The Nature Conservancy
A global environmental nonprofit that protects biodiversity, ecosystems, watersheds, forests, oceans, and the communities that depend on them.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a United States-based environmental nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Its work combines land protection, ecological science, habitat restoration, conservation finance, policy engagement, and partnerships with governments, Indigenous peoples, local communities, companies, and other civil-society organizations. Rather than operating as a conventional consumer brand, TNC functions as a global conservation institution whose principal offerings are projects, scientific tools, conservation transactions, policy programs, and opportunities for individuals and organizations to fund environmental outcomes. The organization traces its intellectual roots to the Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915. Ecologists led by Victor Shelford created a committee concerned with preserving natural areas for scientific study. During the 1930s and 1940s, members including Shelford and Aldo Leopold increasingly argued that ecological organizations should advocate for conservation as well as conduct research. After the committee was dissolved, Shelford and associates formed the Ecologists' Union in 1946. That organization later adopted the name The Nature Conservancy, and TNC was incorporated as a U.S. nonprofit on October 22, 1951. During its early decades, TNC concentrated heavily on acquiring land or arranging ownership and easements to prevent development. Under Patrick Noonan, who led the organization from 1973 to 1980, it expanded fundraising, land acquisition, and decentralized state programs. A major strategic shift began in 1970 when TNC hired Robert E. Jenkins Jr. as its first staff scientist. With Noonan's support, Jenkins helped develop systematic state inventories of rare species, ecological communities, and their locations. These inventories became the foundation of the Natural Heritage Network and strengthened TNC's reputation for science-based prioritization. TNC's conservation portfolio now spans terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine environments. It has worked in North America, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. In the United States, notable initiatives have included protection of forests and watersheds in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, Montana, Washington, New York, and other states. International work has included forest conservation in Mexico's Calakmul region, rainforest restoration in Brazil, marine conservation in the Seychelles, and projects supporting Indigenous leadership and sustainable economic development through the Canadian affiliate Nature United. The organization also develops financial mechanisms intended to make conservation durable at large scale. NatureVest, an impact-investing unit established in 2014 with founding sponsorship from JPMorgan Chase, was created to mobilize private capital for measurable conservation results. Its best-known early transaction was a Seychelles debt-for-nature restructuring that helped finance a major expansion of marine protected areas. TNC has also used conservation easements, public-private land transactions, carbon and forest finance, watershed programs, and large restoration campaigns. TNC reports more than one million members globally as of 2021 and more than 119 million acres of land protected over its history. It has described itself as the largest environmental nonprofit in the Americas by assets and revenue, although such comparisons depend on the accounting period and organizations included. Its public-facing work includes the Plant a Billion Trees campaign, scientific publications and data platforms, conservation planning, advocacy, and the Nature Conservancy magazine. The organization's partnerships with major corporations and resource-sector companies have generated both funding and criticism. Supporters argue that engagement can redirect business practices and capital toward conservation. Critics have questioned TNC's relationships with fossil-fuel, mining, timber, chemical, agricultural, and financial companies, as well as its participation in carbon-credit markets and forest-based climate strategies. TNC has also faced scrutiny over land transactions and governance practices, leading to reforms after a 2003 investigative series, and over an internal sexual-harassment investigation that preceded several senior departures in 2019. Despite these controversies, TNC remains an active, internationally operating conservation organization with a hybrid model that combines direct protection of places, scientific analysis, institutional partnerships, and environmental finance.
History
The Nature Conservancy emerged from a debate within American ecology over whether scientific societies should limit themselves to research or actively defend natural areas. The Ecological Society of America created a Committee on Preservation of Natural Areas for Ecological Study in 1915. Victor Shelford led the committee, whose initial objective was to identify places suitable for long-term ecological research. By the 1930s, Shelford, Aldo Leopold, and other associates increasingly embraced direct conservation advocacy. The committee was dissolved in 1946, after which Shelford and colleagues organized the Ecologists' Union. The group eventually adopted the name The Nature Conservancy and was incorporated in the United States on October 22, 1951. For much of its early history, TNC pursued conservation primarily through land purchase and related ownership arrangements. It expanded by building state programs and acquiring ecologically important properties, but its early approach placed less emphasis on standardized scientific assessment. Patrick Noonan's presidency from 1973 to 1980 brought aggressive fundraising, major acquisitions, and a more decentralized operating structure. A scientific reorientation began in 1970, when TNC hired Robert E. Jenkins Jr. as its first staff scientist. With Noonan's backing, Jenkins worked with state governments to inventory rare species, natural communities, and the locations where they occurred. These inventories later developed into the Natural Heritage Network, providing a shared information base for identifying conservation priorities. This shift helped TNC move from simply protecting available parcels to selecting places according to biodiversity significance and landscape function. TNC subsequently expanded beyond conventional land trusts. Its programs came to include freshwater protection, forest and watershed conservation, marine protected areas, habitat restoration, climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, conservation policy, and partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities. In North America, projects included the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, New York forests, Washington's Cascade Range, Montana's Blackfoot River Valley, and conservation landscapes in Mexico's Calakmul region. Its Canadian affiliate, Nature United, was established as a Canadian charity in 2014 after decades of conservation activity and has supported work in the Great Bear Rainforest, Clayoquot Sound, the Northwest Territories, and northern Manitoba. TNC also developed mechanisms for financing conservation at national and international scale. NatureVest, launched in 2014 with support from JPMorgan Chase, was intended to source impact capital for projects with measurable environmental outcomes. In 2015, NatureVest helped arrange a Seychelles debt-for-nature transaction involving the Seychelles government, creditor nations, private philanthropic support, and other partners. The arrangement helped expand marine protected waters from less than one percent to more than thirty percent of the country's marine area, according to descriptions of the project. The Plant a Billion Trees campaign, launched in 2008, broadened TNC's public fundraising and restoration profile. It targeted forests in countries including Brazil, China, Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, and the United States. The Brazil component focused on restoring native Atlantic Forest trees across heavily deforested landscapes. TNC has presented forest restoration as a biodiversity, watershed, and climate intervention. Growth and corporate engagement also brought scrutiny. A 2003 Washington Post investigation questioned land transactions, executive compensation, governance, and arrangements involving supporters and trustees. TNC suspended several practices and commissioned an independent review, whose 2004 report recommended extensive ethical and governance reforms. Later criticism focused on TNC's relationships with fossil-fuel and other resource companies, oil and gas interests on conservation-controlled land, corporate sponsorship, carbon credits, and forest-management policy. In 2019, an internal sexual-harassment investigation led to multiple senior departures and a temporary leadership transition. TNC remains active internationally, combining place-based conservation with science, finance, advocacy, and public engagement.
- 2019
Leadership transition after harassment investigation
[1]Several senior officials departed, and Sally Jewell was selected as interim CEO.
- 2015
Seychelles debt-for-nature transaction completed
[1]The transaction supported a substantial increase in Seychelles marine protection.
- 2015
Additional Washington and Montana forest transaction
[1]TNC acquired 165,073 acres of forests, rivers, and wildlife habitat in Washington and Montana.
- 2014
NatureVest established
[1]TNC created an impact-investing unit focused on conservation finance.
- 2014
Nature United founded in Canada
[1]The Canadian affiliate was established as a charity, building on TNC's prior Canadian conservation work.
- 2008
Plant a Billion Trees launched
[1]The campaign began supporting large-scale tree planting and forest restoration in priority landscapes worldwide.
- 2008
Mark Tercek became chief executive
[1]Tercek began a CEO tenure that continued until 2019.
- 2007
Major New York forest acquisition
[1]TNC completed a 161,000-acre New York forest purchase described as its largest acquisition in the state at that time.
- 2003
Land-deal investigation prompted governance review
[1]Investigative reporting raised questions about land sales, compensation, and governance practices.
- 1973
Patrick Noonan began presidency
[1]Noonan expanded fundraising, land acquisition, and decentralized state conservation programs.
Products and positioning
Science-based, large-scale conservation organization that combines direct protection of land and water with restoration, policy, Indigenous and community partnerships, and innovative environmental finance.
Conservation program · 1951
Land and habitat conservation
TNC protects ecologically important landscapes through purchases, conservation easements, negotiated agreements, partnerships with public agencies, and support for local stewardship. Its projects have included forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, coastal areas, and wildlife habitat. The organization increasingly links individual properties into larger landscape-scale conservation systems rather than treating each parcel as an isolated preserve.
Scientific information service · 1970
Natural Heritage Network
The Natural Heritage Network grew from state-by-state inventories developed with TNC support after the organization hired Robert E. Jenkins Jr. The network records rare species, ecological communities, and documented occurrences, helping governments and conservation groups prioritize sites and assess biodiversity. It represents the organization's transition toward systematic, data-informed conservation planning.
Conservation finance · 2014
NatureVest
NatureVest is TNC's impact-investing platform, created to design and place financial products intended to produce measurable conservation benefits. Its work has included debt restructuring, private-capital mobilization, and other mechanisms intended to connect environmental outcomes with investable finance. The Seychelles debt-for-nature transaction is its most prominent example in the supplied reference material.
Forest restoration campaign · 2008
Plant a Billion Trees
Plant a Billion Trees is a global forest-restoration campaign focused on planting trees in landscapes facing substantial ecological need. Activities have been described in Brazil, China, Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, and the United States. The program links tree planting with habitat restoration, watershed protection, biodiversity recovery, and climate mitigation.
Canadian affiliate · 2014
Nature United
Nature United is TNC's Canadian affiliate. It supports conservation and sustainable-development initiatives with particular attention to Indigenous leadership and large landscapes, including the Great Bear Rainforest, Clayoquot Sound, the Northwest Territories, and northern Manitoba. It operates as a Canadian charity with headquarters in Toronto and field staff across the country.
Publication
The Nature Conservancy magazine
The Nature Conservancy publishes a member- and public-facing magazine covering conservation projects, ecosystems, wildlife, science, and environmental issues. The reference material describes it as a six-issue-per-year publication.
Controversies
2022
Open letter challenged logging and wood-product positions
A group of 158 environmental, conservation, and social-justice organizations accused TNC of being too supportive of logging interests and wood products as climate solutions. The criticism focused on TNC's participation in the Forest Climate Working Group alongside timber and wood-product companies.
2020
Carbon-credit integrity criticism
Bloomberg reporting questioned whether some corporate purchasers of TNC carbon credits were financing protection of forests that were not actually at sufficient risk of deforestation. The issue contributed to wider debate over additionality and verification in forest-carbon markets.
2019
Sexual-harassment investigation and executive departures
An internal investigation into sexual-harassment allegations became public after President Brian McPeek resigned. Two other senior executives were dismissed, CEO Mark Tercek announced his resignation, and additional leadership changes followed before Sally Jewell became interim CEO.
2016
Criticism of fossil-fuel and corporate relationships
Critics, including Naomi Klein, questioned TNC's relationships with fossil-fuel companies and its receipt of revenue connected with an oil well on conservation-controlled land. TNC said contractual obligations associated with an older lease limited its options and acknowledged that the arrangement was regrettable.
2010
Criticism over BP relationship after Gulf oil spill
Supporters criticized TNC for not severing ties with BP after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The dispute reflected broader concerns about whether corporate partnerships could compromise the organization's environmental independence.
2003
Land transactions and governance controversy
A Washington Post investigation alleged that TNC had sold ecologically important properties with development restrictions to trustees or supporters at discounted prices, creating potential tax benefits and raising questions about governance, compensation, and conflicts of interest. TNC disputed aspects of the reporting, suspended several practices, and commissioned an independent review.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Amazon rainforest restoration partnership
Brazil
TNC partnered with Amazon on an initiative intended to compensate local farmers for restoring and protecting rainforest in Pará.
Outcome. The partnership connected private-sector funding with local restoration and forest-protection activity.
- 2015Seychelles marine conservation debt swap
Seychelles
TNC and NatureVest helped arrange a debt-for-nature transaction involving the Seychelles government, creditor nations, philanthropic funding, and conservation partners. The transaction supported expanded marine spatial protection and related ocean planning.
Outcome. Marine protected waters increased from less than one percent to more than thirty percent according to the reference material.
- 2008Plant a Billion Trees
Brazil · China · Colombia · Guatemala · Kenya · Tanzania · Mexico · United States
A global tree-planting and forest-restoration initiative targeting landscapes where restoration can support biodiversity, watershed health, and climate objectives. The Brazil effort has focused on restoring native Atlantic Forest trees across heavily deforested areas.
Outcome. The campaign has operated across multiple countries and was linked to broader international tree-planting efforts.
Brand decisions
2015
Use of debt restructuring for marine conservationStrategyBackground
Seychelles needed a mechanism to expand marine protection while addressing sovereign debt constraints.
Action taken
TNC organized a debt-for-nature transaction with government, creditor, philanthropic, and financial partners.
Aftermath
The arrangement supported protection of more than thirty percent of Seychelles' marine waters, according to the reference material.
2014
Creation of NatureVestStrategyBackground
TNC sought to supplement philanthropy and public funding with private capital for conservation outcomes.
Action taken
It created NatureVest as an impact-investing unit with founding sponsorship from JPMorgan Chase.
Aftermath
NatureVest became involved in the Seychelles debt-for-nature transaction and other conservation-finance work.
Stated target for impact-investment capital. At least $1 billion targeted over three years (2014 launch plan)
2008
Expansion into large-scale forest restorationStrategyBackground
Forest loss threatened biodiversity, watersheds, and climate stability in multiple regions.
Action taken
TNC launched Plant a Billion Trees to support restoration in priority forests across several countries.
Aftermath
The campaign became one of TNC's best-known public-facing restoration programs.
2004
Governance reforms after independent reviewStrategyBackground
The 2003 investigation raised concerns about land transactions, corporate logo licensing, resource extraction, employee loans, and nonprofit governance.
Action taken
TNC suspended or restricted several practices and commissioned an independent review that recommended broad ethical and governance reforms.
Aftermath
The review was presented as a foundation for stronger nonprofit accountability standards.
1970
Shift toward science-based biodiversity prioritizationStrategyBackground
TNC's earlier growth centered heavily on acquiring land, while systematic ecological research was comparatively limited.
Action taken
The organization hired its first staff scientist, Robert E. Jenkins Jr., and began developing state inventories of rare species and natural communities.
Aftermath
The inventories evolved into the Natural Heritage Network and influenced TNC's data-driven conservation model.
Recent events
Reported
Amazon and The Nature Conservancy launch restoration accelerator[3]
Amazon launched the Agroforestry and Restoration Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. The programme is set to initially support 3,000 farmers in Pará, Brazil, and restore approximately 20,000 hectares within three years.
Reported
SHEBA launches Hope Reef restoration initiative[4]
SHEBA launched the Hope Reef restoration initiative off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, with a stated target of restoring more than 185,000 square meters of reefs worldwide by 2029.
Reported
Asarasi partners with The Nature Conservancy[5]
Asarasi Sparkling Tree Water announced a partnership with The Nature Conservancy and pledged $100,000 over two years to support reforestation through the Plant A Billion Trees campaign and protection of the Colorado River Basin.
Reported
IBM collaborates with three organizations on sustainability education resources[6]
IBM announced a collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and World Wide Fund for Nature to launch a Sustainability Teacher Resources Channel on Open P-TECH.
Reported
Mary Kay expands global partnership with The Nature Conservancy[7]
Mary Kay announced that it had expanded its partnership with The Nature Conservancy to support waterways and native species around the world, with conservation programs described across multiple countries and regions.
Sources8 sources
- 1The Nature Conservancyen.wikipedia.org
- 2The Nature Conservancy official websitenature.org
- 3亚马逊与大自然保护协会推出生态修复加速计划edie.net
- 4SHEBA推出Hope Reef珊瑚礁修复计划prnasia.com
- 5Asarasi与大自然保护协会建立合作prnewswire.com
- 6IBM与三家组织合作推出可持续发展教育资源prnewswire.com
- 7Mary Kay 扩大全球合作伙伴关系ottawasun.com
- 8Mary Kay Inc. expands partnership with The Nature Conservancy to protect waterways across the globeen.antaranews.com
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