People and Conservation

Protecting Nature. Preserving Life.

Conservation is about people and nature—see how our work benefits both.

At The Nature Conservancy, protecting nature isn’t about putting up fences around pristine places to keep people out. We’re about protecting the places and resources we depend on for the benefit of all species—plants, animals and people. 

That’s why you’ll find us collaborating with fishermen in Maine to make fisheries more sustainable—and save fishing jobs. 

Or partnering with indigenous communities in Australia to protect important natural areas—and ensuring that these communities continue as caretakers of the lands.

Or helping farmers use less water to irrigate their crops—saving them on energy costs and keeping more water available for natural processes that result in healthy landscapes and cleaner drinking water.

Our Work with People

Everywhere we work, we ask ourselves two questions: Are we using sound science to protect ecologically important lands and waters? And are we improving the lives of people? Invariably, the answer is “yes.”

Community Conservation

We're helping people in northern Kenya conserve grasslands and livelihoods.

Stopping a War

The Conservancy helped bring loggers and local villagers together to support sustainable forestry in Borneo.

Ranching & Water

An Arizona rancher makes some small changes that save millions of gallons of H2O.

Reinstating Homelands

With our support, Indigenous Australians will manage new reserves spanning 5 million acres.

Getting Kids Outside

Our LEAF summer internship is building the environmental leaders of tomorrow.

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Explore People and Conservation

Empowering People

See how our alternative energy and microfinance projects are improving lives in China's Yunnan Province.

Sweet Success

With our help, local farmers are producing the first fair trade-certified cocoa in Papua New Guinea.

Brazilian Superfruit

We're working with villagers to help them harvest açaí while protecting the Amazon.

Heroes in the Gulf

545 volunteers helped us build a new oyster reef in Alabama that will benefit marine species and people.

Poverty & Conservation

A recent study demonstrates how nature conservation can help help alleviate poverty in northern Kenya.

Restoring the Penobscot

Butch Phillips, tribal elder of the Penobscot Indian Nation, describes his people's historic connection with the river.

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Indigenous People
A commitment to "communities and cultures" is a central part of The Nature Conservancy’s core values. Learn more about our work with indigenous people around the world, from Ecuador to Australia and Kenya to Colombia.

Design for a Living World
We invited 10 designers to create new objects from sustainable materials sourced from around the world. Wood, plants, wool and other organic materials were transformed into intriguing objects, revealing extraordinary stories about regeneration and the human connection to the Earth’s lands and waters.


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Greening Latin America

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