Why I Give

Lynn McBride

Share your inspiration to support conservation, and it could be featured on our my.nature.org blog to inspire others.

You have already stepped forward to support conservation efforts at home and around the globe, now share your inspiration to help inspire others to do the same.

Why do you donate to the Conservancy? Why do you support conservation efforts at home and abroad? Who inspired you to make your first gift, and how do you inspire others?

Share "Why I Give" through the comments below:

Comments from the Community

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Submitted by Jean G. Cochran November 20, 2009	I have been a member of The Nature Conservancy since it started - when the yearly membership donation was $10.00! I have always been excited by the way The Conservancy buys up sensitive acreage in our name and cares for it and preserves it.
Submitted by Bill Sullivan November 17, 2009	Tough economic times dictate prudent consideration as to which environmental entity deserves financial support. The Nature Conservancy - IMHO - offers the most intelligent approach to conservation. The best "Bang for the Buck" for us folks who love nature and the astounding beauty of the earth.
Submitted by Glenn November 16, 2009	People tend to forget that the earth existed for billions of years before humanity, and hopefully will be here long after we're gone. The earth doesn't belong to us; we belong to the earth.
Submitted by Greg October 29, 2009	Because life is always better when you spend some time outside.
Submitted by Evan Parker October 29, 2009	I give because I've visted many of the spectacular places the Conservancy is working to protect, and I want my daughter to be able to visit them too.
Submitted by Tricia Knoll October 29, 2009	I'm retired. I used to give regularly to Nature Conservancy through the annual giving campaign. Now it's a bit harder ... My income is reduced. So many people are hungry in Oregon. But I believe that conserving natural resources for the future is vital to having a future. Recently I saw two bald eagles on driftwood on Nehalem Bay State Park beaches...that land was protected as a park many, many years ago... In 20 years of walking that beach, I have never seen eagles on the beaches there...and would never expect to on the beaches where houses encroach on the dune grass; people drive on the beach because it is allowed; and set off fireworks... Bless the land and our resources.
Submitted by Irene Jackson October 29, 2009	I support the message of the Nature Conservancy to conserve the environment and to protect what we cherish and hold dear. I am especially proud to be a member of such an organization that can achieve such great things! While my daughter is working for Oregon's Fish and Wildlife Department one of her positions was in Asotin Washington. She was tagging fish. We went and visited her there and was in Hells Canyon. This is amazing country! We were humbled and loved it's beauty! We saw lots of various wildlife and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of our surroundings. It was a very memorable vacation. I read about that the Nature Conservancy had purchased 27 parcels of private land located primarily in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. I was very proud to be a part of the following story by supporting the Nature Conservancy having just visited the area! "The 27 land parcels, totaling 6,673 acres, are private inholdings surrounded by National Forest, concentrated mainly along seven miles of the Imnaha River and six miles of tributary creeks. â'oeThese properties are the gateways to hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands,â' said Phil Shephard, formerly regional program director for the Conservancy. â'oeThis purchase will consolidate ownership, enabling the Forest Service to control weeds, manage fire and provide access more effectively on public lands. It also prevents these properties from being divided into multiple ownerships and developed.â'We worked hard to listen to community leaders and took their interests and concerns into account as we shaped this land purchase over many months,â' Shephard added. He recently left the Conservancy to take the helm of a local land trust in his home state of Alaska. The Conservancy will work cooperatively with the Forest Service to manage the properties during the ownership transition. Management will include biological surveys and weed control efforts. The Conservancy will also continue leasing the lands to current grazing permittees. â'oeThe Conservancy purchase is very important to many species of fish and wildlife,â' said Vic Coggins, Wallowa District biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. â'oeAll of the parcels are within conservation opportunity areas identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy. Fourteen key fish and wildlife species, including Oregonâ'TMs largest Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep herd, occupy this area.â' The streams and their floodplains on the 27 parcels provide habitat for Snake River steelhead, Snake River chinook salmon and bull trout, all federally listed as threatened species. They also harbor rare plants and at-risk bird species including the yellow breasted chat, mountain quail, Lewisâ'TM woodpecker and willow flycatcher. The Conservancyâ'TMs purchase price of $7.39 million was determined by an independent appraisal in conformity to federal standards. With the properties on the market, the Forest Service asked the Conservancy to purchase and hold the lands until the agency could obtain the needed funding. The Conservancy will not profit from the sale to the Forest Service. The Conservancy will raise other funds to help cover property taxes, loan interest, closing costs and land management activities. A grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to support protection for ecologically important lands identified in state conservation plans is helping to make possible the land transfer. The Pacific Northwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service proposes to acquire the properties from the Conservancy using funds dedicated to land purchases. Public ownership would ensure public access for fishing, hunting and hiking on lands previously closed to the public." This is one of the Many reasons I support the Nature Conservancy! Sincerely, Irene Jackson