MLI Webinars
A creek in Kansas. Photo credit: Kansas Department of Parks and Wildlife
The Midwest Landscape Initiative is pleased to offer virtual workshops and webinars. Find recordings of our sessions here, after the event.
Recordings
Details: This session highlights practical models for building partnerships, aligning diverse voices, and advancing collaborative conservation. While the three approaches differ in sequence and structure, each aims to improve conservation outcomes by aligning diverse stakeholders around a shared commitment to grassland sustainability, ranching viability, and rural community vitality.
Presenters: Claire Beck (MAFWA); Heather Husband (Meadowlark Initiative); Laura Kahler (South Dakota Grassland Initiative); Laura Nelson (Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition)
Recorded: October 16, 2025
Duration: 51 minutes
Details: This webinar reviews the results and follow up from all of the previous webinars about integrating the Great Lakes into the Midwest Conservation Blueprint. Progress to date and future plans for the next steps of the process are presented and discussed.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS); Alex Wright (USFWS)
Recorded: September 30, 2025
Duration: 46 minutes
Details: This webinar provides information regarding the draft set of indicators developed at the previous (May 27th) webinar, followed by a walk-through of the process for identifying spatial data to represent those indicators.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS); Alex Wright (USFWS)
Recorded: July 22, 2025
Duration: 37 minutes
Details: This webinar features reflections on collaborative conservation through MLI from several conservation leaders in the Midwest region, as well as lightning talks from two MLI collaborators detailing their experiences using MLI products and services in their own organizations.
Presenters: Kate Parsons (USFWS), Kelley Tymeson (USFWS), Tim McCoy (NE Game and Parks), Will Meeks (USFWS), Pete Hildreth (Iowa DNR), Brent Rudolph (Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever), Gerry Steinauer (NE Game and Parks)
Recorded: June 9, 2025
Duration: 43 minutes
Details: This webinar provides an overview of the Midwest Conservation Blueprint and the process to expand the product into the waters of the Great Lakes, followed by a more detailed discussion of potential indicators that can be used in this new portion of the Blueprint.
Presenters: Lainet Garcia-Rivera (USFWS), Leon Hinz (Illinois DNR), Rachael Carlberg (USFWS), Alex Wright (USFWS)
Recorded: May 27, 2025
Duration: 54 minutes
Details: This webinar features several speakers from the Midwest region giving lightning talks about the research activities, data needs, and collaborative opportunities of their respective organizations.
Presenters: Claire Beck (MAFWA), Rachael Carlberg (USFWS), Adam Landon (Minnesota DNR), T. Kevin O’Donnell (USGS-CASC), Kevin Pope (USGS-CRU), Lorisa Smith (Missouri Department of Conservation), Jason Sumners (Missouri Department of Conservation)
Recorded: April 24, 2025
Duration: 52 minutes
Details: This webinar provides an overview of the results and takeaways from the first ever Midwest Grasslands Summit, including high-level themes and proposed actions moving foward.
Presenters: Lorisa Smith (Missouri Department of Conservation), Kelly VanBeek (USFWS)
Recorded: March 27, 2025
Duration: 23 minutes
Details: This webinar introduces the purpose and proposed process of expanding the Midwest Conservation Blueprint to include the nearshore waters of the Great Lakes.
Presenters: Claire Beck (MAFWA), Rachael Carlberg (USFWS), Alex Wright (USFWS)
Recorded: March 25, 2025
Duration: 46 minutes
Details: This webinar introduces to 2024 version of the Midwest Conservation Blueprint, including details about data and process improvements as well as potential uses of the tool.
Presenters: Claire Beck (MAFWA), Rachael Carlberg (USFWS), Alex Wright (USFWS)
Recorded: November 21, 2024
Duration: 48 minutes
Details: This series of presentations covers projects and resources from the MLI related to Species of Greatest Conservation Need and State Wildlife Action Plans.
Presenters: Claire Beck (MAFWA), Tracy Rice (Terwilliger Consulting, Inc.), Tom Bonnot (USFWS), Alex Wright (USFWS), Jennylyn Redner (Redbo Science)
Recorded: August 22, 2024
Duration: 57 minutes
Details: This special workshop focuses on how land trusts can use the Midwest Conservation Blueprint.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS)
Recorded: June 20, 2024
Duration: 26 minutes
Details: Throughout the summer of 2024, the Midwest Landscape Initiative plans to update and refine the blueprint. At this workshop learn more about our planned updates.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS)
Recorded: May 23, 2024
Duration: 25 minutes
Details: See how your peers have used the blueprint in their work and hear about ongoing projects including enhancing fish passage, prioritizing land parcels for restoration, collaborating on funding proposals, and more! We hope these shared stories will spark ideas on new and creative ways to use the blueprint.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS), Gerry Steinauer (Nebraska Game and Parks Commission), Nate Muenks (Missouri Department of Conservation), and Jason Jungwirth (South Dakota Game Fish and Parks)
Recorded: April 25, 2024
Duration: 53 minutes
Details: You’ve seen the blueprint and overlaid data using our online map viewer–now what? See how MLI staff can assist you in further spatial analysis and learn how we can clip and tailor the blueprint to your needs.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS)
Recorded: March 28, 2024
Duration: 22 minutes
Details: In this session, we focus on how we incorporate your feedback to inform and shape the Midwest Conservation Blueprint.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS) and Alex Wright (USFWS)
Recorded: February 22, 2024
Duration: 26 minutes
Details: In this workshop we provide step-by-step instructions on using the blueprint to support your grant proposals. The Midwest Conservation Blueprint is a basemap of priority lands and waters for conservation.
Presenters: Rachael Carlberg (USFWS)
Recorded: January 25, 2024
Duration: 14 minutes
Details: This webinar serves as the original launch of the Midwest Conservation Blueprint and covers the development process and basics of the Blueprint.
Presenters: Alex Wright (USFWS), Rachael Carlberg (USFWS)
Recorded: October 11, 2023
Duration: 51 minutes