The giant number behind our logo is just one way we’re celebrating 50 years of work in Maine.

In late 1956, Maine became the fourth state to establish a chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Silent Spring author Rachel Carson helped to start a local chapter of the five-year old organization because she appreciated the Conservancy's practical, action-oriented approach.

So much and yet so little has changed since then. What began as an all-volunteer group purchasing small tracts of land valued for their scenic beauty has become a preeminent conservation organization, using science-based strategies to preserve large natural landscapes. We’ve expanded our scope to include freshwater and marine conservation and climate change. But at our core, we are still the same practical conservation organization we were at our inception.

The accomplishments of the last 50 years—including about a million acres conserved in Maine—are truly worth celebrating.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): © Scott Peterson (Step Falls Preserve).