The Nature Conservancy to Celebrate Nature at 2007 Earth and Ocean Gala

Gala Honors Russell C. Albanese for Commitment to Environment through Green Building

Cold Spring Harbor, NY — March 20, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy announced today that it will host its sixth annual Earth & Ocean Gala on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at The Nature Conservancy's flagship Long Island preserve, Uplands Farm Nature Sanctuary, in Cold Spring Harbor. Cocktails begin at 6:30 pm, dinner at 7:30 pm.

The Earth and Ocean Gala is a celebration of nature that draws more than 500 corporate, community and political leaders in support of conservation on Long Island. Funds raised from the Gala will help The Nature Conservancy foster “Long Island’s Last Stand,” its most ambitious commitment to preserve and protect the most significant remaining lands and waters in Nassau and Suffolk counties. It will also help The Conservancy restore the forests, harbors, bays and wetlands throughout Long Island. This year’s gala honoree is Russell C. Albanese, the President of Albanese Organization, Inc., a Garden City-based real estate development organization that has been in existence for more than 50 years. He has over 25 years experience in real estate planning, design, development, and management.

Founded in 1949, the Albanese Organization is a privately held, full-service real estate firm dedicated to creating commercial and residential buildings of distinction, quality and architectural merit that optimize value, are environmentally responsible, and enhance the communities in which they are located.

The Albanese Organization is widely credited with introducing environmentally advanced urban living to the United States. In 2003, the firm’s first green development project, The Solaire, won worldwide acclaim as America’s first environmentally engineered residential tower. The Solaire helped create a market for green residential buildings and became an instant icon for the green design and construction industry globally. In 2004, the Solaire became the first residential tower in the U.S. to receive a U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Gold rating, and also received the AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects award. In 2006, the firm completed its second green residential tower in Battery Park City, The Verdesian, and also introduced commercial-scale green development to Long Island, with 1001 Franklin Avenue in Garden City, the first such building of its kind in the region. The Albanese Organization’s leadership in sustainable development continues with its newest project, a luxury green condominium tower called The Visionaire, which has been designed to a LEED Platinum standard. The third Albanese building in Battery Park City, The Visionaire will be completed next year.

“The Nature Conservancy is proud to honor Russell Albanese for his company’s pioneering commitment to sustainable living,” said Nancy Kelley, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. “We applaud his environmental integrity, his commitment to environmentally responsible building and his role in helping to conserve the natural beauty and open spaces that make Long Island such a great place to live.”

“As the division between the natural habitat and the built environment continues to narrow, The Nature Conservancy and the Albanese Organization find that we are sharing a mutual mission. We are honored and delighted to partner with The Nature Conservancy in promoting the preservation of Long Island’s fragile natural habitats and ecosystems,” said Russell Albanese.

To inquire about Gala tickets, sponsorship opportunities and journal pages, or to learn more about the work of The Nature Conservancy on Long Island, please contact Juliet Bohaty at (631) 367-3384 x137.

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.