The Nature Conservancy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 1 of 9

The Nature Conservancy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Nature Conservancy is a charitable

environmental organization, headquartered in The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, Virginia.

Its mission is to "conserve the lands and waters on

which all life depends."[2]

The Conservancy's work focuses on Lands, Water,

Founded 1951 [1]
Climate, Oceans, and Cities.
Headquarters Arlington, Virginia, United States
The Conservancy works with a variety of corporate
partners such as 3M Company, Alliant Energy Altria Area served Global
Group, American Electric Power, Bank of America, Method Conservation by Design
Barrick Gold Corporation, The Boeing Company, BP, Members
Cargill, Caterpillar Inc., Chevron, The Coca-Cola More than 1 million[2]
Company, Delta Air Lines, The Dow Chemical Revenue US$949 million (2013)[3]
Company, Duke Energy Corporation, Eastman Kodak
Company, Ecolab Inc., ExxonMobil Corporation, Slogan "Protecting nature. Preserving life"
MeadWestvaco Corporation, Monsanto Company, Website nature.org (http://nature.org)
Nestlé Waters North America, PG&E Corporation,
Plum Creek Timber Company, SC Johnson & Son, Inc., Temple-Inland, Weyerhaeuser Company, Xerox
Corporation.

Founded in Arlington, Virginia, in 1951, The Nature Conservancy now impacts conservation in 69
countries, including all 50 states of the United States. The Conservancy has over one million members,
and has protected more than 119,000,000 acres (48,000,000 ha) of land and 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of
rivers worldwide. The Nature Conservancy also operates more than 100 marine conservation projects
globally.[4] The organization's assets total $6.18 billion as of 2014.[3]

The Nature Conservancy is the largest environmental nonprofit by assets and by revenue in the
Americas.[5]

The Nature Conservancy rates as one of the most trusted national organizations in Harris Interactive
polls every year since 2005.[6][7][8][9] Forbes magazine rated The Nature Conservancy's fundraising
efficiency at 88 percent in its 2005 survey of the largest U.S. charities.[10] The Conservancy received a
two-star rating from Charity Navigator in 2012 (three-star in 2010)[11] and was named by that
organization in 2005 on their list of "10 of the Best Charities Everyone's Heard Of". The American
Institute of Philanthropy gives the Conservancy an A− rating and includes it on its list of "Top-Rated
Charities".

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The Nature Conservancy is led by President and CEO Mark Tercek, a former managing director at
Goldman Sachs, and an adjunct professor at the New York University Stern School of Business.[12] The
organization draws from all segments of the community. Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf, the
commander of coalition forces during the First Gulf War, was a member of the Conservancy's
President's Conservation Council.[13]

Contents
◾ 1 Approach
◾ 2 Featured project sites
◾ 3 Plant a Billion Trees campaign
◾ 3.1 Environmental benefits
◾ 3.2 Involvement in the community
◾ 3.3 Tree planting
◾ 3.4 History of the campaign
◾ 3.5 Partnerships
◾ 4 Criticism
◾ 4.1 Too close to business
◾ 4.2 Questionable resale
◾ 4.3 Animal rights
◾ 4.4 Junk Mail
◾ 5 Publication
◾ 6 See also
◾ 7 References
◾ 8 External links

Approach
The Nature Conservancy takes a scientific approach to conservation, selecting the areas it seeks to
preserve based on analysis of what is needed to ensure the preservation of the local plants, animals, and
ecosystems. The Nature Conservancy is one of the world's largest environmental organizations as
measured by number of members and area protected. It is a nonprofit organization supported primarily
by private donations.

The Nature Conservancy works with all sectors of society including businesses, individuals,
communities, partner organizations, and government agencies to achieve its goals. The Nature
Conservancy is known for working effectively and collaboratively with traditional land owners such as
farmers and ranchers, with whom it partners when such a partnership provides an opportunity to advance
mutual goals. The Nature Conservancy is in the forefront of private conservation groups implementing
prescribed fire to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems and working to address the threats to
biodiversity posed by non-native and invasive plants and animals.

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The Nature Conservancy has pioneered new land preservation techniques such as the conservation
easement and debt for nature swaps. A conservation easement is a way for land owners to ensure that
their land remains in its natural state while capitalizing on some of the land's potential development
value. Debt for nature swaps are tools used to encourage natural area preservation in third world
countries while assisting the country economically as well: in exchange for setting aside land, some of
the country's foreign debt is forgiven.

Featured project sites

The Nature Conservancy's expanding
international conservation efforts include
work in North America, Central America,
and South America, Africa, the Pacific Rim,
the Caribbean, and Asia. Increasingly, the
Conservancy focuses on projects at
significant scale, recognizing the threat
habitat fragmentation brings to plants and
animals. Below are a few examples of such
work:

The Nature Conservancy was instrumental

in the creation in 2004 of the Great Sand
Dunes National Park in Colorado. The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee's William B. Clark, Sr.,
Conservancy's efforts in China's Yunnan Nature Preserve on the Wolf River at Rossville, Tennessee
province, one of the most vital centers of
plant diversity in the northern temperate hemisphere, serve as a model for locally based ecotourism with
a global impact. The Nature Conservancy and its conservation partner, Pronatura Peninsula Yucatán, are
working to halt deforestation on private lands in and around the 1.8 million acre (7,300 km²) Calakmul
Biosphere Reserve, along the Guatemala–Mexico border. In November 2004, 370,000 acres (1,500 km²)
of threatened tropical forest in Calakmul were permanently protected under a historic land deal between
the Mexican federal and state government, Pronatura Peninsula Yucatán, four local communities and the
Conservancy.[14]

The Nature Conservancy's programs in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are working together to build
partnerships and enhance the profile of the conservation needs in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by
supporting voluntary, private land conservation of important wildlife habitat. In 2007, the Nature
Conservancy made a 161,000-acre (650 km2) purchase of New York forestland from Finch Paper
Holdings LLC for $110 million, its largest purchase ever in that state.[15]

In June 2008, The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land announced they reached an
agreement to purchase approximately 320,000 acres (1,300 km2) of western Montana forestland from
Plum Creek Timber Company (NYSE:PCL) for $510 million. The purchase, known as the Montana
Legacy Project, is part of an effort to keep these forests in productive timber management and protect
the area's clean water and abundant fish and wildlife habitat, while promoting continued public access to
these lands for fishing, hiking, hunting and other recreational pursuits.[16]

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Plant a Billion Trees campaign

The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees Campaign is an effort to restore 2,500,000 acres
(10,100 km2) of land and plant one billion trees by 2025 in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Each donated
dollar results in one planted tree in the Atlantic Forest.[17]

Environmental benefits

The Plant a Billion Trees campaign has also been identified as a tool to help slow climate change, as the
Atlantic Forest – one of the biggest tropical forests in the world – helps regulate the atmosphere and
stabilize global climate. The reforestation of the Atlantic Forest has the capability to remove 10 million
tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. The Nature Conservancy states that this is
equivalent to taking two million cars off the road. The Atlantic Forest's restoration could help to slow
the process of climate change that is affecting the earth.

The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees Campaign also aims to protect 10 critical watersheds in
the Atlantic Forest that provide water and hydro power to more than 70 million people, create 20,000
direct jobs, and an additional 70,000 indirectly as part of this effort. The Plant a Billion Trees Campaign
is also associated with The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program, which consists of nine
locations, including Brazil.[18]

Involvement in the community

The Nature Conservancy also features e-cards from the Atlantic Forest, as well as video of the Atlantic
Forest and detailed information about the seedlings on their website.[19] The Web site also features a
news feed and an interactive map of the Atlantic Forest region in Brazil, as well as information on many
of the plants, animals, and people that are impacted by the plight of the forest and who may benefit from
its restoration.[20]

Tree planting

The Nature Conservancy plants one tree in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil for each dollar donated by
supporters. Some of the seeds being planted consist of:

◾ Guapuruvu Tree (Schizolobium parahyba) – An indigenous plant of Atlantic Forest, this has one
of the fastest growth rates of all the native species.
◾ Golden Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia umbellate) – According to popular belief, when this tree's yellow
blooms appear, no more frosts will occur. The wood of a Golden Trumpet Tree has the same fire
rating as concrete and is denser than water. Illegal logging activity has grown due to this tree's
growing popularity.
◾ Ice-Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis) – Leafy and abundant, this tree controls weeds and erosion. Its
popular fruit is a long pod up to a few feet, containing a sweet pulp surrounding large seeds.
◾ Capororoca Tree (Myrsine ferruginea) – Birds like the Rufous-bellied Thrush enjoy the fruit off of
this tree.[17]

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History of the campaign

The Nature Conservancy launched the Plant a Billion Trees Campaign in 2008 with a micro-site
plantabillion.org that is affiliated but not hosted by The Nature Conservancy's website.

As a part of this launch, The Nature Conservancy pledged to plant 25 million trees as part of the United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP)'s Billion Tree Campaign.[21] This campaign encourages
individuals and organizations to plant their own trees around the world and record this action on the
website as a tally.

On Earth Day 2009, Disneynature's film Earth debuted, promising to plant a tree for every ticket sold to
the film in its first week. This resulted in a donation of 2.7 million trees to the Plant a Billion Trees
program.[22]

Partnerships

The Plant a Billion Trees Campaign has followed The Nature Conservancy's approach of partnering with
larger organizations (such as Disneynature, Planet Green, Penguin Books, Payless Shoesource, AT&T,
Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, and Visa) to leverage donations from supporters and increase
efficiency and effectiveness of the campaign.[23]

◾ Penguin Classics sponsored a Penguin Walk[24] to benefit the Plant a Billion Trees Campaign on
June 6, 2009 as well.[25]
◾ Payless Shoesource sponsored the Plant a Billion Trees Campaign[26] by giving $1 to The Nature
Conservancy for every Plant a Billion Trees reusable bag sold between April 13, 2009, and
December 31, 2009 (sold at a retail value of $1.99) and $1 from each zoe&zac branded product
sold between 4/13/09 and 5/4/09. Payless guaranteed a minimum total contribution of $100,000 in
2009 from these sales and the sales of other merchandise during 2009.
◾ Panasonic has been involved by planting a tree for each customer who selects The Nature
Conservancy in its "Giving Back" program.[21]
◾ Organic Bouquet donated ten percent for every flower and gift purchased during the month of
April 2008 at www.organicbouquet.com/nature.[21]

The Nature Conservancy and its scientists also work with other conservation organizations, local
landowners, state and federal officials, agencies, and private companies to protect, connect, and buffer
what is left of the Atlantic Forest.[21]

Criticism
Over the years, The Nature Conservancy has faced a number of criticisms. They fall into the following
main categories:

Too close to business

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Some environmentalists consider industrial development to be antagonistic to environmentalism, and

disapprove of The Nature Conservancy's policy of permitting oil drilling, timbering, mining, and natural
gas drilling on land donated to the Conservancy.[27]

The Nature Conservancy has ties to roughly 1900 corporate sponsors. Its governing board consists of
numerous executives and directors of oil companies, chemical producers, auto manufacturers, mining
concerns, logging operations, and electric utilities. And it has a reputation for remaining silent on key
environmental issues that involve business practices in general. For example, many environmental
organizations battled against the Bush Administration's plan to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge, but the Nature Conservancy did not participate in this fight. It was later
discovered that legislation to allow drilling is supported by members of the Conservancy leadership
council, which consists of members from BP and ExxonMobil, as well as by Phillips Alaska, Inc. These
organizations have also donated over $1 million to the group. Mark Tercek, the current president and
CEO of the Nature Conservancy, had little to say about the accusations that ensued. Although there was
a lot of pressure for the Conservancy to cut ties with BP, Tercek refused.[28]

Questionable resale

There have been allegations of The Nature Conservancy obtaining land and reselling it at a profit,
sometimes to supporters,[29] who have then made use of it in ways which many perceived as being
insufficiently environmentally friendly. The rationale for the resale has been that the profit allows The
Nature Conservancy to increase its preservation of what the Nature Conservancy claims are more
important locations.[30] However, the Conservancy does have a no-net-profit policy that has been in
effect for years for all transactions of this type. It has ways of ensuring that its disbursements will offset
any illicitly-generated revenues.[31]

Animal rights

Like many large environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Fund, the
Conservancy has also been criticized for using hunting in its management policies. Retired General
Norman Schwarzkopf, the Commander of coalition forces during the First Gulf War, and a member of
the President's Conservation Counsel of the Conservancy, was also a member of the trophy hunting
organization the Safari Club International.[32]

Junk Mail

The Nature Conservancy asks for monetary contributions, in part by sending out unsolicited promotional
letters, calendars, et cetera (i.e., so-called "junk mail"). The practice of sending junk mail wastes
millions of trees (per year), produces greenhouse gases equivalent to millions of cars (per year), and
wastes billions of gallons of water (per year), according to the environmental impact group
41pounds.org. [33]

Publication

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The organization publishes The Nature Conservancy magazine (ISSN 1540-2428

(https://www.worldcat.org/search?fq=x0:jrnl&q=n2:1540-2428); six issues per year).

See also
◾ Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance
◾ List of environmental issues
◾ List of environmental organizations
◾ Natural capital
◾ Natural environment
◾ Natural landscape
◾ Natural resource
◾ Nature
◾ Sustainability
◾ Sustainable development
◾ Timeline of environmental events

References
Notes

1. Grove, Noel (December 1988). "Quietly Conserving Nature". National Geographic 174 (6): 818–844.
2. "About The Nature Conservancy". Nature.org. January 23, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
3. [1] (http://www.nature.org/about-us/our-accountability/annual-report/2013-financial-report-with-report-of-
independent-auditors.pdf) Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20140821211804/http://www.nature.org/about-us/our-accountability/annual-
report/2013-financial-report-with-report-of-independent-auditors.pdf) August 21, 2014, at the Wayback
Machine.
4. "Non Profit Organization | About Us | The Nature Conservancy". Nature.org. January 17, 2013. Retrieved
February 2, 2013.
5. "The 200 Largest U.S. Charities List: Environment/Animal". Forbes. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
6. "2008 Harris Poll". Harrisinteractive.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
7. "2007 Harris poll". Harrisinteractive.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
8. "2006 Harris poll". Harrisinteractive.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
9. "2005 Harris poll". Harrisinteractive.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
10. "Nature Conservancy". Forbes. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
11. "Charity Navigator Rating – The Nature Conservancy". Charity Navigator. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
12. "Mark Tercek Bio – Nature Conservancy". Nature.org. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
13. McNeese, Tim (2009). H. Norman Schwarzkopf. Infobase Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 9781438103297.
14. Adams, Lisa (November 13, 2004). "Plan would protect swath of Yucatán forest". San Diego Union-Tribune.
Retrieved June 25, 2015.
15. "The Nature Conservancy and Finch Paper Announce Adirondack Woodlands Transaction" (Press release).
The Nature Conservancy. June 18, 2007.
16. "Nature Conservancy News Room – The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land to Purchase
320,000 Acres of Plum Creek Forestl". Nature.org. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
17. "Plant A Billion Trees – one dollar at a time – with The Nature Conservancy". Plantabillion.org. Retrieved
February 2, 2013.
18. "Adopt an Acre – The Nature Conservancy". Support.nature.org. Retrieved February 2, 2013.

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19. "Plant A Billion Trees – one dollar at a time – with The Nature Conservancy". Plantabillion.org. Retrieved
February 22, 2014.
20. "Plant A Billion Trees – one dollar at a time – with The Nature Conservancy". Plantabillion.org. Retrieved
February 22, 2014.
21. "Conservation & Green News | The Nature Conservancy". Nature.org. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
22. "Disney joins forces with the nature conservancy to plant 2.7 million trees in conjunction with first week
ticket sales for Disneynature's debut feature, 'Earth' " (PDF). Disney.go.com. April 29, 2009. Retrieved
February 2, 2013.
23. "Plant A Billion Trees – one dollar at a time – with The Nature Conservancy". Plantabillion.org. Retrieved
February 2, 2013.
24. "Plant a Billion Trees – Penguin Classics – Penguin Group (USA)". Us.penguingroup.com. Retrieved
February 2, 2013.
25. "Payless Partners with the Plant a Billion Trees Campaign, Launches Eco-Friendly Line". StyleCaster. April
13, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
26. "Customer Service – Payless Shoes". Payless ShoeSource. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
27. "The Unsuitablog » Blog Archive » The Nature Conservancy: Partnering With Poisoners". Thesietch.org.
April 19, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
28. Curd, Bobbie (July 29, 2007). "Garrard Signs Reflect Criticism of Nature
Conservancy" (http://articles.centralkynews.com/2007-07-29/news/24859992_1_tnc-sinkhole-couple-claim).
Central Kentucky News. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
29. The Chronicle of Philanthropy. October 18, 2007.
30. Staff (June 14, 2003). "In Wake of Criticism, Nature Conservancy Changes Policies". The New York Times.
Retrieved August 11, 2014.
31. http://www.undueinfluence.com/nature_conservancy.htm
32. "Schwarzkopf Shines at Safari Club International Life Members Breakfast". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved
February 2, 2013.
33. "41pounds.org".

Bibliography

◾ Grove, Noel; with photographs by Stephen J. Krasemann (1992). Preserving Eden: The Nature
Conservancy. New York City: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-3663-1.
◾ Morine, David E. (1990). Good Dirt: Confessions of a Conservationist. Chester, Connecticut:
Globe Pequot Press. ISBN 0-87106-444-8.
◾ Birchard, Bill (2005). Nature's Keepers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass (a Wiley imprint). ISBN
0-7879-7158-8.
◾ Stephens, Joe; Ottaway, David B. (June 8, 2005). "Senators Question Conservancy's Practices:
End to 'Insider' and 'Side' Deals by Nonprofit Organizations Is
Urged" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2005/06/07/AR2005060701640.html). The Washington Post.
◾ Stephens, Joe; Ottaway, David B. May 3, 2003). "Conservancy Scientists Question Their
Role" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A10232-2003May3). The Washington Post.
◾ Stephens, Joe; Ottaway, David B. (May 4, 2003). "$420,000 a Year and No-Strings Fund:
Conservancy Underreported President's Pay and Perks of
Office" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2007/06/26/AR2007062600880.html). The Washington Post.
◾ Stephens, Joe; Ottaway, David B. (May 16, 2003). "Charity Hiring Lawyers to Try to Prevent Hill
Probe" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2007/06/26/AR2007062601287.html). The Washington Post.

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External links
◾ nature.org (http://nature.org), the organization's official Wikimedia Commons has
website media related to Nature
◾ Cool Green Science – The Conservation Blog of The Conservancy preserves.
Nature Conservancy (http://blog.nature.org/)
◾ The Nature Conservancy – Plant a billion trees campaign (http://www.plantabillion.org/)
◾ The Nature Conservancy's Conservation Data (http://maps.tnc.org/)
◾ Charity Navigator budget summary
(http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/4208.htm)
◾ Nature's Land Brokers (http://video.idahoptv.org/video/2187906198) Documentary produced by
Idaho Public Television
◾ The Nature Conservancy (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?
title=The_Nature_Conservancy) at SourceWatch

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