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A group of volunteers at a prescribed burn on the grassland.
Kennebunk Fire Line Prescribed burn on the grassland at The Nature Conservancy's Kennebunk Plains Preserve in Kennebunk, Maine. © Jerry and Marcy Monkman/EcoPhotography

Newsletter

Nature Briefs

January 20, 2026

GOOD STEWARDSHIP

Most days, you can find Legacy Club Stewardship Manager Warren Miskell working at his desk in Brunswick, Maine, serving as a resource for The Nature Conservancy’s more than 33,000 Legacy Club members. At certain times of the year, though—typically in the fall or late spring—you might find him suited up in fire-resistant gear, volunteering as a member of TNC in Maine’s burn crew. More than half of the world’s terrestrial ecosystems need fire to stay healthy, and TNC uses it as an important landscape stewardship tool. Controlled burns require rigorous planning: The weather must be just right, and each participant has a role. Whether that’s setting fires with a drip torch or dousing escaped embers, Warren is glad to be involved in this hands-on conservation. “It’s a serious commitment to do this work. The people who do it full time have a wealth of knowledge of how to use and control fire for conservation,” says Warren. “With each fire, I learn from them. It’s exciting to be a part of it.”

Warren Miskell suited up in fire-resistant gear.
Good Stewardship Warren Miskell, pictured at Maine’s Wells Barrens Preserve, earned his 40-hour Fire Fighter 2 certification in 2017. He volunteers for at least four fires a year and completes an annual field-day refresher that includes a physical fitness test designed to emulate a full day on the fire line. © TNC

PUBLIC LANDS IN PUBLIC HANDS

Public lands saw a significant victory last summer, and TNC supporters helped make it happen. A proposal in the U.S. Senate to sell off public lands across 11 Western states was resoundingly defeated. Supporters of TNC—including members, trustees and staff—sent more than 100,000 messages to members of Congress, asking them to keep public lands in public hands. Simultaneously, TNC inspired hunters, fishers and other outdoor enthusiasts to share the same sentiment with Congress. This is an exciting win, and it couldn’t have been done without TNC’s incredible community advocating for these cherished places. Protecting public lands has been a key TNC strategy for decades. As programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund—a pivotal federal program that protects public lands—face roadblocks, TNC continues to defend public lands and the programs that support them.

Hikers walking along a trail.
PUBLIC LANDS IN PUBLIC HANDS Hikers use a trail in Washington’s Cascade Range that was protected by TNC’s Great Western Checkerboards Project. © Benjamin Drummond

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