This Earth Month, Invest in Our Planet

We are lucky to live on this beautiful blue and green planet where nature provides clean drinking water, inspiring landscapes, healthy foods, wildlife habitat for countless species and even the air we breathe. The list of incredible benefits provided by nature goes on and on. But today, we are facing some of the biggest environmental threats of our time—from climate change, habitat loss, poor land use practices and much more—all of which threaten the well-being of people, wildlife and ecosystems around the world.

That is why this year’s Earth Day theme, Invest in Our Planet, is so important. There has never been a more important time for people to come together and protect nature’s future. The issues are large and complex, but The Conservation Fund continues to find balanced environmental and economic solutions for both people and the planet. This work would not be possible without people across the country who care about nature and support our work. We are thankful for the thousands of backers who have stepped in and invested in nature with us!

And who better to hear from this month than our dedicated supporters? We asked a few members of our donor community about what sparked their love of nature and why they feel urgency to protect our planet. We hope you enjoy reading their answers and can take some time this Earth Month to reflect on the importance of nature in your own life.

What sparked your love of nature?

 

Christina: I have loved nature since I was a kid roaming the woods and playing in the dirt at the end of our dead-end street in rural Pennsylvania. But my first backpacking trip in the Linville Gorge Wilderness area in North Carolina sealed the deal.

 

Jose: I grew up in a city where the largest natural area was a county park set along a bay across from a shipping port. As a child, my father would take me and my sister to this park weekly. It was a chance to walk among tree-lined pathways and sit by the water, watching birds and other animals. It was the closest I was able to get to being surrounded by nature until I became an adult. There was a quiet I enjoyed in observing nature; I continued to pursue this quiet as I got older.

Pam: I grew up outside of Boston in Reading, Massachusetts. As kids, we would go exploring in the woods and open fields all day. There was a freedom and sense that anything was possible. Every summer, we used to visit Lake Winnipesaukee, and to this day, it is my favorite place. It takes me back to those freeing childhood memories.

 

 

Do you feel an urgency right now to protect our planet?

 

Christina: There is evidence of climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss all around us, so the urgency feels very real. I have had the absolute privilege of working in both the Antarctic and Arctic regions and nowhere have I felt the urgency more keenly.

 

Jose: I feel we should be stewards and not consumers of nature. I’m concerned that our “use now, worry later” approach to our planet will cause change and damage we will be unable to undo.

 

 

Pam: I often have dreams in which I go back to Lake Winnipesaukee and all the land around it has been developed and the scenic beauty is gone. In real life, I have seen our small town, where I raised my children, go from endless farms to large housing developments. I want a future in which generations to come can enjoy the same memories that I cherish.

 

 

What compels you to give to The Conservation Fund?

 

Christina: I first found The Conservation Fund while doing research on Charity Navigator. Of the many worthy environmental causes, I was impressed with The Conservation Fund’s transparency and even more so the expense ratio. I have received cool swag from other great causes, but at the end of the day I would prefer the funding go towards the cause.

 

Jose: Many conservation organizations lack the wherewithal to raise needed funds, when all they really want to do is focus on their core conservation mission. The Fund steps in and provides that bridge funding and financial know-how to help conservation projects succeed. By donating to the Fund, I can support a broad range of conservation projects rather than having to pick just one.

 

Pam: Preserving land in my own community has always been a passion, and supporting The Conservation Fund aligns with my values of protecting our environment across the country. I am proud to support this cause both personally and through my company’s corporate giving.