Join this comprehensive class on all the steps and stages necessary to create a complete conservation plan. Using examples from past conservation plans, the course will go through the step-by step process necessary to create a conservation plan and the different decisions and directions that may be taken along the way. It will cover the major steps of planning: from initial conceptualization and feasibility, to developing the lenses for understanding the issues before you, doing fact-finding and surveying, splitting and lumping community interests, doing appropriate research, refining your values, developing GIS maps, strategies and tactics for your conservation plan. Attendees will be provided with worksheets to help with developing their own plans. In-depth assistance will be on the "lenses" used to understand your regions and how to break them down and assess all aspects of your community's needs and then how to turn all aspects of that assessment into the needed working elements of a conservation plan, with a specific assessment on understanding the geographies of need and create a good GIS map-based strategy.