An aerial view of the Holmes River, British Columbia, Canada.
British Columbia An aerial view of the Holmes River, British Columbia, Canada. © Shane Kalyn

Our Priorities

Protect Land and Water

Globally, only 5 percent of the natural lands at high risk of development are protected. Demands on land and water continue to increase, so we must do more, faster.

The Nature Conservancy has led the way in saving iconic landscapes on Earth. We have helped to protect more than 119 million acres (about 48 million hectares) of land, to conserve thousands of river miles & to develop more than 100 marine projects. Building from our past & working with governments, corporations, other partners & you, we can protect more nature between today & 2025 than we have in our history.

Key Strategies to Protect Land and Water

Kermode Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia.
Great Bear Rainforest Sixty percent of the world’s wildlife was lost in the last 45 years. TNC protects treasured landscapes in British Columbia so iconic wildlife can thrive. © James Picardi
in The Nature Conservancy's Great Western Checkerboards Project, Montana.
Think Big TNC enables large-scale land conservation; for example, we helped protect more than half a million acres in Montana where wildlife present during Lewis and Clark’s expedition © Steven Gnam for the Nature Conservancy
Tortugas National Park Coral Restoration
Ocean Protection Coral reefs make up about only one tenth of 1% of the ocean floor but provide habitat for over a third of all marine species. © Carlton Ward Jr.
Seychelles is protecting its vast marine resources
Develop Practical Solutions With TNC’s help, Seychelles has committed to designating nearly one-third of its territorial waters—an area larger than Germany—into marine protected areas by 2020. © Jason Houston
Mohamed is able to fish in the high seas because of a cooler he received for being a part of the OceanWORKS program. This allows him to catch larger fish.
Community-Led Conservation TNC partners with indigenous peoples and local communities to protect nature in ways that reinforce cultural connections to land and water. © Mwangi Kirubi
Volunteer Al McKegg collects eelgrass shoots in South Bay, Eastern Shore, Virginia.
Protect Oceans TNC is working to increase ocean resilience, a global asset - the goods & services it provides contribute at least U.S.$1.5 trillion to the global economy each year. © Alex Novak
× Kermode Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia.
× in The Nature Conservancy's Great Western Checkerboards Project, Montana.
× Tortugas National Park Coral Restoration
× Seychelles is protecting its vast marine resources
× Mohamed is able to fish in the high seas because of a cooler he received for being a part of the OceanWORKS program. This allows him to catch larger fish.
× Volunteer Al McKegg collects eelgrass shoots in South Bay, Eastern Shore, Virginia.

Safeguarding diverse places is the core of TNC’s legacy. Increasing land and water conservation is key to helping address the world’s environmental challenges.

Kacky Andrews

Global Managing Director, Protect Land & Water Priority
A lone mangrove tree silhouetted against the pastel colors of an evening sky interru the horizon on the inner reef near the village of Utwe on Kosrae island, Micronesia.
Mangrove at sunset A lone mangrove tree silhouetted against the pastel colors of an evening sky interru the horizon on the inner reef near the village of Utwe on Kosrae island, Micronesia. © Nick Hall
Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, a critical juncture between Northern and Southern California

Feature

Protecting a Place like no Other

TNC recently purchased eight miles of Southern California coastline—24,000 acres of culturally and ecologically significant land that harbors scores of rare species.

Read about this big win
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Photo Contest 2018 Caption: Campers in the top crater of Mt. Herdubreid, Iceland. Photo Credit: © Sigtryggur Johannsson/TNC Photo Contest 2018 Photographer’s Statement: "Setting up camp." Camping in top crater of Mt. Herdubreid in Iceland. Taken in summer 2017 on a climb up this unique mountain. The presence of the tent is meant to illustrate the accessibility of remote locations with modern, light-weight hiking equipment.
Setting up camp Photo Contest 2018 Caption: Campers in the top crater of Mt. Herdubreid, Iceland. Photo Credit: © Sigtryggur Johannsson/TNC Photo Contest 2018 Photographer’s Statement: "Setting up camp." Camping in top crater of Mt. Herdubreid in Iceland. Taken in summer 2017 on a climb up this unique mountain. The presence of the tent is meant to illustrate the accessibility of remote locations with modern, light-weight hiking equipment. © © Sigtryggur Johannsson

Protecting Land and Water

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Lobster fishermen collect live lobsters in Ascencion Bay off the coast of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Blog

Insurance for Reef Restoration

An insurance-for-nature approach is helping Mexico restore reefs that provide protection from storms and a critical attraction for tourists.

By Mark Tercek

Salmonsdam Nature Reserve

Blog

A Better Path for Energy Development

African leaders must create strategies that propel economic growth while conserving natural capital and biodiversity.

By Lynn Scarlett | May, 2018

A Kermode bear or "Spirit Bear"

Feature

Nature’s First Defenders

TNC’s partnerships with indigenous peoples and local communities have led to the improved management or conservation of 235 million acres.

Fisherman on the Magdalena River

Magazine Feature

Saving Great Rivers

We look at entire systems—from mountain headwaters to coastal deltas—to find solutions for ecologically and economically significant rivers.

By Lisa Bramen | Jul, 2017

Discover our other priorities and find ways you can help transform the future of the world.

In addition to protecting land and water, The Nature Conservancy is listening to science to address today’s most pressing challenges.