The Nature Conservancy’s Leading Experts to Speak at Green Earth Expo

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL — May 14, 2008 — The Nature Conservancy will present key environmental issues at the Green Earth Expo 2008, a sustainable commerce and lifestyle tradeshow, which begins today and runs through Sunday, May 18, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

The Expo will host attendees looking for ways to contribute to an environmentally friendly cause that is gaining steam. A total of 600 exhibitors will share environmental knowledge and products to Expo attendees.

During the four-day show, a panel of conservation practitioners and scientists from The Nature Conservancy will give presentations on the key environmental issues in Florida today, including fire, invasive non-native species and climate change:

May 15
“Planning for a Green Future”
Tricia Martin, the Lake Wales Ridge Program director, will speak about sustainable solutions to building communities.

“Ecosystem Restoration at The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve” Conservancy biologist Monica Folk will detail the accomplishments made toward ecosystem restoration at the preserve -- one of the first off-site, large scale wetland mitigation projects in the country.

May 16
“Florida: Shaped by Fire.”
Zachary Prusak, The Nature Conservancy’s Florida fire manager, will discuss the crucial role fire plays in Florida’s ecosystems, as well as the importance of conducting regular prescribed fires in order to reduce the risk of wildfire catastrophes, such as the recent outbreaks on Florida’s Atlantic Coast.

May 17
“Florida & Global Climate Change: What Can We Expect and What Can We Do?”
Laura Geselbracht is a marine conservation planner for The Nature Conservancy who will speak about long-term Nature Conservancy efforts to address the growing threat of climate change.

“Fight Invasive Species With Landscape Scale Conservation”
Kristina Serbesoff-King, the Conservancy’s invasive species program manager, will discuss the importance of coordinated efforts to abate invasive species on a regional scale.

The Expo is being produced by the Global Green Alliance group whose mission is to “support and promote sustainable commerce and lifestyle practices in the state of Florida.”

For more information on admission and directions to the Green Earth Expo, visit www.globalgreenalliance.com/expo.html.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. With funding from the voter approved Florida Forever program and our generous donors the Conservancy has helped protect more than 1.2 million acres in Florida since 1961. Visit us on the Web at nature.org/florida.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.