President's Message

Okay, so the deadline for the ACI Awards Contest came and went last week, and unless I’m reading the dashboard wrong, we received nearly 450 entries this year. That, my friends, is a lot of competition.

The most popular category was Video Feature: Natural Resources Conservation with 27 entries, followed closely by Photography: People with 26 and Magazine: Wildlife Article with 25.

I want to wish good luck to everyone who entered...unless you’re in one of the categories I entered...then, respectfully, I hope I win. Just being honest.

At this point, our category chairs will begin reviewing submissions to make sure everything is in the right place. While that’s happening, I’d encourage you to consider volunteering as a judge. ACI Awards Chair Beth Quillian (Oregon) will be sending out the annual call for judges any day now. With 35 categories and three judges per category, that’s 105 judges needed. Even with folks taking on multiple categories, we’re always looking for more help.

I can say from experience that judging has made me a better writer, communicator, and graphic designer. You get a front-row seat to some incredibly talented work from across the country, and a chance to see the thought process behind it. It’s been invaluable to my own growth. When the call comes out, take a minute to see if there’s a category that fits your interests. It’s absolutely worth it. We might even be able to score you an extra drink ticket at the conference.

Speaking of the conference, now is a great time to start planning to join us in Oklahoma City for the 2026 ACI Conference, happening July 20–23. Blake Podhajsky and his team at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation are putting together what’s shaping up to be an incredible event you won’t want to miss. You can learn more here: www.aci-net.org/events/aci-conference-2026.

One final thought on the ACI Awards Contest: during a recent team meeting, one of my coworkers realized, very late, that he could view the judges’ comments from last year’s entries. We all had a good laugh, but honestly, those comments are incredibly valuable. They offer real insight into how to improve your work, and it’s a shame to miss out on that feedback. So after the awards are announced in July, be sure to go back and read through the judges’ comments. They really know their stuff, and there’s a lot you can learn from them.

Aaron Meier

ACI President,

Nevada Department of Wildlife

2026 ACI Conference

"The Modern Frontier"

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍!!

The 2026 Association for Conservation Information Conference registration is now open! To register, book your hotel, and view the conference agenda, please visit the conference page at www.aci-net.org/events/aci-conference-2026.

The ACI Conference will take place in Oklahoma City, OK, July 20-23, 2026. Our friends from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation are excited to welcome you to OKC for a week of collaboration, networking and craft improvement. The conference runs from Monday July 20 – Thursday July 23, 2026, with check out Friday, July 24, 2026. The early bird registration fee of $475 ends May 18, 2026. After May 18, the registration will be $490 and the registration deadline is July 10, 2026.

We look forward to seeing you in Oklahoma City!

***REMINDER***

CALL FOR SPEAKERS

ACI Conference 2026

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is getting excited for the engaging agenda we are building for the summer conference. A key piece of this agenda will be YOU! We are looking for speakers to participate in one of three ways:

General session presentation: These presentations are 30-60 minutes and can be on any topic, but even better if connected to our conference theme, "The Modern Frontier." For more information, please visit the conference website: ACI Conference 2026.
Lightning talk session: These presentations are up to five minutes and are quick highlights of work being done or recently completed in your organization.
Breakout sessions: Small group, topic-specific discussions or workshops such as photography, magazine, web development, etc..

If you are interested, please send your name, organization, and a brief description of the topic to betsey.york@odwc.ok.gov. We look forward to hearing about the good things being done across the country!

Donations NEEDED for ACI Conference Auction

If you've attended an ACI conference before, you know how much fun we have at the auction. If you're a newbie, you'll find out very soon.

Not only is the auction a fun social activity, it's also one of the major ways ACI raises money to help offset the costs of putting on a conference.

To have a successful auction and conference, we need your help!

Donations of merchandise and agency SWAG are appreciated and welcomed with open arms. We also need big ticket items – like a guided hunting, fishing or paddling trip or other outdoor adventure in your state. Maybe a weekend at one of your beautiful state parks. Do you have a connection with a retailer willing to donate merchandise for a good cause? ACI is a GREAT cause.

You can bring your auction items with you to the conference if you like. If it’s too big to fit in your suitcase, you can ship it directly to Conference Coordinator Blake Podhajsky at the address below. But don't delay, the window for timely shipping is closing rapidly. All physical items should be mailed no later than July 1, 2026.

If you have items shipped, please send Blake an email describing your contribution. His email is: blake.podhajsky@odwc.ok.gov

Also email the ACI Auction Chairperson Jason Harmon letting him know what your contribution will be so he can coordinate his auction team's efforts. His email is: jason.harmon@tn.gov

Shipping Address:

Attn: Blake Podhajsky

Communication and Education Specialist

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

1801 N. Lincoln Blvd.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Volunteer as a Judge!

ACI Awards

The ACI Awards Contest is made possible by volunteer judges who generously lend their expertise to review and score entries. We welcome judges from both the public and private sectors, and ACI membership is not required.

Judging will take place over four weeks, from April 15 to May 13, 2026, with all scores due by the May 13 deadline.

If you’re interested in serving as a judge, please contact Awards Co-Chairs Beth Quillian or Devin Lindley. Feel free to share this opportunity with colleagues.

Please note: Judges may not participate in categories where their agency or organization has submitted an entry. Be sure to confirm with your organization that no conflict of interest exists before volunteering.

The Bi-Monthly Catch-up

Relevancy Roulette- Understanding the Perceptions and Needs of the General Public and Our Traditional Users

Whether growing numbers of hunters and anglers, protecting threatened wildlife, or promoting healthy ecosystems, a strong relationship with the public is vital for government agencies taking on the work of conservation. To better build a foundation of collaboration, agencies must first understand how they are perceived by the people they work for. [READ MORE].

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Article by Ethan Rice

Outreach Specialist

Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife

Exploring the Impact of Marketing in Conservation at ACI

My breakout session at ACI turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the conference. I joined the Marketing and Communications workgroup led by Jenifer Wisniewski, Chief Marketing Officer at the National Deer Association.

Jenifer opened with a simple question: How much are you actually spending on marketing each year—and what tactics are you using? Hearing that some agencies invest thousands annually into social media ads, Google campaigns, billboards, and radio helped us to think about how effective outreach isn’t accidental, it’s intentional. [READ MORE]

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Article by Heather Del Moral

Communication and Education Technician

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Five reasons why I think the Kids Free Fishing License Program is successful (from an outside perspective)

Even though I have been with the Department for little over a year, I still consider myself an outsider looking into the wildlife world. I consider this perception an advantage. I can offer unbiased insights, find blind spots, and can share knowledge from a different world that others are unable to see. This is why I wanted to share an ingenious program that the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) has made public. I’ll also add my perspective as to why I think it’s such a great program. [READ MORE]

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Article by Jamie Roice-Gomes

Public Information Officer

Nevada Department of Wildlife, Conservation Education Division

Bringing Modern Trapping to Life: New Video Series Available for Agencies and Partners

Through a Multistate Conservation Grant, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, in collaboration with key conservation partners, has developed an exceptional new suite of 12 high-quality videos designed to inform, engage, and inspire. These videos represent a significant step forward in how we communicate about modern regulated trapping—offering compelling, accessible content that resonates with both the public and the broader conservation community. You can find all the videos at Videos: Education and R3 Efforts on Trapping – Furbearer Management...

[READ MORE]

ACI's Official Podcast

Episode 14: Conference Season with Kristy Dalton of GSMCON

Kristy Dalton founded the Government Social Media Conference, (GSMCON) in 2015 after realizing there was a big need for navigating the fast-moving world of government social media. Now in its 11th year, GSMCON is the largest government social media conference in the world. We spoke with Dalton about the starting the conference, growing it and where things are headed with billionaires playing Monopoly with social platforms and the rise of AI.

Check out all our episodes for FREE on Spotify:

Other Items of Interest

AFWA Annual Awards- Call for Nominations

Please take a minute and think of a team or individual within your agency as well as private stakeholders who are deserving of national recognition for their outstanding work to advance fish and wildlife conservation. The Association's Annual Awards can help you recognize them for going above and beyond in our field.

Please visit AFWA's website for the nomination criteria, which also gives a brief description of each award. You don't need to have completed all the nomination write-up at the time of submission.

Nominations are due July 1, 2026

116th AFWA Annual Meeting

Mark your calendar for our 2026 AFWA Annual Meeting on Monday, September 14 - Friday, September 18, 2026 at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.

When: Monday, Septmebr 14- Friday, September 18, 2026

Where: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Learn more.