Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) 2026 Conference

Join an engaging panel discussion about the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, a breathtaking path that traces the edge of glaciers that shaped Wisconsin over 12,000 years ago. This treasured trail stretches for over a thousand miles and showcases the state’s natural beauty, making it a vital part of Wisconsin’s heritage and outdoor culture.
The panel will delve into the fascinating story of how the trail was created, explore the dedicated efforts behind its management, and discuss innovative strategies for marketing and promoting the trail. Plus, hear firsthand accounts of how people across the region are embracing the trail today—from hiking and biking, to community events and conservation initiatives. Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and discover new ways to experience and support the Ice Age Trail!

Few U.S. landscapes are as beloved – and as threatened – as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. This session brings together experts and storytellers for a current look at what’s at stake, ecologically, economically, culturally and recreationally, for America’s most visited wilderness, from proposed sulfide-ore mining to shifting federal policy.

Press trips can be powerful story starters for outdoor writers — and not just those covering travel. From paddling and hiking to conservation, wildlife, foodways, and rural communities, many compelling outdoor stories begin with a destination-hosted experience. But let’s be honest: press trips can also be confusing, awkward, or misaligned when expectations aren’t clear.

This interactive conversation is moderated by Brandy Jo Hastings, freelance outdoor travel writer and former destination marketing executive who has both hosted journalists and been the journalist on assignment. She’ll be joined by fellow freelancer Jessica Baltzersen, Jesse Wiederhold, Managing Director of Visit Keweenaw, and Eric Knopsnyder, Director of Public Relations and Community Outreach for GO Laurel Highlands, who have both hosted OWAA members in their respective destinations. 

Together, they’ll pull back the curtain on how destinations decide whom to invite, how press trips are justified internally, what “success” really looks like on the DMO side, and how writers can pitch individual visits with professionalism and clarity. The panel will also explore how to uncover multiple story angles during a hosted trip, set realistic expectations, maintain editorial integrity, and build long-term relationships that extend far beyond one visit.
Writers will walk away with practical, actionable strategies for making press trips work for their reporting. Destination marketers will gain insight into how to attract the right journalists and foster partnerships that lead to meaningful earned media.

This panel brings together creatives who’ve cracked the code on social media, turning posts into platforms and passion projects into sustainable careers. From building an authentic voice, developing a visual style, growing a loyal following, promoting work to the right audience, and exploring real ways to monetize online, our speakers will share practical strategies to level up your social media game.

Colleen Miniuk AKA Bubbles of "Dear Bubbles" | From Followers to Funders: Powering Your Storytelling Through Patreon
Are you looking to generate passive, but sustainable, income from your words, photographs, and videos? Outdoor photographer, writer, and educator Colleen Miniuk will share how tapping into Patreon can transform casual followers into a loyal—and contributing—community to help power your storytelling. Drawing from her real-world experience with her Dear Bubbles blog, she’ll walk through how to start a Patreon as a creator, develop a value-driven membership model, deliver content behind a paywall, and avoid pitfalls along the way. You’ll hear practical tactics to grow recurring revenue while amplifying your voice and deepening your connection with your audience.

Chris Paparo AKA the Fish Guy | More Than Monetization: The Real Value of Social Media
When he began his social media journey, like most creators, Chris Paparo had grand dreams of making piles of money by doing nothing more than posting about his wildlife encounters. Simple, right? Through a lot of hard work, he met the criteria to be monetized on various social media platforms, but the financial return was nowhere near what he had imagined.
However, Chris found something far more valuable online--community. By sharing authentic content, he built a tight-knit community of followers who connected with his work. His speaking engagements went from one or two per month to two or three per week, fishing lodges and dive resorts started inviting him to host trips to their destinations, and when he lost his drone and was not in a financial position to replace it, his community stepped up. In less than two days he had a brand-new one. In this session, Chris will share how building a community became far more valuable than a check from Meta.

Lina Lintemuth | Mastering LinkedIn Thought Leadership for Outdoor Media and Outdoor PR Pros
If you’re an outdoor writer, this session is for you: we’re customizing our examples so you can learn how to amplify your articles and interviews through LinkedIn, and drive outdoor trend conversations to stay top of mind with potential sources for your stories, hosts for press trips or to land new assignments.

Aldo Leopold, a Wisconsin icon, is considered by many to have been the most influential conservation thinker of the 20th Century as a result of his seminal work, A Sand County Almanac, in which he presents a vision for how to to live on and care for the land. This call for a land ethic -- a conservation ethic -- would eventually serve as the intellectual and emotional foundation for disciplines ranging from forestry, wildlife management, conservation biology, sustainable agriculture, restoration ecology, private land management, environmental history, literature, and environmental education and ethics. This panel begins with a quick history of the twists and turns behind the publication of this conservation classic: how it almost was never published but then sold more than 2 million copies and was translated into 14 languages, and how its message remains as relevant today as it was 75 years ago.

With just three months to go until the midterms, editors will be looking for timely and in-depth stories about the issues that will dominate the news cycle. This panel will bring together policy experts and advocates from around the outdoor, conservation, and climate space to discuss what’s at stake as Americans head to the polls in November.

America’s public lands are at an inflection point. Record-breaking visitation, intensifying wildfires and biodiversity loss, along with mounting development pressure, are conflicting with management systems and funding models built for another era. How we proceed is an open question – and a story that couldn’t be more urgent.

This panel brings together leading voices to explore emerging models for public lands management, from cross-agency coordination to governance approaches that reflect today’s realities. It also examines a critical piece of the puzzle: how we pay for it. As the traditional user-pay model tied to hunting and fishing changes, we’ll consider new strategies – and who should help bear the cost.

Together, this conversation considers under-reported angles and growing tensions at the intersection of policy and conservation. Panelists will share insights and ideas that will define the future of our national legacy of public lands and waters.

Artificial intelligence can now generate breathtaking landscapes and close-up wildlife shots using only a brief prompt. As these technologies rapidly improve, outdoor photographers are facing an existential question: what makes a real photograph valuable when a convincing alternative can be created in seconds?
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This panel explores how landscape, wildlife, and adventure photographers can adapt, differentiate their work, and remain essential in an AI-driven visual culture. Panelists will discuss how authenticity and ethical transparency can become powerful advantages in a world flooded with synthetic imagery. The conversation will also focus on practical strategies for sustaining income in a changing market. Panelists will share ideas for diversifying revenue streams with workshops, print sales, brand partnerships, and more. 

The outdoor industry is often associated with adventure, freedom, and well-being. But in reality, many of us who work in or write about the outdoors face long hours, financial uncertainty, climate grief, and burnout. This panel explores the realities of mental health for communicators, conservation professionals, recreation guides, and outdoor creators. Panelists will share personal experiences and highlight strategies for staying healthy--including how time spent outside can support healing and offer space for connection. Attendees will also gain insight into how thoughtful storytelling can reduce stigma and encourage more open conversations about mental health within the outdoor community.