2025 CCNet & CMP Rally – Valdivia, Chile

Panoramic view of Valdivia’s fluvial market, Chile.
Photo credit: Chile.Travel

Dear members and friends of the Conservation Coaches Network and the Conservation Measures Partnership!

Approximately every two years we come together to connect, share innovations, sharpen our skills, and uplift our spirits to support better, smarter conservation all around the world.

In response to community requests to foster international participation and the generous offer of support from CCNet Latin America, we will be holding our first joint CCNet and CMP global Rally in Valdivia, Chile, South America, in March of 2025!

If you have previously attended a CMP Retreat or a CCNet Rally, you can expect a similar experience in regards to valuable learning and sharing opportunities, enriching connections with a diversity of peers and a chance to celebrate each other and our community. We are estimating an attendance of a maximum of 150 people from around the world.

The program will include networking opportunities, plenaries, and several concurrent interactive sessions for you to choose at a given time, on the following topics: Conservation Standards (CS) Guidance and Tools, Enhancing the Capacity of Coaches & Strengthening Our Network, Building , Planning with Indigenous & Local Peoples and Community-based Resource Management, Organisational Capacity (Maintaining / Adopting the CS), Protected Area Management, and Knowledge, Technology & Skills for the Emerging Future.

Please mark your calendars, include the Rally in your budget and stay tuned for information about  the registration, program and ways to contribute. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Registration? Registration will open in August 2024, and we will continuously update information on the Rally website and the CCNet Rally page. We will also send out communications through the CMP mailing list and the CCNet Listerv.

Where? We found a great venue in Valdivia, Chile. Valdivia is located on the traditional territory of the Mapuche nation, and is called Ainil in Mapuche language. Check out the Hotel Dreams Valdivia. All reservations need to be made by the CCNet & CMP organizing team, through the Rally registration process, please do not contact the hotel directly to reserve your room.

When? The event will take place from March 10^th – 14^th (plan to arrive on March 10^th and leave in the early evening on the 13^th (or in the late afternoon on the 14^th if you are on the CCNet or CMP leadership teams/board) – sessions and general Rally activities will be held from March 10-13.

Who? We welcome active and aspiring conservation coaches, Conservation Measures Partnership members, friends of CCNet, and practitioners familiar with the Conservation Standards.

Program: We will share program information and updates on our Rally website starting in early September this year.

How do I get there? Valdivia is located in Chile, in South America. If you are coming from another country by plane, you will need to book a flight to Santiago, Chile airport (airport code is SCL), and then take a local flight to Valdivia, the airport is called Pichoy (code is ZAL). If you want to connect to Valdivia on the same day you arrive to Santiago, we recommend that you allow for at least 3 hours between flights, because you will need to collect your bags, go through customs, immigration and walk to a nearby terminal, to check into the local flight to Valdivia. Once you arrive at the Valdivia airport (Pichoy) you will need to take a taxi to the hotel. You can also take a bus from Santiago to Valdivia (this takes approximately 9 hours), and the bus terminal in Valdivia is only about 1km away from the hotel. We will provide more detailed local transportation instructions in the registration form and our Rally materials.

Visa and health requirements: Depending on your citizenship, you might need a visa to come to Chile by any method of travel – plane, car, bus, ship. On this link you can find more guidance on visa requirements. Allow sufficient time for this process! If you need an invitation letter, Cristina Lasch (clasch@tnc.org) will be happy to help you. Make sure to send her: your full name exactly as it appears in your passport, country of citizenship, organization where you work and city and country where you are based. At present Chile has no health restrictions for entering or exiting the country. We will do our best to share links to Chilean regulations, but feel free to contact us if you need advice.

Costs? Estimated costs per person for the duration of the Rally are based on lodging and taxes for 3 nights,  please note that you might need more nights depending on your travel plans. The registration fee will be collected by CCNet, and lodging costs will be paid by participants directly at the venue. We will have two registration fees – a full and a discount rate. To help us recoup some event costs we are asking that all who can pay the full registration do (for example if you work in a big NGO or you are based in a high-income country), so we can focus our resources to support colleagues who need it most.

The registration fee covers all meals during the Rally starting with dinner on March 10^th and ending with dinner on March 13^th, workshop materials, field trip, and other event costs. Please note that the registration fee does not include any lodging costs, nor miscellaneous charges that are not part of the Rally at the hotel, participants will pay these costs directly at the hotel. Participants will also be responsible for covering their own travel expenses and incidentals.

You can pay your registration fee online. Once registration opens, we will provide links on the website.

We will work hard to raise funds to help coaches get to the Rally and your support will be crucial to achieve this. If you need financial support to attend the Rally you will be able to indicate this on the registration form.

More info? For more information, CCNet colleagues can contact Cristina Lasch. CMP colleagues can contact Claire Relton and Jaclyn Lucas.

Stay tuned for updates through our global CCNet listserv and the CMP mailing list, and visit our CCNet & CMP Rally 2025 website.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Chile in March of 2025!