Explore

Read our top stories from recent years and support our efforts in 2013. 

WV 50th ExploreWest Virginia turns 50 this year. © TNC
Celebrating 50 Years

From a 259-acre swamp purchase to 120,000 acres of the state’s finest natural areas, we’ve grown over the years. Discover how we’ve touched your world.

WV 50th events 215x143Golden Anniversary train ride @ Mountain Rail Adventures
50th Anniversary Events and Outings

The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia is turning 50! Celebrate with us by participating in one or more special events, like a photography workshop or nature train ride.What will you do?

WV adventures splash imageAdventures on the Gorge @ TNC
Enter to Win!

We invite you to experience the wonder of New River Gorge, in WV. Win a package for five for a TreeTops Canopy Tour and overnight cabin stay, both courtesy of Adventures on the Gorge. Enter Now

WV Travel Guide 3Whitewater Rafters © Erika Norteman
West Virginia Travel Guide

Explore the top ten outdoor destinations in West Virginia!

WV heroes 6Meet our conservation heroes © TNC
Nature Conservancy Heroes

Meet the faces of conservation.

Show Us Your West Virginia - ExploreShow us your West Virginia © Kent Mason
Show Us Your West Virginia

Help us show, through your photographs, the irreplaceable value of West Virginia’s natural areas.

Dolly Sods WildernessDolly Sods Wilderness © Kent Mason
West Virginia: A Year in Review

Because of you, 2012 was a banner year for conservation. See our successes in this slideshow

Canaan fir - EXPLORECanaan fir by: Kent Mason
The Canaan Valley Fir

This popular Christmas tree struggles to hang on in the wild. Learn more

West Virginia Fall Winter 2012 newsletter imageNatural Strongholds © TNC
Natural Strongholds

The Central Appalachian Mountains could protect nature in the face of climate change. Discover How

West Virginia Fall Winter 2012 newsletter imageWest Virginia Fall Winter 2012 newsletter © TNC
Fall/Winter 2012 West Virginia Newsletter

Read the latest edition of the Conservancy's West Virginia newsletter. Download

Ohio Save the Forests IconScenic Trees ODNR
Saving Forests for Our Grandchildren

This generation is beginning to appreciate the value of living forests. Read more

Tuna Phelps 215x143Bluefin Tuna vs. Michael Phelps © SurvivalWoman / thaines
Nature's Athletes

If human athletes went head-to-head with nature's athletes, who would get the gold?

cerulean warblercerulean warbler © Marja Bakermans
Book Review: Cerulean Blues

In her new book, Cerulean Blues, Nature Conservancy member and Morgantown writer Katie Fallon explores the plight of a songbird closely aligned with the Central Appalachians—the cerulean warbler. Read more

cent apps for cor splashYunnan golden monkey in rhododendron. photo by Long Yongcheng Photo © Long Yongcheng
Foreign Correspondence: The Connection Between China and the Central Appalachians

The Central Appalachians boast one of the most biologically rich temperate broadleaf deciduous forests in the world. In fact, it’s second only to that of China’s. Learn more

West Virginia Green Gifts ExploreGive green this year © iStock Photo
Buy Green Gifts

Share your passion for conserving West Virginia with these unique gifts from The Nature Conservancy. Shop now

smoke hole canyon exploresmoke hole canyon Kent Mason
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Conservation

Recent Smoke Hole Canyon protection work is the latest chapter in an ongoing effort to protect the region’s unique attributes for future generations. Read more

WV Migratory Bird Show ExploreIndigo Bunting © ODNR
Migratory Bird Slide Show

Many birds that spend their summers in the Central Appalachians overwinter in Central and South America. Learn more

WV Dev by Design ExploreEnergy companies have drilled 1,200 to 1,400 wells into the Marcellus shale in West Virginia. © Kent Mason
Development by Design

How can The Nature Conservancy help balance energy development and conservation? Learn more

WV Comebacks Canaan ExploreWestland area in Canaan Valley. Canaan Valley is an oval, bowl-like upland valley nestled among the higher ranges of the Allegheny Mountains in northeastern Tucker County, West Virginia. Canaan Valley supports the largest area of wetlands in all of the Central Appalachians, providing critical habitat for wildlife that is irreplaceable and conservation groups like The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund, working with state and federal partners, have been working to protect Canaan Valley for decades. © Kent Mason
Comeback Kid

Nature is resilient. Given the opportunity and a little help, it will fight its way back. Read more

electric pylons electric pylons © iStockPhoto
Powering Up Conservation Efforts

The Conservancy is protecting nature in the face of energy development.  Find out how

WV EX This Land is your Land IconWest Virginia. Sunrise over the Conservancy's Bear Rocks Preserve in the Dolly Sods Wilderness atop the Allegheny Front of the Monongahela National Forest. Les Miller
This Land Is Your Land

We've protected many of our state's most beloved public lands and waters. Read more

WV EX Conservation on Track IconConservation Right on Track TNC
Conservation Right on Track

The Conservancy has helped to protect property traversed by the Cass Scenic Railroad. All Aboard!

WV EX Top 5 Migrations Iconcerulean warbler marja bakermans
West Virginia's Top Five Must-See Migrations

Look out the window this time of year and you’re bound to see nature's migrations in progress. Learn more

WV Climate ExploreBear Rocks Preserve, West Virginia © Les Miller
Conservation in a Changing World

“Climate change threatens all the conservation investments we’ve made to date.” – Rodney Bartgis. Learn more

WV EX Water PurifierOld and new growth Red Spruce forest in the Gaudineer Scenic Area located in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest. The Monongahela National Forest was established in 1920. Located in the north central highlands of West Virginia, the Monongahela straddles the highest ridges in the State. The Nature Conservancy has acquired and protected thousands of acres in the Monongahela forest. Kent Mason
Forests: Nature's Water Purifier

The Conservancy protects the forests that keep our water healthy.  Discover more

WV EX High Wire IconVisitors trail through forest at The Nature Conservancy's Cranesville Swamp Preserve in northern West Virginia. The cool, wet environ of Cranesville Swamp has over thousands of years fostered the formation of peat – made of compacted sphagnum moss that creates a nutrient-poor environment as it breaks down. Few trees can survive in the resulting bog, but tall eastern hemlock, red spruce and tamarack prevail in the acidic environment. Lower to the ground, plants like sundew, cranberry and sedge thrive in open areas. Together members and conservation partners, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 100,000 acres of critical natural lands in West Virginia. Kent Mason
High-Wire Act Helps Protect West Virginia's Forests

Hundreds of non-native insects and plants are wreaking havoc in our forests. See more

WV EX Conservation Underground IconPiercy’s Cave Kent Mason
Conservation Goes Underground

There's a hidden world underneath West Virginia’s undulating landscape. Dive in

Read More

Photo Special Features TabLion in Maasai Mara, Kenya, Africa. © Kenneth K. Coe

Close Encounters with Nature

Whether scary or exciting, nature has a way of sneaking up on you. See stories

Arden OConnor 215x143Arden O’Connor. © Lajla LeBlanc

Nature Matters

Hear some of nature's success stories and see how nature matters to us all. Watch videos

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