The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee has joined the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival as a Greening Partner. To kick off the new partnership, Bonnaroo is offering two pairs of backstage passes to meet musical artists David Byrne and Robert Earl Keen.

The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four-day, multi-stage music festival held each June on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. This year's festival dates are June 11-14. Bonnaroo brings together some of the most popular performers in rock & roll, along with top artists from bluegrass, Americana, hip hop and jazz.

Two tickets to meet each artist (including upgraded camping) are available now in an online auction at charityfolks.com. The funds raised from these tickets will support the Conservancy's work in protecting lands and waters for people and nature. The auction runs through Tuesday, May 26 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

In Tennessee, funds from the auction will help ensure the long-term protection of the Duck River, which passes through Manchester and is one of the richest rivers in aquatic life in North America. The Duck is a key Conservancy project site.

Rock artist David Byrne, the former lead singer of Talking Heads, will be performing "The Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno" at Bonnaroo this June. Texas singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen is a leading light of the Americana scene. The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.