The Nature Conservancy

Description

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to protect land, water and wildlife.

It was founded in the United States in 1951 and is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It grew out of an earlier scholarly body, the Ecological Society of America, before taking its current name.

Its mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. It works through science, land purchases, partnerships with governments, businesses and Indigenous communities, and impact investing. It runs a dedicated investment unit that channels private capital into conservation projects such as debt-for-nature swaps.

The organization operates in more than 70 countries and territories and in every US state, either directly or through partner organizations. It employs over a thousand scientists and has more than a million members worldwide. It has protected more than 125 million acres of land over its history and runs more than 100 marine conservation projects.

It also runs tree-planting programs, such as an effort to plant a billion trees in forests around the world, and publishes a magazine for its members.