April 4, 2024 |The Conservation Fund

Your Earth Day Impact Will Ripple Across Our Country

With the help of donors like you, every day is Earth Day at The Conservation Fund. We do our part to protect mother nature by conserving the lands that sustain us. The community and land conservation projects we complete make ripples of positive change on environments and communities across the nation. Consider the impacts of safeguarding wetland marshes that protect wildlife while also creating a buffer against storms and flooding.

Sabine Ranch in Texas. Photo by Shannon Tompkins.

Think of the benefits of protecting working forests, which maintain the trees that are a natural defense against climate change while also allowing for more public access to hiking trails while also boosting the local economy.

Pelican River Forest in Wisconsin. Photo by Jay Brittain.

And securing farmland provides more food security for metropolitan regions while creating new opportunities for the next generation of farmers.

Many Fold Farm in Georgia. Photo by Addison Hill.

When we collectively step up to protect these lands, good things happen around them.

As we celebrate these positive impacts during Earth Day, we are also reminded of all the work yet to be done. Every 30 seconds, a football field worth of America’s natural areas disappears to roads, houses and other development. This Earth Day, we invite you to join our growing community of supporters who drive our conservation efforts forward. More than 4,000 people donated to The Conservation Fund in 2023 — let’s hear from a few of them about why they believe in our brand of smart, sustainable conservation.


What constitutes your perfect day enjoying nature?

Kevin from Florida: A perfect day would be without any clock or computers and hiking in areas like forests, near a lake or the beach, and seeing wildlife of all kinds. Visiting Yellowstone National Park, which I did in 2020, was a life goal; now I’m bucket-listing for more!

George from Virginia: The perfect day enjoying the outdoors begins at a trailhead in Shenandoah National Park with my running friends. We run up and along the ridges and finish with a cool soak in a creek. On the way back home in Northern Virginia, I meet my family at a winery or brewery with good drinks and great views.


What about the natural world most inspires your gratitude?

George & Tomi from Tennessee: We especially appreciate that, if not ruined by humankind, its natural systems will cleanse the water, replenish the air, and dispense the sun’s energy so that we have seasons and a climate we can depend on.

George from Virginia: I’m most grateful to nature for being a sanctuary from the hustle-and-bustle of my daily life. It reminds me of what is most important in life. In return, I seek to understand how it exists and what it needs to thrive.


What matters most to you about protecting forests?

Deb from Illinois: Woodlands provide critical habitat for precious species of flora and fauna, including wildflowers like shooting stars and columbine, viburnum and hazelnut shrubs, bats, pileated woodpeckers, flycatchers and wood ducks just to name a few.

George & Tomi from Tennessee: Forests are a major convertor of carbon dioxide into oxygen; removing CO2 from the atmosphere makes them a major player in fighting climate change. We chose to support The Conservation Fund because of their work protecting forests and restoring woodlands to some of our favorite places.


What compels you to give to The Conservation Fund?

Deb from Illinois: I can make a positive difference throughout the entire 50 states by supporting The Conservation Fund, and I will continue to do so. From wetlands in Wisconsin, caves in South Dakota, to a ranch in Hawaii — the list of the Fund’s projects that benefit habitat and humans in the United States is just about endless because, as their mission states, they create innovative conservation solutions.

Kevin from Florida: I’m amazed by the scope and efforts of the Fund, the energy and focus of the teams (both local and national), and I’m honored to support in my small way. I have an especially deep desire and pride for “going all in on the home team” of Florida, and to be responsible to do my part.

Written by

The Conservation Fund

The Conservation Fund protects the land that sustains us all. We are in the business of conservation, creating innovative solutions that drive nature-based action in all 50 states for climate protection, vibrant communities and sustainable economies. We apply effective strategies, efficient financing approaches, and enduring government, community and private partnerships to protect millions of acres of America’s natural land, cultural sites, recreation areas and working forests and farms.