Lobby Day 2023: Logistics and Resources

WWF Lobby Day is right around the corner, and we can’t wait to see you in Washington, DC, as you join your fellow advocates to impress upon your representatives how important it is to you that the US government continues to fund international conservation, to support global development initiatives and combat large-scale environmental threats, including wildlife trafficking, deforestation, overfishing, illegal timber trade, plastic pollution and climate change. Below is logistical information you will need for Lobby Day Training on Monday, March 6, and for Lobby Day itself, on Tuesday, March 7.

Please note that you will receive the schedule for your congressional meetings via email on Friday, March 3rd. The schedule will be hosted on the Soapbox Mobile Tool. You will receive instructions for logging into this portal separately.

On Demand Webinar Hub

To help you prepare for your meetings, we’ve put together a variety of resources for you to review. You will have the flexibility to view at your own pace and pause when needed. We have also included Frequently Asked Questions and links to look up your Member of Congress and begin familiarizing yourself with their background. Please review prior to March 6, 2023.

WEBINAR: Overview of World Wildlife Fund and our work

WEBINAR: What to expect in a virtual meeting with your Member of Congress and staff (Passcode: W9N0^EXT)

WEBINAR: Policy briefing – WWF Priorities and Asks for Lobby Day 2023

DOCUMENT: FAQ for Lobby Day Activists

RESOURCE: Look up your Senators

RESOURCE: Look up your Representative

Join our Slack Workspace

New this year! Join our Lobby Day Slack chat workspace. We’ll be using Slack to make quick communication between Lobby Day participants and team leaders easy, share resources and information, and engage in conversation with other participants.

To join and use Slack:

  1. Download the Slack app on your phone or the desktop version from slack.com.
  2. Join our Slack workspace using this link. (Even if you already have a Slack account, you need to set a new password for the Lobby Day workspace, though you can use the same email address.)
  3. Follow these instructions to explore the available channels and join the ones relevant to you if you aren’t already added. We’ll also add channels specific to each regional Lobby Day group closer to March 7th and add you to those groups once they are created.
  4. You can start group chats or personal messages on the platform, or message entire channels.
  5. If you’ve never used Slack before, you can read about some of its basic functions here.
LOBBY DAY TRAINING AGENDA
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023
10:30–11:00 AMRegistration Open
11:00–11:10 AMWelcome Remarks from Sara Thomas
11:10–11:30 AMOpening Activities
11:30–12:15 PMCongress 101 Training led by Shellie Bressler
12:15-1:00 PMLunch provided by WWF
1:00–2:00 PMWWF Policy Training led by Will Gartshore
2:00–2:30 PMCongressional Schedule Portal Training led by Soapbox LLC
2:30–2:40 PMBreak
2:40–3:05 PMElevator Pitch training with talking points guide
3:05–5:00 PMAfternoon Group Work

LOCATION

World Wildlife Fund Headquarters
1250 24th St. NW
Washington, DC 20037
(24th St. NW between M St. NW and N St. NW)
All events will take place in the Conference Center on the 2nd Floor. When you enter the building, please proceed to the 2nd-floor reception area and you will be directed to registration.

DRESS CODE

Casual to business casual attire.

TO BRING

  • Laptop, tablet or phone. We are going to be paperless this year at Lobby Day and Lobby Day Training, so please bring a device to take notes.

LOBBY DAY AGENDA
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023
8:30 AMGroup photo at the U.S. Capitol
9:00 AM–5:00 PMMeetings with Members of Congress*
Your team lead will ensure you receive lunch in between meetings. Your team leader will give you a voucher for lunch on either the House or Senate cafeteria.
5:30–7:00 PMWorld Wildlife Day Reception
Location: Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room SDG-50

*You will receive your Hill meeting schedules by the time of the training on March 6th which will provide more details for where to go for the 9:00 am to 5:00 pm block of time.

LOCATION

We will gather at WWF Headquarters in the morning and then your team leader will take you via metro to the Hill for our group photo and your meetings. We will provide you with pre-paid metro cards.

DRESS CODE

Business attire. However, we encourage wearing your WWF logo t-shirts to wear under a blazer and can provide WWF t-shirts for anyone who doesn’t own one already.

TO BRING

  • Tablet or phone. We are going to be paperless this year at Lobby Day and Lobby Day Training, so please bring a device to take notes.
  • Water bottle. To stay hydrated!
  • Nice, but comfortable shoes. There is a fair amount of walking on Lobby Day, so come prepared.

GETTING AROUND

Here are some other useful pieces of information and resources you might find helpful while you are here in Washington, DC.

  • Map of Capitol Hill
  • Metro Map (The closest metro stations to WWF Headquarters are the Dupont Circle stop on the Red line or the Foggy Bottom metro stop on the Blue/Orange/Silver lines.)

 

 

Zoom backgrounds

For your personal use, here are Zoom background from last year’s Lobby Day. Here are instructions on how to change your Zoom background.

Polar bear on ice

Climate change causes shrinking sea ice coverage which affects Arctic species’ ability to find food.

Dry riverbed

Intense droughts are one of the consequences of climate change. Mangroves are one of the nature-based tools against climate change.

Lightning storm over grasslands

Extreme weather is an effect of climate change. This breathtaking photo of a storm was taken in the Northern Great Plains, USA.

Solar panels and windmill

Switching to clean, renewable energy like solar and wind is crucial for fighting climate change.

Jaguar

International conservation funding in areas like the Guatemalan Maya Biosphere and other South American habitats is helping conserve jaguar populations.

African elephants

Community conservancies in Namibia are a lifeline for people and wildlife alike. Here, international conservation funding helps reduce poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and strengthen climate resilience.

Hand holding plant

Environmental protection areas like Primeiras e Segundas in Mozambique are crucial for protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring the livelihoods of local communities through initiatives like sustainable fishing and mangrove planting.