Kayaking in Houston, Texas. Photo by JP in Texas/Flickr
A vibrant community has a healthy environment and a healthy economy. That’s why we work toward both goals, by helping communities strategically plan development, train leaders in conservation, and sustainably use natural resources. Here are some of our efforts:
Conservationists in Los Angeles County, California, are converting abandoned lots, empty street medians and other neglected spots into pockets of green that ultimately will connect 62 cities in an “emerald necklace” of parks and trails from the San Gabriel Forest… Read More
When we helped complete Nashville’s first Open Space Plan in 2011, we identified the scenic and historic 600-acre Stones River Farm property in Tennessee as a top conservation priority. Recently, Nashville’s Metro Parks System asked us to act on that priority,… Read More
Greater Houston is America’s sixth-largest metroplex—and growing. In less than 30 years, the Houston-Galveston area is expected to gain 3.5 million people, bringing the area population to nearly 10 million. Now is the time for officials, planners, builders and other… Read More
Like many American cities, fast-growing Nashville needs green strategy. Obesity-related conditions cost area residents an estimated $255 million annually. There are too few places for people to easily access the outdoors, with only about 3% of Davidson County in metro… Read More
We’re helping to implement the Ann Arbor Greenbelt Initiative, a far-reaching project designed to protect and link city parks, natural areas and working farms throughout the city, while curbing the growth and effects of sprawl. For a relatively small city,… Read More
From New York to Virginia, more than 40 major rivers link land and people to the Chesapeake Bay. How the land in the watershed is treated and cared for profoundly affects the bay’s overall health. With a land-to-water ratio higher… Read More
Located in DeKalb County, just 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta, Arabia Mountain is widely valued for its granite outcrops, abundant wildflowers and quiet streams. The conservation of lands at Arabia Mountain is part of a larger effort to save green… Read More
Hoke Community Forest, the first community forest in the Southeastern United States, serves as an innovative model for communities struggling to balance conservation and economic goals. The 532-acre property, located north of the county seat Raeford and about a mile… Read More
Known as “The Valley Beautiful,” this rural Appalachian community is prime for development, but it is also home to great natural beauty—making decisions about land use difficult. While helping to conserve one popular destination, Rocky Fork, our Conservation Leadership Network® (CLN) provided training… Read More
The Conservation Fund has deep roots in east Texas, where we’ve worked to protect roughly 33,000 acres of Big Thicket National Preserve, celebrate and preserve the Neches River, and plan for growth in and around Lufkin. To blend the best… Read More
San Diego is known for its miles of coastline and beautiful beaches. But there is more to this coastal ecosystem than just sand and surf: other landscapes, such as coastal sage brush and forest habitat, also are critical to maintaining the… Read More
Over the past 25 years, the community of New Suffolk in Southampton, New York, has rallied to protect the coastal hamlet’s historic waterfront from encroaching residential and commercial development. Today, the property that has been described as the village’s “living… Read More
Our conservation efforts in and around Chicago, from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie to wetlands restoration, keeps growing. Chicago Wilderness recently asked us to help update and refine its 2004 green infrastructure plan. We’re working on a revised vision that links woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, streams and… Read More
Waterloo Recreation Area in Michigan is a little-known treasure. About a one-hour drive from Ann Arbor, this 20,000-acre park is the largest in the lower peninsula and shares a 36-mile hiking trail with the Pinckney State Recreation Area. Yet there wasn’t… Read More
In October 2010, the Fund’s Conservation Leadership Network brought together local business leaders, elected officials and public land managers for a three-day workshop to discuss changes that are coming to West Virginia’s New River Gorge region. As the new host… Read More
Access to the outdoors is a health and quality of life issue for all Americans, but especially those living in or near urban areas. Our work with the city of Brentwood in Tennessee is a great example of how our… Read More
Keeping with the Fund’s goal to save favorite outdoor places, we helped the City of Maplewood acquire 70 acres around the Fish Creek Open Space Area, increasing it by 50 percent. The Fish Creek Natural Area Greenway stretches from the… Read More
For more than a century, the YMCA of Duluth has offered summer resident camps and outdoor, environmental education opportunities for more than 2,000 youth at Camp Miller. In 2011, we helped the Y permanently protect nearly 300 acres at Camp Miller,… Read More
In North Carolina, our Resourceful Communities Program creates opportunities that preserve the rural landscape, lift people out of poverty and celebrate the state’s unique culture. Working with a network of over 250 grassroots and community organizations across the state, our approach focuses on environmental stewardship, sustainable economic development and social justice.
Our Natural Capital Investment Fund provides flexible financing to small and emerging natural resource-based businesses in rural, economically distressed communities in central Appalachian and Southeastern states. NCIF loans help companies create lasting job opportunities based on uniquely local natural and cultural resources.