conservation

Colorado farmer Marc Arnusch turned down solar leases on 2,700 acres; instead he chose a conservation easement to protect the family farm, then faced an IRS audit

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Colorado farmer Marc Arnusch turned down solar leases on 2,700 acres; instead he chose a conservation easement to protect the family farm, then faced an IRS audit

Colorado farmer Marc Arnusch had a straightforward choice: accept millions of dollars from solar companies seeking to lease 2,700 acres of his family’s farmland, or keep the property in agriculture for the next generation. He chose the farm. Now, after spending nearly $1 million documenting a conservation easement, he is facing an IRS audit over … Read more

In the 1940s, Seabiscuit retired to a California ranch; decades later its redwoods, oak woodlands and wetlands became a conservation priority

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In the 1940s, Seabiscuit retired to a California ranch; decades later its redwoods, oak woodlands and wetlands became a conservation priority

​George Woolf on Seabiscuit (Image: Wikipedia) For years, Ridgewood Ranch in Mendocino County, California, was known primarily as the place where Seabiscuit, one of America’s most famous racehorses, spent his retirement. After a remarkable racing career, the champion arrived at the ranch in 1940, where he lived until his death in 1947. But the property’s … Read more

In 1995, Clint Eastwood sold a large California property for $3.08 million; the land was placed under permanent conservation protection instead of being developed

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In 1995, Clint Eastwood sold a large California property for $3.08 million; the land was placed under permanent conservation protection instead of being developed

In 1995, actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood sold roughly 280 acres of his California coastal property to Monterey County for $3.08 million, helping ensure that a large stretch of scenic land would remain undeveloped. The property, associated with Eastwood’s long-held Malpaso holdings near Carmel Highlands, was divided into five parcels and was acquired by the … Read more

In 2024, Martin County voters approved a half-cent sales tax for conservation; two years later more than 2,000 acres are protected and eight more properties are being pursued

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In 2024, Martin County voters approved a half-cent sales tax for conservation; two years later more than 2,000 acres are protected and eight more properties are being pursued

In 2024, voters in Martin County, Florida, approved a half-cent sales tax dedicated to conservation, betting that a small, broad-based levy could protect the natural landscapes that define their communities. Just two years later, that decision is already reshaping the county’s map. More than 2,000 acres of wetlands, forests and wildlife habitat have been permanently … Read more

In 1976, Michigan created a conservation fund from oil, gas and mineral revenues; 50 years later it has awarded nearly $1.4 billion and is putting $6.5 million toward almost 22,650 Keweenaw acres

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In 1976, Michigan created a conservation fund from oil, gas and mineral revenues; 50 years later it has awarded nearly $1.4 billion and is putting $6.5 million toward almost 22,650 Keweenaw acres

One of the biggest allocations is for the Keweenaw Peninsula (Photo: Michael George via The Nature Conservancy) Michigan has awarded nearly $1.4 billion for land protection and recreation projects across the state. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund that was created in 1976, is also marking 50 years of a conservation fund that has used … Read more

A 9-year-old girl in the Philippines raised money to help one of the world’s rarest birds; the child became an unlikely conservation campaigner

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A 9-year-old girl in the Philippines raised money to help one of the world's rarest birds; the child became an unlikely conservation campaigner

Cebu flowerpecker. Image Credit: Joseph Smit/Wikipedia A nine-year-old girl named Gail Lim from Cebu City in Philippines has turned her love for wildlife into a meaningful conservation campaign, raising 20,000 Philippine pesos for the critically endangered ‘Cebu flowerpecker.’ She became interested in the tiny bird after learning that it is found only in Cebu and … Read more

In 2006, Joel Sartore began photographing one animal at a time; 18,000 species later, his Photo Ark has become a global conservation movement fighting to save wildlife from extinction

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In 2006, Joel Sartore began photographing one animal at a time; 18,000 species later, his Photo Ark has become a global conservation movement fighting to save wildlife from extinction

Joel Sartore started the project with a simple but powerful idea: to photograph animals one species at a time, creating a visual record before they are gone. (Image: Instagram/joelsartore) In a world where species can disappear before most people even know they exist, photographer Joel Sartore has spent two decades making sure wildlife is seen. … Read more

In 1944, a Vermont woman used money meant for a fur coat to buy a 150-acre farm; 20 years later she gave it to Audubon for wildlife conservation

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In 1944, a Vermont woman used money meant for a fur coat to buy a 150-acre farm; 20 years later she gave it to Audubon for wildlife conservation

Representative Image of a 150-acre Vermont landscape where a historic dairy farm has become a thriving nature preserve (AI-generated image) In 1944, Christine Hires, a member of the family behind Hires Root Beer, was vacationing in Vermont when she fell in love with the landscape and decided to buy a 150-acre dairy farm in what … Read more

How 280,000 volunteer-planted trees transformed New Zealand’s Tiritiri Matangi from a degraded island into a conservation sanctuary

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How 280,000 volunteer-planted trees transformed New Zealand's Tiritiri Matangi from a degraded island into a conservation sanctuary

Rangitoto framed – Tiritiri Matangi Island Off the coast of Auckland, in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf, lies an island that looks like a slice of untouched wilderness. Dense native forest blankets its hills, rare birds call from the canopy and visitors walk along quiet tracks surrounded by ferns and flowering shrubs. Yet just a few … Read more

Australian family bought a remote island to run a sheep farm, now they are turning it into a $4.8 million conservation sanctuary for endangered wildlife

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Australian family bought a remote island to run a sheep farm, now they are turning it into a $4.8 million conservation sanctuary for endangered wildlife

An Australian family who once built their life around sheep farming on a remote island are now helping give the same place a completely different future. Peter and Pamela Woolford took over Flinders Island off South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and raised their family there while running a Merino sheep station. Nearly five decades later, the … Read more