WRF Annual Convening
Annual Convening 2026
June 1-3, 2026 in Ashland, Oregon
In recent years, Oregon has seen a growth in high intensity megafires that have caused significant damage to communities, especially those in Southern Oregon. The region is also home to the most significant dam removal projects in American history, spurring increased investment in Klamath River landscape restoration projects along both sides of the Oregon and California border. Communities have organized in response, partnering to advance watershed and wildfire landscape stewardship, disaster recovery, and community wildfire resilience.
Please join us in Ashland to connect with your peer funders and regional experts as we learn from the incredible work being done across the region.
Who Should Attend? Funder organizations are invited to attend and do not need to be a WRF Member. However, organizations that are a WRF Member will enjoy a discounted rate. The WRF Convening is not open to Affiliates. Learn more about becoming a WRF Member.
The Ashland Springs Hotel
Our meeting and accommodations will be hosted at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel in beautiful downtown Ashland. WRF has secured a discounted room block for attendees. Please book your hotel rooms as quickly as possible using WRF’s discounted group rate. We recommend doing so soon, as the popular Ashland Shakespeare Festival’s opening week aligns with our convening.
What to Expect at the Meeting
Attendees can expect to engage with place-based learning opportunities and local practitioners that offer insight into scalable solutions for wildfire resilience across both the built environment and in diverse landscapes. Panels will feature regional experts, funder partners, and community leaders who will share their experiences designing and implementing resilience strategies across Oregon and Northern California. The planned site visits will offer an opportunity for funders to see the work that is being done on the ground, while giving space for attendees to consider how these innovations might be applicable in geographies they currently fund.
Agenda at a Glance
Convening Dates: June 1-3, 2026
Monday, June 1, 2026
- 5:30pm – 7pm: Evening Welcome Reception & Dinner
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
- 8:30am – 12pm: Expert Panel Discussions
- 12:30pm – 4:30pm: Wildfire Site Visit I
- 5:30pm: Attendee Happy Hour & Dinner
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
- 8:30am – 1pm: Regional Wildfire Site Visit II
- 2pm – 5:00pm: Expert Panels and WRF Member discussions
Read the Summary Document from last year’s WRF Annual Convening
Information about Attending
Who Should Attend
Funder organizations are invited to attend and do not need to be a WRF Member. However, organizations that are a WRF Member will enjoy a discounted rate. Learn more about becoming a WRF Member.
The WRF Convening is not open to Affiliates.
Cost for WRF Members is $300; cost for non-WRF Members is $650.
Hotel Information
Please book your rooms at the Ashland Springs Hotel as soon as possible. The historic Ashland Springs Hotel is located in downtown Ashland, surrounded by shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and outdoor recreation options. The hotel offers complimentary, gated parking for hotel guests. Your reservation will include breakfast at the hotel.
Travel Information
Ashland is conveniently located off Interstate-5 for those located along the West Coast who wish to drive. It is around a 5 hour drive from both the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland.
Transportation
The nearest airport to Ashland is the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport, which is service by direct flights from San Francisco, LA, Orange County, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The airport is approximately 21 minutes from Ashland Springs Hotel. Ground transportation to Ashland is available by taxi, Uber, Lyft, and rental car.
Visiting Ashland
Travel Ashland has graciously sponsored a welcome bag for WRF convening attendees that will offer travel guides for the local community. Our annual convening aligns with the opening week of the outdoor theatre at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival so it will be a lively time in the city.
Food
Breakfast is included with your hotel reservation. WRF will provide group lunches and dinners all days during the meeting to give participants maximum time to network with funder colleagues.
Dress & Attire
Please dress comfortably as both full convening days will include a partial day site visit. Bring shoes for walking, water bottle, and a hat for the sun. Temperatures in the region can vary in early June, and we’ll have a better sense of the forecast closer to the convening dates.