2018 Year in Review

At The Nature Conservancy, we hold ourselves accountable not only to our members, but also to our partners, to the public and even to the creatures whose survival remains at stake as we strive to protect the world’s natural resources.

When you see our work in the headlines, it’s usually for projects that make a big splash—literally, in the case of our oyster and seagrass restoration projects, which are the largest, most successful efforts of their kind on the planet.

Our habitat restoration work, such as in the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Coast Reserve, is inspiring and informing conservation around the globe, including Australia’s undertaking of the largest shellfish restoration in that continent’s history. And in return, we benefit from the knowledge and experience of experts around the world.

Global networks like these don’t fall into place overnight. They happen because day after day, year after year—for decades—we have put in the work, building our credibility from the ground up and earning trust partner by partner.

Land stewardship, in particular, too often goes unsung, yet it epitomizes our organization’s long-term commitment to results. We all celebrate the establishment of a new preserve or completion of a major conservation easement—and rightly so—but our conservation work in that place has only begun.

Our Virginia stewardship team cares for a preserve system that bookends the state from the Eastern Shore to the Clinch Valley. They are also responsible for monitoring each of our 218 conservation easements every year.

Our deep sense of responsibility has been key in gaining credibility and engaging partners, including government land-management agencies. These relationships enable massive restoration efforts, such as reintroducing fire to our Southern pine and Appalachian forest systems across tens of thousands of acres.

Thanks to our many partners around the world—and to loyal supporters like you—we achieve lasting, transformative conservation. I am grateful for your help as, together, we create a future for nature and people to thrive.

Protecting our Land: Forests

We're working to ensure that Virginia's forests continue to harbor wildlife, support recreation and forestry, and clean the air we breathe and the water we drink.            

Protecting Our Water: Rivers and Bays

From the Chesapeake Bay to the Clinch River, we seek to secure clean water, abundant wildlife and sustainable fisheries for the benefit of people and nature.    

Combating Climate Change

Protecting and restoring healthy natural systems to withstand a changing climate and rising seas.