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Nature Conservancy Announces Green Gifts for 2007

New “Adopt an Acre”  and “Rescue the Reef” Program Offer Meaningful Ways to Give a World of Good this Holiday Season

DURHAM, N.C.— Mixing the tradition of holiday giving with the modern ideal of lowering consumption, The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre® and Rescue the Reef® programs offer excellent opportunities to spread holiday cheer by helping to preserve rainforests and coral reefs around the world.

“2007 was a landmark year for conservation.  Never before have we seen so much attention devoted to restoring and protecting natural resources and slowing the pace of global climate change,” said Katherine D. Skinner, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s North Carolina chapter.  “People are increasingly looking for ways to make a lasting difference.  The Nature Conservancy offers two great opportunities to give a gift that will make your loved ones happy and that benefits the Earth.”

The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre® program features the lush tropical forests of the remote Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.  This region, which hosts the greatest tree species diversity in all of Central America, is alive with vibrant scarlet macaws, anteaters, jaguars, pumas, bats, and monkeys.  Offshore, the deep blue waters host migrating humpback whales and sea turtles that nest on the shores.

Exploitation of natural resources—such as illegal logging, poaching, and over-development—pose a severe threat to the health of the Osa’s rainforests.  That’s why The Nature Conservancy is working with local communities to strengthen the management of protected areas, create a 100,000-acre biological corridor for wildlife between two national parks, and to hire and train park staff to protect these vital natural resources.

The Conservancy's Rescue the Reef® program is working to protect coral reefs in tropical areas around the world.  The planet’s precious coral reefs are home to 25 percent of all marine fish species and provide an estimated $375 billion per year in goods and services.  Despite this, they are one of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, and scientists predict that at the current rate of destruction, we could lose 70 percent of the world’s coral reefs by the year 2050.

“These gifts are a great way for North Carolinians to connect with conservation work being done around the globe,” said Skinner.

Adopt an Acre® and Rescue the Reef® are unique gifts that last long after other presents are forgotten.  The cost to Adopt an Acre is $50, and Rescue the Reef gifts begin at $25, and information about each of the programs can be found on the Conservancy’s Web site at nature.org/giftguide, as well as information about gift memberships.  Those wanting to donate to Adopt an Acre® or Rescue the Reef® can also call toll-free (800) 84-ADOPT.

High resolution photos available upon request.

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.