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!

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.

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.