Success Stories -- The Nature Conservancy

Restoring America’s Heartland Takes Heart

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Nature is resilient. But sometimes it needs a helping hand. Meet some amazing people who are helping The Nature Conservancy restore a river’s floodplain in Wisconsin, bring bison back to the Great Plains, save the black-footed ferret in South Dakota and work other small miracles for nature in America’s Heartland.

Meet These Heartland Heros »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

The Fish Are on Their Way Upstream

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Mark Godfrey/TNC

The Nature Conservancy recently coordinated a project at Florida’s Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam that is allowing fish to migrate upstream to native spawning grounds. At no additional operating cost, it may increase certain populations by up to five times. Find out how this regional effort has large-scale impacts for both people and nature.

Using Science and Innovation to Restore Fish Populations »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

Jersey-sized Conservation in the Amazon

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Reinaldo Lourival

With the help of the Conservancy, a municipality the size of New Jersey and once known for being a top deforester has radically changed, in a short amount of of time, the way farmers and producers work.

Now, this municipality was officially declared as a model for forest conservation in 77 municipalities in the Amazon. Find out more to see how your support is making a difference.

Learn More and Watch a Slideshow »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

Heart of the Watershed

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Charlie Ott

The pristine Independence Lake, and the majestic wilderness that surrounds it, will remain protected from development following the sale of the lake and the land to The Nature Conservancy. This is a huge success for Nevada because Independence Lake provides a critical source of fresh water for their largest metropolitan area.

A Win for Nature, Fish and People »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

Green Thumbs in Guatemala

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Susan Ellis/TNC

In the heart of the Maya Forest, in a northern corner of Guatemala, lies the 500,000-acre Sierra del Lacandón National Park. It is here, in cooperation with Guatemala’s Ministry of Agriculture, the Conservancy has supported a pilot project to install backyard gardens, schoolyard gardens, chicken coops, greenhouses and apiaries to help local communities thrive.

How Does Small-Scale Farming Make a Difference? »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

From Forest to Toilet Paper...and Back Again

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Limeydog via a Creative Commons license.

Pedro is a tree planter helping to restore Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, which has been destroyed over centuries — for development, for ranching, for farming, and yes, for non-native eucalyptus plantations that in turn are regularly harvested to make rolls and rolls and rolls of pillowy, soft toilet paper.

Thanks to donors contributing a dollar per tree to The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign to rebuild the Atlantic Forest, Pedro and his co-planters each put about 300 seedlings back in the ground every day during the planting season.

When Nature Calls... »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

Educating with the Carbon Footprint Calculator

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

2002 Corbis

Inevitably, in going about our daily lives — commuting, sheltering our families, eating — each of us contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. Yet, there are many things each of us, as individuals, can do to reduce our carbon emissions. The choices we make in our homes, our travel, the food we eat, and what we buy and throw away all influence our carbon footprint and can help ensure a stable climate for future generations.

Use The Nature Conservancy's carbon footprint calculator to measure your impact on our climate. Our carbon footprint calculator estimates how many tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases your choices create each year.

What's Your Carbon Footprint? »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

Counting Rats from Space

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

John Roser

The Nature Conservancy is working with University of California Berkeley researchers and partners at Carrizo Plain National Monument to count and map giant kangaroo rat populations using satellite remote sensing data.

Giant kangaroo rats are the keystone species of Carrizo Plain. A keystone species is like the centerstone in an arch — even though it’s one small stone, it keeps the whole thing standing up.

Why Bother? »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

Blueprint for Nature in China

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Ami Vitale

Your commitment to Conservancy science helps to support an enormous, sustainable construction project that will guide conservation in China for years to come. Check out the interactive map to see how your support is helping chart China's green future.

Explore the Map »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

450,000 Acres Saved!

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Mark Godfrey/TNC

Fish River Station is a spectacular 450,000 acres in northern Australia and is home to species like wallabies and eagles. The Conservancy, in tandem with partners, worked to help the Indigenous Land Corporation purchase Fish River Station. Now we are working to place that land in the hands of Indigenous Australians who will sustainably manage it.

Discover One of the World’s Last Wildernesses »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

A Historic Win in Canada

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Charlie Ott

21 timber companies and nine conservation organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, have united in signing the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. This historic agreement is protecting 178 million acres of boreal forest in Canada. Unprecedented in scale, this agreement covers the largest amount of land ever involved in such conservation efforts.

How We Are Protecting This Forest of Riches »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

A Butterfly-Friendly Coastal Paradise

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Harold E. Malde

The Big Creek property acquisition in Oregon represents a giant step in protecting the Oregon silverspot butterfly, a threatened species that is only found in a handful of sites along the coast of Oregon and Northern California. This 193-acre property is vital for restoring the silverspot's habitat and in helping to connect other protected public lands.

Learn More About Our Butterfly Restoration Efforts »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

One Little Bird Can Mean So Much

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Dave Currie

Kirtland’s warblers nearly became extinct in the 1970s. That’s why protecting these precious birds matters so deeply. Kirtland’s warblers rely on teams of dedicated conservationists who have not only compiled invaluable data on the tiny songbirds, but have put into action a plan that will help increase the birds’ population.

Learn More About the Kirtland’s Warbler »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.

Old Laundry Facility Helps "Clean Up" the Adirondacks

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Carl Heilman II

Leave it to The Nature Conservancy to take an unwanted laundromat, donated by Blue Wolf Capital Fund II, L.P., and transform it into program support for New York state. The Conservancy will sell the property and use the profits to support the Heart of the Adirondacks project.

Learn more about this project and the home of New York state's most impressive array of plant and animal diversity.

Find Out How »

Visit my.nature.org to read more Success Stories, or to share your thoughts with our online community.