Land and water bodies need to be protected, as this is where all lifeforms thrive and derive sustenance from. This is the idea that forms the bedrock of Nature Conservancy's goals and projects. The organization focuses on key areas of conservation mainly to tackle climate change, protect land and water, provide food and sustainability, and build healthy cities.
These initiatives are made possible with the use of science, in the form of hard data and user-friendly tools, to identify and quantify nature's role in solving complex challenges related to food and water security, climate change and energy.
The organization also aims to establish bridges, and collaborate with people and organizations working together, with the use of tools to tackle a wide array of challenges that affect the social and environmental spheres.
Its Center for Sustainability Science aims to work with businesses and policymakers in the development of solutions, which benefit both the environment and the economy. As they build their business empire, companies will inevitably affect or destroy nature's resources and degrading ecosystems. This has to stop. With Nature Conservancy, businesses are made aware of their responsibilities to look for innovative natural solutions, which can lead to a company's long-term sustainability.
History
Founded in 1951, the Nature Conservancy has been a very trusted national organization in environment conservation. This charitable environmental organization currently has over one million members, has protected more than 119,000,000 acres (48,000,000 ha) of land, and thousands of miles of rivers worldwide. It is the largest environmental nonprofit organization in terms of assets and revenues. Its fundraising efficiency has gained worldwide attention, as it raised 88 percent of money through donations, according to the 2005 survey, and is one of the largest US charities.
Long before its founding in 1951, the Nature Conservancy traced its roots from a scholarly organization known as the Ecological Society of America (ESA), in 2015. ESA primarily had initiatives for research but later on, focused more on environmental conservation efforts in the 1930s. Unfortunately, there was a divide in viewpoints of the members' advocacy for the environment, thus causing the split in 1946, with Shelford and his colleagues forming their group, the Ecologists' Union, which later on took the name of 'The Nature Conservancy.' The organization derived inspiration from the British agency of that name, which focused on conserving open spaces and wildlife preserves. It officially was first recognized in the United States as non-profit by nature on October 22, 1951.
Projects
In its efforts to tackle climate change, The Nature Conservancy upholds nature-based solutions by planting trees and implementing better forest management; promote clean energy by creating partnerships with government to inculcate renewable energy in growing economies; inspire conservation by encouraging discussions about global warming and ways to halt climate change; and build resilience by training the most vulnerable communities to survive climate change.
Providing food and water sustainably is made possible by the organization’s innovations in technology, collaborating with communities to use resources more efficiently and promoting policies that enable sustainability.
Because it is expected that two-thirds of people will leave cities by 2050, the organization is currently conducting thoughtful planning, science-based solutions, and strong partnerships in creating healthy and environmentally-sustainable cities.
Success Story
Photo by: Steve Hillebrand
Plant A Billion Trees Campaign
To reduce the overall carbon emissions and footprint, the Nature Conservancy initiated the 'Plant A billion Trees' campaign, to restore 2,500,000 acres (10,100 km2) of land and plant one billion trees by 2025, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Funds from this project are derived from one dollar donations, with each dollar resulting in one planted tree in the Atlantic Forest.
The campaign has been appreciated for being an effective tool in slowing the effects of climate change, especially because it was done in the Atlantic Forest, one of the biggest tropical forests in the world that helps absorb worldwide carbon emissions in the atmosphere. So far, the reforestation efforts in the Atlantic Forest has effectively removed 10 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, such amount is equivalent to carbon emissions from two million cars.
Aside from that, the project aims to protect 10 critical watersheds in the Atlantic Forest, an important water source to more than 70 million people who hugely depend on hydropower. The restoration of these watersheds is also important as they create direct and indirect jobs.
Interested parties who want to participate in the Plant A Billion Trees Campaign, can view more information on Nature Conservancy's website that features e-cards from the Atlantic Forest, a video showing the bounty of such forest and detailed information of seedlings. The website features an interactive news feed and an interactive map of the Atlantic Forest region in Brazil, featuring the flora and fauna in each region. It also features information regarding people who have benefited from the organization's forest restoration project.