Member Highlight Video - The Nature Conservancy
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A short bike ride down the street brought USEE staff to the Utah Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. The Utah Nature Conservancy works with landowners, communities, and public agencies to conserve over a million acres of public and private land in Utah, and over 100 million acres worldwide. Founded in 1951, The Conservancy’s first project in Utah began 1984, with the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, which is still a vibrant nature area and is now used for education programs. As we have seen in our previous member highlights, Utah is home to unique ecosystems and a variety of rare plants and animals. In our state, the Nature Conservancy protects areas in the Northern Wasatch Mountains, the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and Southern Utah Canyon Country.
At the Nature Conservancy’s Utah Field Office on South Temple, we had the pleasure of talking with Heidi Nedreberg, marketing and outreach manager, who explained to us the scientific and non-confrontational way The Nature Conservancy goes about conservation. “We respect property rights, don’t do litigation, we pay taxes where we own land, and overall we try to be part of the community.” Using scientific studies to identify biodiversity hotspots and crucial or endangered ecosystems, The Conservancy tries to be as efficient as possible with its programs. And with over a half decade of experience, the Conservancy understands the importance of a diverse team of employees to carry out their multifaceted and complex work. The Utah field office hires publishers, journalists, researchers, and people with many other specialties to make their projects come together smoothly. Additionally, they work closely with environmental scientists all over the world to ensure they get the most conservation out of every dollar spent.
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to “preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters that they need to survive”. Previously the focus of The Conservancy was to buy land and devote it to nature preserves, but recently they have diversified into a greater focus on education programs, as well as working with governmental agencies to conserve public land. Here in Utah, The Conservancy runs the Wings and Water Wetlands Education Program at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve. This program educates students on the importance of wetland ecosystems, geared to meet the state core curriculum science standards, and hopes to provide a positive nature experience for Utah 4th graders.






