The Nature Conservancy Receives Smith Foundation Grant

Donation to Protect Habitat in Northern Ohio and Belize

Dublin, Ohio—21 November 2006—A generous gift of $1.05 million from The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation will protect critical habitat in northern Ohio and make the intercontinental journey of migratory birds a little easier.

The grant will be used to protect and restore biologically significant areas in the Grand River watershed and the glacial wetlands of northeastern Ohio, and to protect migratory bird habitat in Belize and northern Ohio.

“Dozens of bird species, including some of our most beautiful songbirds, spend their winters in Belize and nest in Ohio in the spring and summer,” said Marleen Kromer, the Conservancy’s director of conservation programs for northern Ohio. “Many others pass through Ohio and Belize on their way to nesting grounds in Canada’s boreal forest, and need places along the migratory route to rest and feed.”

One-third of the grant will be set aside by the Conservancy for use in The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Migratory Bird Challenge, to raise additional money for migratory bird habitat conservation at both ends of the migratory pathway between Ohio and Belize.

“The challenge goes both ways because that’s what birds do – and this effort is aimed at helping the Conservancy meet a broad range of habitat needs along the migratory routes,” explained Kromer.

The remainder of the grant will be used for a variety of projects in northeastern Ohio, aimed at protecting the mosaic of wetlands, rivers and forests that provide habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species. Projects such as land purchases, stewardship, restoration, research and conservation easements will be focused within the Grand River Lowlands, the larger Grand River Watershed, and the Northeast Ohio Glacial Wetlands area.

“This grant demonstrates the Smith Foundation’s continued support of The Nature Conservancy,” said Dr. Rich Shank, the Conservancy’s state director in Ohio. “They have, for many years, backed our work not only in Ohio, but also beyond our borders.”

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have protected more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 117 million acres around the world. In Ohio, we have directly protected more than 35,000 acres and have worked with partners to preserve some of the best forest, wetland, stream and grassland habitat in the state. The Conservancy owns and manages 26 nature preserves across the Buckeye State, protecting land and water for nature and people. Visit us on the Web at nature.org/Ohio.