TNC Florida Center for Conservation Initiatives
The Center for Conservation Initiatives advances conservation through education, training, outreach, volunteerism, science, research and land stewardship.
Florida Conservation Exchange
TNC’s Center for Conservation Initiatives Strengthens Partnerships, For People and Nature
How do you safely burn forests that border beach rentals? What’s the best formula for bringing back rare pitcher plants to landscape overrun with titi? No single land manager knows all the answers.
That’s the power of the Florida Conservation Exchange (ConX), a natural resource management program co-developed by The Nature Conservancy’s Center for Conservation Initiatives (TNC CCI), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Forest Service and Florida Park Service.
Quote: Andy Rappe
Across agencies and ecosystems, from those early in their careers to seasoned professionals— we all have something to contribute. When we connect and share our conservation challenges, we combine our talents and knowledge to learn from one another and build a community of conservation leaders.
Preserve Managment Director
To protect our lands now and in the future, the Center for Conservation Initiatives (TNC CCI) invests in the careers and leadership potential of Florida’s land stewards. Just as we plant seedlings that will one day grow to massive heights, we also invest in the conservation leaders of tomorrow.
With each cohort of the annual Conservation Exchange (ConX), 20-30 conservation leaders take on their biggest challenges: wildland-urban interaction, balancing recreation and restoration, hurricane recovery and many more.
Land Managers Connect and Collaborate
Collaboration at Work
On an everyday basis, state agency staff have limited opportunities to interact with and learn from each other. But through ConX, participants leave their homesites and step outside their comfort zones. With each field trip, our state agency site hosts present real life challenges, looking to their peers for insight on their experience with similar questions.
At Point Washington State Forest, we discussed forest restoration in a rapidly growing tourist destination: Santa Rosa Beach. The Forest Service tactfully balances longleaf timber stand improvement and maintaining visitor experience at their highly used primitive campground and public recreation area on their forest.
The Florida Park Service had their own challenges and lessons to share on restoration and recreation. This is a beach park in a highly urban area, a growing part of 30A’s Emerald Coast. Here, we discussed some of the unique challenges with the beach and public use.
ConX participants ventured to Deer Lake’s wetland restoration project with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Florida Park Service staff worked in partnership to bring back native plants like pitcher plants here, collecting native seeds and nurturing them in the restored wetland.
In-Person, Hands-On Experiences
Florida Park Service staff take ConX participants on a beachside field trip, discussing habitat protection for rare and endangered species and other land management challenges.
Visiting the coast: ConX participants walk on the beach boardwalk at Deer Lake State Park. © Erich Martin
Deer Lake Dunes: The protected dunes of Deer Lake State Park protect habitat for rare and endangered coastal species and are a natural solution against storm impacts. © Erich Martin
Urban Interface: With coastal properties as his backdrop, Ranger Allen discusses the challenges of managing land that is closely bordered by development. © Erich Martin
Studying Beach Mice: A Florida Park Service ranger demonstrates how staff monitor beach mouse populations using PVC pipes. As the mice travel through the pipes, they leave behind tiny footprints. © Erich Martin
Taking a closer look: A ConX participant from the Florida Forest Service looks through binoculars. © Erich Martin
Connection Continues
With each ConX cohort, TNC CCI helps develop an active community of practice, bringing together conservation professionals from different agencies, experience levels and geographies. Cohorts continue to connect after their training, and the community of practice grows as more participants are added to the network. These connections expand our professional impact – and those of our agencies.
ConX catalyzes a new kind of land management leadership. It capitalizes on both our individual strengths and collective impact. With ConX, it’s not just about what one individual conservation professional knows or has succeeded in – but how we put that knowledge to work to advance Florida's future.
Together with our state partners, we go much farther and faster than we could alone.
Beyond the boundaries of our home preserves, parks and wildlife management areas, each ConX participant contributes to a legacy of continued conservation. Just as we invest in each developing leader, we also invest in what leadership looks like far into the future.
Quote: Andy Rappe
Together, across our different agencies and ecosystems, we are discussing issues at different scales, timeframes and measures of success. That trust and collaboration are where relationships form, building bonds between our future conservation leaders.
Preserve Managment Director
About Conservation Exchange (ConX)
TNC’s Center for Conservation Initiatives (TNC CCI) co-created ConX with the goal of facilitating a multi-agency learning experience. Designed for state, local, federal and non-profit land managers, participants are nominated by their supervisors and hand-picked by their agencies as future leaders. By nominating ConX participants, land management leaders offer their staff career opportunities that expand natural resource management and networking skills.
ConX is a program developed through CCI’s Hixon Environmental Stewardship Program.
Learn More About TNC's Center for Conservation Initiatives
Advancing conservation through education and training, outreach and volunteerism, science and research, and land stewardship.
