Interactive Session Proposals
Instructions, Requirements & Criteria
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Interactive Sessions
NACCR will accept Interactive Session proposals for a minimum of 0.5 hours and a maximum of 2 hours.
Interactive Sessions can take a number of forms. They do not conform to any single structure, and may, for example, include a series of brief presentations, break-out groups, open-ended or facilitated discussion, or any combination of these. They may span a variety of topics, from generating new curricular resources for educators and students, to developing plans for food sustainability in an urban area, to integrating new tools into species monitoring, to creating a fellowship program for diversity training, etc. This session type focuses on the real-time, interdisciplinary practice of conservation science. This is an opportunity for facilitators, invited speakers, and attendees to generate solutions together, and draw on each other’s collective expertise through mixed methods of active listening, discussion, presentation, and other creative interactions. It is designed to give organizers freedom and flexibility to craft a unique session that will provide meaningful results, and carry forward work beyond the conference. See below for session requirements and examples of session structures.
FAQ: How is an interactive session different from a workshop? While pre- and post- congress workshops are designed to develop professional skills in topics of key relevance to conservation science, interactive sessions will take place during the days of the scientific program, concurrent with oral talks & symposia, and will highlight the mutual development of tools and/or shared learning among facilitators, speakers, and attendees alike.
Requirements & Examples
Session Requirements:
At least half of the allotted session time must be dedicated to an interactive activity other than presentations.
Presentations must not exceed 7 minutes/speaker, with a maximum of 4 speakers/session at this length. See the Call for Symposia if interested in including additional speakers at the 7 or 15-minute length.
Sessions must be open to all conference attendees.
Session facilitators must share a 1-page wrap-up report, or 5-10 minute video or audio file with conference organizers, summarizing activities, outcomes, and future plans for sharing material or building on the session outcomes beyond the conference, by September 1, 2026, via email to conference@scbnorthamerica.org.
Session Structure Examples:
Knowledge Cafe/Break-out & Discussion: The majority of the time in a knowledge café is spent in conversation, with no one individual presenting to a group, beyond the facilitator’s introduction and guidance throughout the session. The value of this session is the conversation itself, and learning that each individual takes away. It starts with any format of introduction and presentation on a particular topic or question. The group breaks into small groups of 3-4 and discusses the question for about 1/3 of the allotted time. Optionally in the small group sessions, people change tables every 15 mins to broaden the number of people they interact with, diversifying the perspectives of each group. The full group comes back together as a whole for the last 1/3 of the time, where the individual groups share their thoughts, lessons learned, and steps & opportunities following the conference.
Ignite or Pecha Kucha-Style: Facilitators pose an open-ended question, and speakers have 5 minutes to present 20 slides that advance every 15 seconds. Presentations tend to be in a conversational or story telling-style, and emphasize no more than 1 to 2 main points. Slides contain limited to no text. Facilitated discussion follows. This can be offered as an entry for the entire session, or to open up distinct portions of discussion over the session.
3×5 Speed Presentations: Similar to Ignite-style presentations, but presenters have just 3 minutes to present 5 slides. These very short presentations can be helpful to spark new discussion at distinct portions of the interactive session.
Organized Networking Sessions: This session type is intended to give anyone the opportunity to organize a networking session at NACCR 2026. Whether geared toward students, members of the LGBTQ+ conservation community, colleagues working in a particular conservation discipline (and endless other topics/target participants), this session lets you facilitate networking and connections among conference attendees. Sessions can have structured activities to encourage interactions and participation, as well as unstructured networking time – or a combination of both.
Sessions must be open to all conference attendees. (No invitation-only events may be submitted through this session type). Organizing a networking session does NOT count towards NACCB’s one presentation or one proposal rule.
Create Your Own! – Reach out to conference@scbnorthamerica.org if you have any questions about a potential interactive session.
Suggested Tools for Facilitation:
Small break-out groups, improv exercises, talking sticks, notecards for polling, flip charts, Powerpoint, Presi, Music, Film, etc. Meeting areas will also be available for use by session organizers.
Proposal Format
Please include the following information in your Interactive Session Proposal:
- Session title (150 character limit)
- Organizer(s) name, affiliation and complete contact information, including email address
- Desired duration of session: 0.5 hours, 1 hour, 1.25 hours, 1.5 hours, or 2 hours
- You will be asked to provide three keywords to assist in reviewing and placement of proposals
- Proposed topic and justification for why the topic is appropriate and significant for this conference (200 word limit)
- Detailed description of the session including questions and issues covered, session structure/style (e.g., Knowledge Cafe, Pecha-Kucha, etc.), a list of confirmed facilitators, presenters (if any), and your session schedule. For facilitators and presenters, include affiliation and field of work. (400 word limit)
- Selection of a primary and secondary thematic track (see below)
- Bite-sized abstract (less than 280 characters) (to help in advertising session)
- Commitment on behalf of all session organizers, moderators, and presenters to participation policies.
The Interactive Session submission form includes other optional fields for the organizer’s consideration.
Review Criteria
Criteria for Selection
All proposals will be peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers selected by the NACCR 2026 Program Committee. Applicants will be notified about the status of their proposals and any requested revisions by early winter 2025. We encourage proposals that prioritize diversity among invited speakers and organizers. Broad or specific relevance to the conference theme, Conservation & Restoration for People & Nature, is encouraged but not a selection criterion for interactive sessions.
To increase the probability that your proposal will be selected, please consider the following criteria carefully:
- Merit of the proposal: contribution to field of conservation/restoration, quality of the work
- Compatibility of proposal with an interactive structure that encourages mutual development of tools and/or shared learning among facilitators, speakers, and attendees
- Likelihood that session will provide meaningful results and carry forward work beyond the conference
- Relevance to North American conservation/restoration issues
- Diversity among invited speakers and organizers
- Recognition of diverse knowledge systems relevant to conservation issues (e.g., indigenous, local, and western systems).
- Demonstrated concordance with at least one of the four areas: Science, Management, Policy, Education, or a coherent linkage among these 4 areas, described below:
Science – The scientific research and knowledge needed to understand and conserve/restore biological diversity is identified, funded, completed, disseminated and applied to research, management and policy.
Management – Conservation/restoration practitioners and managers are provided the scientific information and recommendations needed to conserve/restore biological diversity at all scales.
Policy – Policy decisions of major international conventions, governments, organizations, and foundations, are effectively informed and improved by the highest quality scientific counsel, analysis, and recommendations so as to advance the conservation/restoration of biological diversity.
Education – Education, training, and capacity-building programs, including but not restricted to content focused on communications & behavior change are identified, strengthened, and developed to inform the public, education leaders, and support current and future generations of conservation/restoration scientists and practitioners.
Thematic Tracks
The following “Thematic Tracks” have been defined to encourage the submission of proposals & abstracts of an interdisciplinary nature and of interest to both conservation and restoration practitioners.
1) Strengthening conservation and restoration outcomes through participatory science, community action, and cross-cultural scientific knowledge exchanges.
Description: This theme highlights innovative ways communities, scientists collaborate to advance conservation and restoration through intergenerational partnerships. Contributions may address shared stewardship, cross-cultural knowledge exchange, or co-created practices that improve ecological outcomes while strengthening social connections, resilience, and equity across landscapes and communities.
2) Conservation and restoration in emerging climates and human-influenced ecosystems.
Description: This theme examines conservation and restoration practices in ecosystems substantially reshaped by human influence, disturbance, or rapid environmental change. We welcome perspectives that address ecological novelty (e.g. non-analog conditions), adaptive management, and long-term stewardship, emphasizing innovative strategies that navigate uncertainty while sustaining biodiversity, ecosystem function, and human–nature relationships across diverse landscapes.
3) Enhancing collaborations in conservation and restoration through cross-cultural exchanges in the humanities, arts, and storytelling.
Description: This theme explores how arts, humanities, and storytelling strengthen cross-cultural collaborations in conservation and restoration. By highlighting creative practices and diverse ways of knowing, we invite contributions that foster dialogue, mutual understanding, and shared stewardship across communities, bridging ecological science with cultural expression and lived experience.
4) Integrating conventional and emerging technologies for conservation and restoration.
Description: This theme explores how innovative uses of established and emerging technologies (tools, approaches, and methods) are transforming conservation and restoration. We invite contributions that adapt, combine, or repurpose conventional or newer technologies to advance ecological understanding, strengthen management practices, and foster more effective, resilient stewardship across diverse landscapes and communities.
5) Braiding knowledge systems: the importance of Indigenous contributions in modern conservation and restoration.
Description: This theme highlights the essential role of Indigenous perspectives and participation in shaping conservation and restoration. We invite contributions integrating diverse knowledge systems and honoring multiple ways of knowing, exploring approaches that foster reciprocity, cultural respect, and collaborative stewardship, advancing both ecological integrity and community resilience across landscapes.
6) Leveraging social and behavioral sciences for conservation and restoration.
Description: This theme examines how social and behavioral sciences can be applied to strengthen conservation and restoration outcomes. We invite contributions that focus on strategies that encourage behavior change, foster public engagement, and build broad societal support, highlighting approaches that align human decision-making with ecological goals for lasting impact.
7) Balancing conservation and restoration with development, sustainability, and economic agendas
Description: This theme explores how ecological stewardship often unfolds within the pressures of development, sustainability goals, and economic agendas. We invite contributions highlighting research and practice that navigates these intersections, showcasing strategies to balance trade-offs, build synergies, and promote pathways where conservation and restoration support both ecological integrity and human well-being.
8) Bridging gaps between theory and practice in conservation and restoration.
Description: This theme explores how insights from ecological and other scientific theory translate into effective conservation and restoration practice, and how theory is informed by evaluating the outcomes of practice. We welcome contributions that bridge research and application, highlight lessons learned from implementation, and showcase strategies for integrating scientific understanding with on-the-ground action to achieve more impactful, durable ecological outcomes. Landscape-scale, multi-site, and trans-boundary advances aiming to improve habitat functions, species populations, ecosystem structures and functions, and ecosystem services are welcomed.
9) From urban to wilderness: tailoring conservation and restoration strategies to human population density.
Description: This theme examines how conservation and restoration take different forms across gradients of human population density, from urban centers to sparsely inhabited landscapes. We welcome contributions on how context shapes strategies, highlighting similarities, differences, and innovations that emerge when aligning ecological goals with social realities across urban, suburban, rural, and wilderness settings.
10) The Great Lakes: solutions for people and nature in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Description: This theme examines conservation and restoration in the Great Lakes region and comparable ecosystems where land and water intersect. We invite contributions with emphasis on solutions that address both ecological and social needs, highlighting integrated approaches that sustain biodiversity, support communities, and foster resilience across interconnected terrestrial and aquatic systems.
11) Exploring and managing human-wildlife interactions to protect and sustain biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
Description: This theme examines how human–wildlife interactions influence biodiversity across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We welcome contributions that explore coexistence, address conflict, and advance management strategies. Emphasis is on approaches that sustain ecological integrity while supporting human well-being, balancing conservation priorities within diverse social and ecological contexts.
12) Prioritizing the Landscape, Riverscape, and Seascape scales in restoration and conservation planning and evaluation.
Description: This theme examines the increase of large-scale ecosystem perspectives in the science of ecological restoration over the last decade, and how this intersects with conservation planning and concurrent development across landscapes. The scope includes traditional terrestrial landscapes, as well as aquatic and mixed terrestrial-aquatic areas. Emphasis is on approaches to the planning, monitoring and assessment of outcomes at greater geographic scales. Measurements of a wide range of indicators including species populations, ecosystem structure and function, and ecosystem services for human communities are relevant.
Examples of "Key Words"
| Disciplines | Ecosystems | Issues/Other |
| Agroecology
Biogeography Conservation Communication/Marketing/Design Community-based Conservation Community Ecology Conservation Genetics Conservation Psychology Conservation Technology Disease Ecology Disturbance Ecology Education/Outreach Environmental or Ecological Economics Environmental/Conservation Planning Landscape Ecology Policy Population Dynamics Restoration Ecology Social Science Spatial Ecology Indigenous Knowledge/Traditional Ecological Knowledge Urban Ecology Water Conservation Wildlife Conservation Indigenous Conservation Conservation Marketing Animal Behavior Conservation Culturomics |
Agricultural
Desert Freshwater & Wetland Grassland & Savannah Marine & Coastal Non-specific Polar & Alpine Rangeland Rural Temperate Forest Tropical Forest Urban Coral Reefs |
Adaptive Management & Monitoring
Applied Ethics & Values Capacity Building Citizen/Community Science Climate Change Conservation GIS Conservation in Hotspots Endangered Species Recovery & Management Human-Wildlife Conflict & Co-Existence Invasive & Non-Native Species Interdisciplinary Approaches to Conservation Institutional/Organizational Issues Land Use Change/Conservation Modeling Novel Ecosystems Population Viability Analysis Research Methods Remote Sensing Risk Assessment & Uncertainty Science & Management Interface Conservation Conflict Political Ecology Conservation Action/Environmental Justice Religion and Conservation Biology Impact Evaluation Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Justice Land Management |
We greatly appreciate your flexibility in some cases as we will need to reduce the allocated time of a proposed Interactive Session for scheduling purposes. Moreover, there might be instances where the planning committee will recommend changes regarding the session type for specific proposals; if this applies to your proposal, we will work with you to make sure that it is included in the proper session type. We will communicate any anticipated changes as soon as possible to session organizers.
For additional questions, contact: conferences@scbnorthamerica.org
NACCR 2026
Milwaukee, WI, USA
July 12-16, 2026
Questions? Email conferences@scbnorthamerica.org
Policies & Responsibilities of Session Organizers & Presenters
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