The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Amanda Nickeson Cherry is an associate director of philanthropy based in The Nature Conservancy’s Pittsburgh office, where she serves as a liaison for members and donors in western Pennsylvania and the adjacent area in West Virginia.

We sat down with Amanda to talk about her work as a fundraiser.

nature.org:

Amanda Nickeson Cherry:

I love to be outside. I love the land, I love oceans and I love animals. My husband and I spend a lot of time outdoors biking and hiking. The Nature Conservancy is a wonderful organization and I am proud to be able to contribute to our work here in Pennsylvania and around the globe.

nature.org:

Amanda Nickeson Cherry:

Primarily, I’m responsible for philanthropic endeavors in the region. That includes fundraising and making sure donors are aware of our different projects and the work that we’re doing in Pennsylvania and around the world. I also make sure that they have their questions answered on a timely basis; I serve as a liaison between our members and donors and the conservation team.

nature.org:

Amanda Nickeson Cherry:

It’s so hard to choose from all of the exciting projects that we’re working on in Pennsylvania. However, what I’m primarily focusing on at this time is fundraising for our Brush Mountain project, near Altoona. Brush Mountain contains 640 acres in the Central Appalachians. It has been identified as a priority because of its location within a large intact forest block, the presence of rare species and natural communities, and its contribution to the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. This area is threatened by incompatible housing development pressures, forest fragmentation from wind and gas development, and climate change.

The Conservancy is in the process of enrolling the Brush Mountain property into its Working Woodlands program, which will result in a comprehensive property-wide forest assessment and the creation of a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forest management plan. The Conservancy will then implement a variety of forest management activities to restore the property to a healthier condition.

nature.org:

Amanda Nickeson Cherry:

It would be very hard to meet our conservation goals without help from our donors and members. My role is to educate the community on the great work the Conservancy is doing in Pennsylvania and around the globe and then to gather support for that work.