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Advancing environmental sustainability
The 2026 National Partner Network Conference
February 2026
What happens when you get twelve nonprofits in a room together? You can actually make a difference.
Collaborating for coastal restoration
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation held its annual National Partner Network Conference with twelve of our environmental partners in Tampa Bay last week. This event gave our partners exactly what was needed: the space to step away from our screens and deepen our personal connections to build an even stronger coalition.
We explored Tampa Bay through the work of Tampa Bay Watch, our hosts for the conference. Their restoration programs serve as an excellent example of the environmental progress that’s possible. At sites like Rock Ponds and Cockroach Bay – named by Spanish explorers for the horseshoe crabs, or “cockroaches of the sea” – we saw real-world proof that nature bounces back with enough time, care and commitment.
Lasting impact, however, comes from creating a system that not only repairs damage from the past but also teaches the next generation to become stewards for their local ecosystems. Tampa Bay Watch’s Discovery Center at St. Pete Pier and Bay Grasses in Classes give us working models for the years ahead.
Insights from the National Partner Network Conference
To meet these challenges, we also exchanged hard-won insights and tools that have helped us achieve restoration goals across the country. Two major takeaways stood out:
A foundation of trust: Kate Fritz, CEO of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, shared her formula for building real trust – time plus consistency. We can’t rush the relationships that save ecosystems.
Finding the “yes”: Michele White, senior program manager at the National Recreation and Park Association, emphasized the importance of finding common ground. By focusing on shared goals, we can move forward, even with partners who may see environmental changes differently.
Overall, our time together clarified that focusing on education, communication and long-term solutions helps generate the hope needed to pave the way for sustainable environmental healing.
"Oftentimes, companies may see an issue one way, but nonprofits have a critical perspective that we do not,” says Katherine Dickens, vice president of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation. “It's important for corporations to give nonprofits a shared, safe space to collaborate and find solutions together.”
Building long-term environmental stewardship
At the end of the day, there is no substitute for meeting face-to-face. That shared space strengthens our connections so that we can build a path to a sustainable future for everyone.
Witnessing the sun setting over the sprawling mangroves and the shimmering seagrasses of the Tampa Bay estuary is a vivid reminder of what is at stake. We left inspired to protect the valuable resources that make our lives on our planet so rich – together.
