How the Nature Conservancy Operates

Key Insights

We've all experienced the joy of watching birds soaring across the sky, heading to warmer regions. Did you know that out of the 9,700 bird species worldwide, nearly half—around 4,500—nest in the Americas? Additionally, 25 percent of these birds are threatened due to the destruction of their habitats?

It's not just wildlife that's at risk: our cherished beaches, prairies, and cool forests are also under threat. What can we do to help preserve these unique natural places from the dangers—both natural and human-made—that they face?

The Nature Conservancy believes that action can indeed be taken, and this global nonprofit is directly addressing these challenges. Since its founding in 1951, it and its supporters (over 1 million today) have safeguarded 11 million acres of ecologically vital land in the U.S. and more than 60 million acres across Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. The Conservancy, a beloved cause of the late philanthropist and environmentalist Doris Duke, currently oversees 1,340 preserves, which constitute the world's largest network of private nature sanctuaries.

In this edition of How Stuff Works, we will explore how this organization, which mainly relies on private donations, functions by highlighting specific projects from the North Carolina Chapter of the Conservancy. (For deeper insights, don’t forget to check out How Philanthropy Works.)

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to "protect animals, plants, and natural communities that embody Earth's biodiversity by safeguarding the lands and waters they rely on." William Stolzenburg, science editor for The Nature Conservancy Magazine, explains the approach as follows: "Conservation efforts have expanded from saving isolated habitats of rare species to preserving entire ecosystems. The new focus of the Conservancy’s targets is now defined not by political boundaries or borders, but by natural regions of climate, geology, fire and flood, and their associated plant and animal life."

A group of concerned citizens, as often happens, came together to form what would become a major charitable foundation. In 1951, members of the Ecological Society of America united to spearhead private initiatives aimed at halting the destruction of natural spaces and safeguarding habitats for endangered and rare species. According to historians of the Conservancy, the organization was always guided by the most reliable scientific data available to achieve its objectives—a principle that continues to shape its work today.

In 1954, the Conservancy acquired its first nature preserve: 60 acres of land along the Mianus River Gorge in Westchester County, New York. Donations from members and supporters, along with loans and life-insurance policies, helped fund the acquisition. This innovative approach was groundbreaking at the time, and it set a precedent for how the Conservancy finances its projects to this day.

During the early 1970s, the Conservancy began conducting biological surveys on a state-by-state basis. It later expanded these efforts to include data collection in Latin America, Canada, and the Caribbean. This information proved to be indispensable, aiding the Conservancy in setting conservation priorities and directing funding to key projects.

In the 1970s, state chapters were established, and the International Program was launched in 1982. Today, the Pacific program, based in Hawaii, is focused on protecting threatened areas in Indonesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Additionally, in Latin America, the Conservancy has built partnerships with over 40 organizations across more than 20 countries to provide crucial services—ranging from community development to professional training and long-term funding—for areas that are legally protected but severely underfunded.

After focusing on land acquisition and preserve establishment for many years, the Conservancy's approach began to shift in the late 1980s. Rather than concentrating solely on purchasing individual critical sites, the organization began to prioritize larger landscapes and ecosystems. It also sought more extensive collaborations with both private and public landowners, as well as local communities. The group's ambitions expanded geographically, and its efforts became increasingly dependent on grassroots initiatives to support restoration and preservation efforts.

Conservancy projects often focus on the most ecologically critical natural areas. The State Natural Heritage Inventory Programs, typically run by state agencies, highlight a state's unique natural features and their locations. These inventories provide scientific data that assess the "relative rarity" of various species, as well as plant and aquatic areas, and also evaluate the level of protection these resources currently have, if any.

Once species are identified and categorized, the Conservancy prioritizes areas that host endangered or critically threatened species for targeted conservation efforts or as designated preserves.

How Nature Conservancy Projects are Paid For

Officials within the Conservancy often describe their approach as "nonconfrontational, market-based economic solutions." This means they engage solely with willing sellers and donors—often those who have deep personal connections to the land—and fund their efforts through gifts, exchanges, conservation easements, management agreements, purchases from the Conservancy's revolving Land Preservation Fund, debt-for-nature swaps, and management partnerships.

Nearly 50% of the Conservancy's funding comes from individual donations, while the remaining funds come from bequests, foundations, and corporate gifts. The organization allocates 86% of its donations to conservation efforts. Experts recommend that at least 60% of a charity's funds be directed towards its mission, rather than administrative expenses. The Nature Conservancy was the only conservation organization listed in Money magazine's 1996 '10 Most Efficient Nonprofits' list.

The Conservancy's volunteers and land management staff oversee the preserves, utilizing restoration methods such as reforestation and prescribed burning. Many of these preserves are accessible to the public for educational purposes and certain recreational activities, including hiking, birdwatching, and photography. To check if the preserves in your state are open, contact your local Conservancy office.

How the North Carolina Chapter Operates

To gain a better understanding of the conservation projects, let's take a closer look at the efforts of the North Carolina Chapter of the Conservancy. According to communications director Ida Lynch, the state's diverse landscapes range from misty spruce-fir forests on rugged mountaintops to wind-swept barrier islands. The state's 500-mile span includes a wide variety of habitats, including:

Lynch notes that North Carolina's natural areas face significant threats from human activities like development and pollution. A 1995 report by Defenders of Wildlife highlighted several of the state's habitats as being among the most endangered in the nation. These include the southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, longleaf pine forests and savannas, as well as eastern grasslands and coastal ecosystems.

The destruction of habitats, air pollution, and fire suppression have contributed to the extinction of some of North Carolina's most colorful birds, including the Carolina parakeet, passenger pigeon, and ivory-billed woodpecker. Other species, such as the gray wolf, woodland bison, and elk, have been eliminated from the state but still survive in other areas.

Despite these challenges, Lynch emphasizes that North Carolina has numerous conservation success stories to celebrate. Some of these include:

Recently, the Conservancy assisted the State of North Carolina in acquiring the 17,734-acre Buckridge Coastal Reserve and 9,750 acres of the Jocassee Gorges.

A North Carolina Nature Preserve

The North Carolina Chapter, under the leadership of executive director Katherine Skinner, relies entirely on dues from its 26,000 members, foundation grants, and tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations for its support.

The N.C. Chapter collaborates with the state-backed N.C. Natural Heritage Program (part of the Division of State Parks) to identify and catalog unique natural areas and habitats. The chapter prioritizes conservation efforts based on the data provided by the Heritage Program.

Lynch explained that the work of the Conservancy generally falls into two main categories: preserves and projects. Most Conservancy-managed preserves are accessible only through a year-round, guided field trip program, which is advertised in the membership publication, North Carolina Afield. These trips are typically led by volunteers, so the schedule varies seasonally. Some preserves allow for independent visits. For example, Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve and Grandfather Mountain are open to visitors and feature self-guided trails and visitor centers. Visitors can also explore the Black River and Roanoke River swamps on their own by boat.

North Carolina's largest preserve is the Green Swamp Preserve, a 15,907-acre site located in Brunswick County. Shortly after the N.C. chapter was established in 1977, the Federal Paper Board Co. donated 13,850 acres of the Green Swamp, a National Natural Landmark (NNL), to the Conservancy. The company donated an additional 2,577 acres in the late 1980s, and the Conservancy later purchased more land.

Experts consider the Green Swamp Preserve to be home to some of the finest examples of longleaf pine savannas in the country. These open savannas are significant for their rich herb layer, which includes many species of orchids and insect-eating plants. However, nearly 13,000 acres of the preserve consist of dense evergreen shrub bogs, or pocosins, dominated by gallberry, titi trees, and sweetbay magnolias.

The Green Swamp is home to at least 14 species of insectivorous plants, including large populations of Venus flytraps, sundews, and four types of pitcher plants. The life cycles of many of the plants in the preserve are linked to fire. For instance, pond pine cones burst open and release seeds when exposed to intense heat. Longleaf pine seeds require bare ground and full sunlight to germinate and grow, which are traits of plants that evolved in environments with frequent fires, often ignited by lightning. This is why the controlled reintroduction of fire through prescribed burning is crucial. The roots of grasses, orchids, and insectivorous plants are protected from the most intense fires.

Among the rare animals that inhabit the Green Swamp Preserve are the American alligator, fox squirrel, Henslow's sparrow, Bachman's sparrow, and Hessel's hairstreak butterfly. The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, named for the tiny red spot behind the male's eye, is one of the rarest species found in the swamp.

Interestingly, this bird prefers to nest in old-growth longleaf pines affected by red heart disease. Researchers believe the woodpecker is drawn to these trees because their cores have softened, allowing the bird to drill a nesting cavity. The nesting tree is easy to identify due to the shiny, sticky resin surrounding the cavity, which helps protect the eggs and young birds from predators. It takes the woodpeckers anywhere from one to five years to complete their nest, and they return to the same tree as long as sap continues to flow around the opening. "Since they are so selective about their homes, protecting their habitat is essential for their survival," Lynch explained.

Conservancy staff from the Wilmington office oversee the management of conservation efforts at the preserve. These efforts include installing nest boxes for red-cockaded woodpeckers, performing prescribed burns, and restoring pine plantations to longleaf pine savannas. This work is supported by the estates of Harry Patrick Gold and Erma Green Gold. For directions to the preserve, visit the N.C. chapter’s website.

A North Carolina Conservation Initiative

Nature Conservancy projects involve areas that the Conservancy acquires and later transfers to state or federal agencies, such as the State of North Carolina, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service. Most Conservancy projects in North Carolina are managed as parks, game lands, and wildlife refuges, according to Lynch.

A significant project of the Conservancy in North Carolina focuses on safeguarding natural areas along a 137-mile stretch of the Roanoke River, which spans Bertie, Halifax, Martin, Northampton, and Washington counties. Inventory data reveals that the lower Roanoke River floodplain is one of the five primary brownwater ecosystems in the Southeast and hosts the largest, undisturbed bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem in the mid-Atlantic. Within this floodplain, you can find:

Lynch notes that the floodplain hosts a diverse array of bottomland forest types. The middle section of the river is dominated by alluvial forests and large back swamps, while the lower section features expansive bald cypress and water tupelo swamp forests.

The Roanoke swamp forests and bottomlands are home to numerous species, including black bears, river otters, white-tailed deer, and bobcats. The floodplain is also inhabited by 214 bird species, including a substantial wood duck population, the federally listed threatened bald eagle, and 44 species of neotropical migratory birds, such as the scarlet tanager.

The project has seen support from both private and public organizations. In 1981, Union Camp Corp. donated 176 acres to The Nature Conservancy, creating the Camassia Slopes Preserve. Later, in 1989, the Conservancy acquired 10,626 acres in Bertie and Martin counties from Georgia-Pacific Corp. to establish the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge and expand the state-owned Roanoke River Wetlands.

In 1994, The Timber Co. and the Conservancy reached an agreement to jointly oversee and protect 21,000 acres along the Roanoke River. The Conservancy, collaborating with local partners such as the Bertie and Martin County Commissioners, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the N.C. Wildlife Federation, has been instrumental in safeguarding 51,000 acres within the river's floodplain, as noted by Lynch.

Today, this riverfront region is a sought-after destination for recreational activities like fishing, bird watching, canoeing, and kayaking. The Conservancy, in partnership with several local universities and both private and public conservation organizations, has helped establish a canoeing and camping trail. (For details on upcoming field trips, reach out to Roanoke River Partners at 252-794-2793.)

Getting Involved in the Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Chapter

4011 University Drive, Suite 201

Durham, NC 27707

Phone: (919) 403-8558

Fax: (919) 403-0379

The Nature Conservancy, Global Headquarters

4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100

Arlington, VA 22203-1606

Phone: (703) 841-5300

Find your state office here.

At the state level, you can join by donating $25 and become a member (this includes subscriptions to The Nature Conservancy Magazine and the state newsletter, North Carolina Afield). To become a Carolina Conservator, donate at least $100 annually (this includes publications and access to an exclusive annual field trip). For a Conservation Partner membership, donate $1,000 or more (this includes publications, special field trips, and events). Membership also grants you access to the chapter newsletter, Afield, which shares updates on land protection and field trips, as well as The National Conservancy Magazine.

Visit The Nature Conservancy's national website for membership details and other opportunities. One unique donation opportunity is the Adopt An Acre Program, which allows you to adopt one or more acres to help fund the purchase and management of rainforests.

If you're passionate about environmental or ecological concerns, or simply want to contribute to maintaining a vibrant and healthy community, volunteering could be a great option. Like many nonprofit organizations, The Nature Conservancy welcomes the support of volunteers. Reach out to a local Conservancy office to learn about opportunities and see how you can help in your state.