The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Think you have to cross the country or spend a lot to create worthwhile memories? Think again. Use our “Find Nature” tool to discover low-cost attractions close to home. And with all the money you save, don’t forget to tip your hostess, Mother Nature!

From $1 to $1,000, your summer savings can make a big difference for nature and people:

$1 - $5 (The cost of a summer carnival ride):

In Maryland:

• $1 could buy five oysters, helping restore reef habitats in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

In Ohio:

• $1 could buy one bare-root seedling to restore Big Darby Headwaters Nature Preserve.
• $5 could remove 2.5 feet of drainage tile from a farm field, to restore it to wetland.

In Pennsylvania:

• $1 could buy 12 ounces of seed to stabilize disturbed beds and benefit wildlife.
• $5 could construct one foot of hiking trail on West Branch Research and Demonstration Forest or Brush Mountain Woodlands, providing a high-quality experience for recreationalists while minimizing ecological impacts.

In Virginia:

• $1 could collect 100 eelgrass seeds to restore vast sea grass habitats for fish, crabs and scallops at the Virginia Coast Reserve.
• $1 could track the health of one newborn red-cockaded woodpecker, Virginia’s rarest bird, until it leaves the nest at Piney Grove Preserve.

In West Virginia:

• $1 could buy one red spruce seedling to help restore Central Appalachian forests.

$25-$50 (The cost of a tank of gas):

In Massachusetts:

• $50 could buy 60,000 baby oysters to help restore an oyster reef in Cape Cod Bay.

In Pennsylvania:

• $50 could pay for one acre of invasive species control.
• $50 could help create habitat for one Jefferson salamander.
• $50 could protect five cave invertebrates.

In Virginia:

• $25 could buy 125 seedlings to help restore longleaf-pine forests.
• $50 could conduct one bird survey in old-growth forest to identify habitat restoration success.

In West Virginia:

• $50 could remove invasive species from one acre of Central Appalachian forests.

$51-$100 (Per-night savings of staying at a campsite instead of a hotel):

In Connecticut:

• $60 could buy and plant one disease-resistant elm sapling to restore floodplain forests and the Connecticut River watershed.

In Ohio:

• $60 could help protect a 25- by 50-foot buffer of headwater streams in Appalachia.

In Pennsylvania:

• $90 could buy an antenna to track bog turtles.
• $100 could plant 10 native pitch pine seedlings for old-growth forest restoration.
• $100 could track three bog turtles for one year to learn how to protect their habitats.
• $100 could get gas development Best Management Practices implemented on 2 acres.

In Virginia:

• $100 could administer one acre of prescribed burns at Warm Springs Mountain Preserve, helping to restore Appalachian forests.

In West Virginia:

• $100 could restore red spruce on roughly one-half an acre of Central Appalachian forest.

$101-$500 (The cost of a plane ticket):

In Florida:

• $185 could buy 1,000 longleaf pine seedlings, including shipping.

In Ohio:

• $200 could restore one linear foot of Big Darby Creek Nature Preserve.

In Pennsylvania:

• $500 could support pre-burn monitoring before a prescribed fire in one burn unit.
• $500 could collect one month of vernal pool restoration data.
• $500 could conduct one season of post-White Nose Syndrome bat hibernacula cave surveys.

$1,000+ (Potential college savings if your child’s interest in nature leads him/her to pursue a science scholarship)

In Florida:

• $1,000 outfits one prescribed fire worker, including helmet, nomax, harness, boots and mandatory fire shelter.