This team contacted almost 2,000 absentee landowners by mail and in person in the counties of Arenac, MI; Tuscola, MI; Manitowoc, WI; and, Orleans, NY to gauge interest in conservation practices. Outreach efforts raised both interest and awareness among landowners regarding conservation. As a next step, the team explored the use of a “landowner advocate” to help absentee landowners navigate potential conservation opportunities. Team members hosted webinars to discuss lessons learned, and they developed a toolkit for outreach agents to aid them in effectively encouraging conservation activities with absentee landowners. This work could spark new conservation practices and behaviors on large pieces of U.S. land that were previously left unaddressed.