Author Archives: The Nature Conservancy

By Monica Thornton, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia Atlanta is known the world over as the “City in the Forest” thanks to our iconic tree canopy which covers nearly 50% of the city, higher than any other city in the country that have conducted Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) assessments. Not only do […]

Today is Endangered Species Day, a day on which hundreds of thousands of people around the world celebrate, learn, and take action to protect threatened and endangered species. Since the founding of this day in 2006, the biodiversity crisis that threatens millions of plant and animal species has only gotten worse, with 44,000 species threatened […]

By Monica Thornton, Executive Director Nature is a precious thing. It encompasses far more than any one of us can hold in our mind at any one time. It’s the trees we drive past on our way to work, the water that comes out of our faucets, the birds that wake us up in the […]

by Michael O’Reilly, Director of Policy and Climate Strategy, The Nature Conservancy Georgia is growing fast.  To meet the energy needs of our expanding population and economy, electric utilities see large solar arrays as a key source for clean, low-cost energy.  Solar energy is a smart choice for sunny Georgia if we do it in […]

Michael O’Reilly, Director of Policy & Climate Strategy, The Nature Conservancy – Georgia Reading the news each day can raise mixed emotions for me, but I always appreciate the frequent stories describing the new jobs being created in Georgia to meet our state’s emerging opportunities. As Governor Brian Kemp has said, “With a focus on […]

By Monica Thornton Recently, I was named the Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, one of the world’s largest conservation organizations. We have been operating in this state for over 50 years and in that time, we have protected more than 400,000 acres of land, safeguarded countless waterways that traverse those lands, and […]

The Nature Conservancy is one of the largest conservation organizations in the world, and we employ many different tools to accomplish our goals. We support the protection of endangered species, we rehabilitate and restore ecosystems, and we search for solutions to mitigate climate change. What may come as a surprise to some, however, is that […]

By Michael O’Reilly, Director of Policy & Climate Strategy, The Nature Conservancy Addressing climate change is mistakenly portrayed by some as a sacrifice that will undermine our economy and reduce our standard of living.  The truth, of course, is that efforts that enhance our use of clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are exactly […]

In May, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) joined together to launch the South River Forest Consensus Building and Stakeholder Engagement process. As the largest untapped natural resource in metro Atlanta surrounded by historically disinvested neighborhoods, protecting and preserving the South River Forest has the potential to change thousands of lives […]

By Deron Davis, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy in Georgia The last year challenged us all to reevaluate our priorities and find new ways of getting things done. That’s certainly true for The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, and I’m amazed at what our teams and partnerships accomplished. Through the creativity of our science-driven staff working in […]

by Nancy Clair Laird McInaney, Board Chair, The Nature Conservancy – Georgia The bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law by the president last week offers an extraordinary opportunity to address critical needs in communities across Georgia and the country.  Its investments in energy, transportation and natural infrastructure will support valuable jobs and economic development.  The […]

Michael O’Reilly, Director of Policy and Climate Strategy, Georgia, The Nature Conservancy Several new reports this summer have painted a sobering view of the challenges we face in combatting climate change.  Coupled with the unprecedented weather events wreaking havoc around the world, the situation can feel overwhelming for many of us.  Yet, amid challenge, there […]

By Sara Gottlieb, Director of Freshwater Science & Strategy, The Nature Conservancy Georgia is home to an incredibly diverse community of aquatic life – we have more species of fish, crayfish, mussels, and salamanders in our rivers than almost anywhere else on the North American continent.  Georgia also has more barriers that prevent fish and […]