password associated with your profile, please contact Wendy-Lin (wendylin@ufl.edu or 352-222-2672). 

Andrea Albertin Regional Specialized Agent in Water Resources, UF/IFAS Extension

Stephanie Armstrong Environmental Scientist IV, Suwannee River Water Mgmt District 

Steven Beck Biologist IV, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission 

Ben Butler Partner & Vice President, Butler Oaks Farm, Inc.

Allegra Buyer Natural Resources Program Coordinator, Seminole County Lands Program 

Robby Creech Captain, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

Michele Curts Leadership Programs Coordinator, Florida Farm Bureau Federation

Chris Denmark Environmental Administrator, Florida Dept of Ag & Consumer Services 

Rianna Elliott Director of Land Stewardship, North Florida Land Trust, Inc. 

Samuel Erikson Natural Resources Specialist, Highlands County 

Jessica Ferris Government Consultant; Carr, Riggs, and Ingram, LLC

Gregory Garis Program Administrator, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Erica Hall Volunteer Executive Committee Vice Chair, Sierra Club Chapter

Daniel Lamson Executive Director, Indian River Neighborhood Association 

Lindsey Pavao Senior Environmental Specialist, Alachua County Env Protection Dept

Callie Register Senior Hydrologist, St Johns River Water Management District

Laura Reynolds Assistant Professor, University of Florida

Rachel Rhode Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds, Environmental Defense Fund 

Jeffrey Smith Senior Environmental Specialist, Florida Power & Light Company

Tarana Solaiman Lead Project Manager, South Florida Water Management District

Stephanie Verhulst Biologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers