Land conservation and strengthening our working lands play an important role in protecting water quality, storing greenhouse gas emissions, and establishing climate-resilient communities. As trusted messengers, it’s important that we equip land trusts and watershed groups with tools to effectively communicate about the climate crisis and how local land management is a critical solution. The Water Hub will present the latest national polling on climate change and water from its summer 2023 public opinion research. We’ll share the best practices for talking to different audiences about climate change and provide the most compelling conservation messages. Potomac Conservancy will share key lessons learned from Rising to the Challenge, an online report series that was informed by local climate research, audience attitudes and message best practices. We’ll share examples from our pre-release audience assessment questionnaire and message development.Short and fun interactive opportunities will be incorporated throughout the session before concluding with breakout groups by region that will get land professionals thinking about their own audiences, local messages and engagement tactics.