Presented by the Doris Duke Foundation
February 9-11, 2027 – Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Since 2019, the Salazar Center’s International Symposium on Conservation Impact has convened emerging and established leaders from diverse backgrounds to explore bold and innovative approaches to North American conservation. The Symposium fosters stimulating conversations among thinkers and doers who shape our landscapes and communities, bridging divides—transboundary, rural-urban, climate-biodiversity—and surfacing connections often overlooked elsewhere.
Why do we do this?
We believe that convening conservation disruptors, funders, advocates, and policymakers strengthens a vibrant and far-reaching community of practice. We’re facilitating knowledge exchange and building a web of experts to address the continent’s most urgent nature and climate challenges.
What to expect:
- Curated sessions, keynotes, and breakout discussions
- Solution-oriented dialogue, cross-sector networking, and resource sharing
- Intentional time for spontaneous conversation and cultivating relationships that extend beyond the event
Why participate? Join a community of practice designed for the big picture. The Symposium is the premier gathering for those who recognize that the future of North American landscapes depends on collaboration across borders, sectors, and generations. We believe that the best ideas don’t care about hierarchy—which is why you’ll find early-career innovators, veteran policymakers, grassroots practitioners, and major funders all engaging as peers in the same room.
By attending, you aren’t just sitting in a session; you are marking a point on a larger journey. You are joining a vibrant, evolving network that has grown in diversity and influence year after year. This is your home for the long haul—a place to find the cross-sector partnerships and spontaneous connections that generate real, continental change long after the final session ends.
Venue/Location
The Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency Merida Hotel
Ave. Colon esq Calle 60, a 100 metros, Supermanzana del, Zona Paseo Montejo, 97000 Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico
Room block rates will be available to Symposium attendees when registration opens for the event in Fall 2026.
Planning Committee
James Calabaza
Program Director Trees, Water and People
United States
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First and Last Name
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James Calabaza
Trees, Water and People, United States
Dawn Carr
Nature Conservancy of Canada, Canada
Gina Chacon
Wildlands Network, Mexico
Joshua Daskin
NatureServe, United States
Nita Gonzales
Spirit of the Sun, United States
Ana Ibarra
Deb Kleinman
Kristin Lear
Laura Martinez Pepin
Niparaja, Mexico
Vinamra Mathur
Biodiversity Indicators Program, United States
Anne McEnany
iAlumbra, Mexico
Eduardo Najera-Hillman
Warner College of Natural Resources, CSU, Mexico
Chandni Navalkha
Conservation and Stewardship Lincoln Institute, United States
Lucia Ruiz Bustos
Charlene Williams
Conservation Weston Family Foundation, Canada
Sponsors and Partners
The Symposium would not be possible with the generous support of our North American network.
The 2027 International Symposium on Conservation Impact is presented by the Doris Duke Foundation, whose mission is to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future.
And, for the first time, we are also thrilled to be working with a local partner: Sureste Sostenible will bring locally-grounded expertise and regional connections to ensure attendees from across North America experience the unique ecological and cultural landscape of the Yucatán.
To learn more about sponsorship and partner opportunities, explore the different ways to support the event or reach out to us.
Financial assistance
Conservation is only as effective as the stakeholders who are engaged in it, and we are committed to creating a space where a more inclusive set of constituents can contribute to the conversation that we hope will drive a nature-positive future.
As in years past, the Salazar Center will offer support to enable attendance by those who face financial barriers to registration or travel. Applications for assistance will open in Summer 2026.