The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Common Egret © Ed Sambolin

Since the early 1950s, The Nature Conservancy has preserved over 150,000 acres of pine barrens forests, coastal dunes, ocean beaches, and wetlands. Our success is due, in part, to our reliance on landscape-scale projects. On Long Island, we focus on the Peconic Estuary, the Long Island Pine Barrens, the Atlantic Ocean Beaches and Bays, and Montauk Peninsula landscapes and seascapes.

Within these areas, we work to protect resources by:

• Working with private landowners and governments to preserve our lands and waters.
• Taking care of our lands and waters using scientific techniques to maintain or restore healthy natural habitats and systems.
• Coordinating with law makers and elected officials to enact laws and measures to protect our environment

Conservation Strategies

To protect Long Island's diverse habitats and wide-ranging ecosystems, The Nature Conservancy on Long Island has created a set of detailed Conservation Strategies. These strategies are designed to abate specific threats and improve habitat health across the island.

• By Land: Preserving Our Lands for Nature and for Us
• By Water: Protecting Our Waters and the Life Beneath Them

The Tip of the Iceberg

In many ways our work on Long Island has just begun.  In 2006, we launched our most ambitious conservation effort to date, Long Island’s Last Stand – our initiative to save the remaining 25,000 acres of critical habitat and open space and to restore and manage our land and water habitats.

Partnerships

Our work would not be possible without our partners. We work closely with government agencies, elected officials, and others to:

• Establish large-scale conservation funding initiatives and programs; 
• Establish greater island-wide ecological management capacity for public land owning agencies and regional commissions; and 
• Communicate planning techniques and conservation approaches.