Show search ABOUT US Member Care Find Answers to Your Questions Use this page to find answers to common questions about The Nature Conservancy. How may we help you? You can use this page to quickly find answers to common questions about The Nature Conservancy. If you are not able to find the answer, please e-mail member@tnc.org or call our Member Care Center toll-free at (800) 628-6860, Monday–Friday 9am–7pm ET. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address your questions and concerns! About Us CONTACT: How do I contact The Nature Conservancy? The Nature Conservancy's main address is: Worldwide Office The Nature Conservancy 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 Main fax: 703-841-1283 You can also contact our state and country offices. Membership-related questions can be directed to member@tnc.org or by phone to: (800) 628-6860 Questions regarding bequests, stock gifts, and other ways of giving can be directed to our Planned Giving department at: (877) 812-3698 or legacy@tnc.org To contact a Nature Conservancy staff member, please call: (703) 841-5300 Donations can be sent to: The Nature Conservancy Attn: Treasury 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 How do I contact my local chapter of The Nature Conservancy? The Nature Conservancy has chapters in all 50 states, and offices in nearly 30 countries abroad. You can find contact information for each of our offices on our website. You can also visit the individual state and country pages for more information. Whom can I ask about a Nature Conservancy project in my area? You may be able to find information about the project on our site, or contact the chapter office in your area. CAREERS: How do I apply to work for The Nature Conservancy? The Nature Conservancy employs a multi-faceted and talented group of dedicated, hard-working employees who collaborate to achieve our common conservation goals. If you are interested in joining our team, please visit our careers web pages for more information about Nature Conservancy career opportunities and details on how to apply for specific jobs. Do you have any internships available? The Nature Conservancy posts career and internship information online with a link titled "Careers" located at the bottom of each page of our web site. How do I volunteer with The Nature Conservancy? For information on volunteer opportunities in the United States, please visit our Volunteer page. Volunteer projects are not always offered in all areas. If the area in which you would like to volunteer is not listed, contact the office directly to see what opportunities might be available. Volunteer opportunities may or may not be available with our projects in countries abroad; if you are interested in volunteering outside the United States, please contact our office in that region for more information. Can you tell me the status of a Conservancy job I applied for? Please contact the Nature Conservancy staff member listed as the point-of-contact on the original posting for the position. GENERAL: What does The Nature Conservancy do? Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been working in partnership with individuals, local communities, government agencies and private businesses to protect the natural landscapes that harbor the diversity of plant and animal life on Earth. Our methods of protecting land include outright purchase, placement of easements, and partnerships with local agencies and other groups. Learn more about our priorities and how we work. What is The Nature Conservancy's mission and how does it work? The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. How do we achieve this mission? The Nature Conservancy is working to boldly address the biodiversity and climate crises this decade. We must make a lasting difference by 2030 so people and the planet can have a brighter future. TNC has a long history of protecting lands, rivers, lakes and oceans through projects on the ground. We also collaborate with partner organizations in the field and with governments and other influencers to inform policy decisions and direct public funding to further our mission. The list of countries in which we work reflects the diverse ways in which we impact conservation around the world. That’s how The Nature Conservancy has done more than anyone else to advance conservation around the world since our founding in 1951. Where can I find financial information for The Nature Conservancy? The Nature Conservancy's financial information can be found here. This includes past and present annual reports, our charitable solicitation disclosure and other documentation. How is The Nature Conservancy funded? For more information on how The Nature Conservancy is funded and uses its resources, please view our most recent annual report. How do I get a Nature Conservancy calendar? The Nature Conservancy creates a calendar every year and sends them to many of our members and prospective members. They are also available on request from our Member Care Center; just give us a call at 1-800-628-6860 or send us an email. Donations are not required, but please keep in mind that we are a non-profit group and calendar quantities are limited. PHOTO & VIDEO: Can I use a photograph from The Nature Conservancy's web site or magazine? For the most part, The Nature Conservancy does not own the rights to the photography we use in our publications. We have permission to use the photos for specific situations, often for one-time use in our magazine. If you would like permission to use a photo you've seen on our web site or in one of our publications, please contact the photographer directly. Would The Nature Conservancy like to use or purchase my photography? Due to limited resources and an overwhelming level of interest, we are no longer issuing photographer's guidelines and are unable to accept unsolicited photography submissions. This includes Nature Conservancy magazine as well as other Conservancy publications. The only unsolicited materials we can accept are emails featuring a link to your personal web site or online portfolio. Please send such emails to photo@tnc.org, and include a list of any Nature Conservancy areas that you have already photographed. We will review these links on a periodic basis and will contact you if your work matches our project needs. Please do not send unsolicited emails with attachments. Feel free to contact The Nature Conservancy's local, state and country offices in areas where you have photographed and/or may be planning to visit. These individual offices may have photo acquisition needs, contests, products, etc., which may be of interest to you. WHERE WE WORK: Where does The Nature Conservancy work? The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in more than 70 countries and territories on 6 continents. Find our list of countries and regions here. Where can I find out more about the Conservancy's activities in my state? The Conservancy carries out its ambitious conservation mission by working with partners in countries and regions throughout the world. In the U.S., the Conservancy has offices in all 50 states. Please visit our state pages for more information about projects and activities in your state as well as local contact information. You can also contact your local office for more information. Can The Nature Conservancy help with a project in my area? The Nature Conservancy's projects are planned out based on our scientific approach, Conservation By Design. If the project fits into our conservation goals, we will certainly consider it. Whom can I ask about conservation easements? Conservation easements are a valuable tool to help preserve land while retaining use. If you own property and would like to speak with someone about possible options with The Nature Conservancy, please contact your local chapter office. Donate GENERAL: What is The Nature Conservancy's Tax ID Number? The Nature Conservancy's Tax ID Number (Employer Identification Number) is 53-0242652. Can I receive a replacement acknowledgement for a donation I made? We will be happy to send a replacement acknowledgement for your donation. Please contact the Member Care Center by phone at 1-800-628-6860, or email member@tnc.org. Can I direct my donation to a particular area or project? You are always welcome to designate your donation to the area or project of your choice. Simply send us a note with your donation by mail, letting us know where you would like your donation to be used. We will make sure it is allocated to the right project, and send you an acknowledgement to that effect. If you are donating by phone, just tell the Member Care Professional who takes your donation that you would like to earmark it for a particular project. You can also donate online. Please note that donations using that form do not renew memberships, and that allocation is limited to states or countries rather than individual projects. Are donations to The Nature Conservancy tax-deductible? The Nature Conservancy is a 501(c)3 organization, and donations are tax-deductible. The amount of the gift that is eligible for deduction can depend on several factors, including the size and nature of the donation. The Nature Conservancy does not provide legal, tax or accounting advice. You are encouraged to consult your own professional advisors on tax matters. The Nature Conservancy's tax ID number (EIN) is 53-0242652. How do I donate to The Nature Conservancy? There are many ways you can give to The Nature Conservancy. To donate by mail, please send your check or money order, payable to The Nature Conservancy, to: The Nature Conservancy Attn: Treasury 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 (Include a note if you would like the donation to be used for a particular project or chapter.) To donate by phone using your credit card, please call our Member Care Center, toll-free, at (800) 628-6860. You can donate online using our secure online donation form. To contact our Estate Planning team for information on stock gifts, annuities, wills, and other ways of giving, please write to legacy@tnc.org or call (877) 812-3698. How do I donate goods or services to the Conservancy? The Conservancy accepts a variety of non-cash gifts, including goods and services, from its generous supporters. There are three types of contributed goods, including: Tangible personal property gifts. These are gifts that The Nature Conservancy intends to sell (e.g., a piece of jewelry from an estate). In-kind goods. These are goods that the Conservancy intends to use. An example would be a donated truck that could be used at a preserve site or lumber that is used to build a shelter. In-kind services. These are professional services that are donated to the Conservancy, such as pro bono legal services. If you would like to contribute goods or services to the Conservancy, please contact your local office for more information. Why does my return envelope have a Merrifield, VA return address? The Conservancy uses a centralized bank (called a "lockbox") to coordinate the processing of gifts and donations we receive from our members nationwide. This strategy saves costs and increases efficiency, maximizing the amount of the donor's gift that goes towards our vital work; it would be impossible to process all of the mail through our physical headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. While the gifts are entered in one place, the lockbox does not affect where a donor's gift is designated. We always honor a donor's wishes concerning the specific programs or projects he or she would like to support and the lockbox helps facilitate our efforts to carry out our donors' intent. TRIBUTE GIVING: How can I give a gift membership? You can give a gift membership online, by phone, or by mail. To donate by phone, please contact our Member Care Team toll-free at 1 (800) 628-6860. To donate by mail, please write to us at: The Nature Conservancy ATTN: Treasury 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22303-1606 Your friend or loved one will receive our magazine, Nature Conservancy, as well as updates on projects in her area. You will also receive the magazine as a thank-you gift from us. How do I give a gift to someone else? We have several options for gifts that you can give for someone else. Give a Gift Membership: Your friend will receive a full year's membership in The Nature Conservancy, including our award-winning magazine and updates on projects in their area.. Give an Honorary or Memorial gift: You can make a one-time tribute donation in honor of someone special, and we will send an announcement that you have made the gift on their behalf. You can also make an honorary or memorial donation by phone or by mail: The Nature Conservancy Attn: Treasury 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 1 (800) 628-6860 How do I make a gift in memory of someone who has died? To make a gift in memory of someone, you can give online. You can also contact our Member Care Team toll-free at (800) 628-6860, email us, or write to us at: The Nature Conservancy ATTN: Treasury 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22303-1606 Please be sure to include the name and address of the person you wish to notify that this gift has been made. How can I make an honorary donation to The Nature Conservancy? Honorary gifts for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special events can be made online. You can also donate by phone or by mail. We will send your loved one an announcement that you have made the donation. We will need the following information when you make your gift: Your name and information The name and address of your friend If you would like to donate by phone, please call 1-800-628-6860. If you would like to donate by mail, please send a check (payable to The Nature Conservancy), along with a note containing the relevant information, to: The Nature Conservancy Attn: Treasury 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 WORKPLACE GIVING: How can I learn more about giving through my workplace and employer matches for donations? Your employer’s match – or your gift through your workplace – helps save all that nature gives us. Find out more on our Workplace Giving page. If I donate through my workplace, will I receive the magazine? Donations through your workplace do qualify for membership and the magazine, but we often receive lists of donors from employers after we receive the donations. Payroll deduction checks are usually sent to us in lump sums, and we receive the lists of donors later. To ensure your membership is properly credited right away, we suggest that you: Fill out your company's payroll deduction pledge form; Email a copy to workplacegiving@tnc.org, or: Mail us a copy at 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington VA 22203-1606. We can update your membership each year as soon as you've made the pledge. If you have further questions, please email us. GIVING ONLINE: My billing address is correct, so why can't my transaction be processed? Because the Address Verification System is an automated system that relies on the exact match up of address data, records that are entered in different formats can sometimes interfere with credit card processing. For example, some companies do not follow a standard procedure for entering P.O. Box numbers, so online donors with P.O. addresses are more likely to experience problems. If you reverse the format of the address line (e.g., enter in the address 1234 P.O. Box rather than P.O. Box 1234), you may be able to resolve the problem. Donors with international addresses may also run into authentication issues. If you run into difficulties with the online form, the Conservancy's Member Care Team can always process your credit card donation over the phone or by mail. Please call us toll-free at (800) 628-6860 for assistance and more information. THANK YOU GIFTS: Where is my gift item? Gift items are usually shipped at the non-profit rate (third-class). They can take up to six to eight weeks to arrive. If it has been more than eight weeks since your donation was processed, and you still have not received your gift item, please contact the Member Care Center toll-free at 1-800-628-6860 or at member@tnc.org. What can I do if my gift item was damaged, lost or stolen? If your gift was damaged, lost, or stolen before it reached you, just let us know and we will be happy to send a replacement. Contact the Member Care Center by phone at 1-800-628-6860 or email us What can I do if I received the wrong gift item? If you received the wrong gift item as a thank-you for your donation, just let us know and we will be happy to send the correct item. Contact the Member Care Center by phone at 1-800-628-6860 or email us REAL ESTATE: Can I sell or donate my property to The Nature Conservancy? Yes, the Conservancy is pleased to accept two types of land: natural areas that become preserves, and trade lands (lands not meeting our conservation criteria, that are given to us with permission from the donors to sell them to acquire other conservation properties). Both types of land gifts are critically important to the Conservancy's mission. For information about selling or donating a natural area, please contact our local office in the state where the property is located. For information about donating trade lands, please call the Worldwide Office toll-free at (877) 812-3698. In addition to outright donation and protection, there are many options for landowners who want to work with The Nature Conservancy. We recommend you speak with the Conservancy office in your state. RECURRING GIFTS: Can I make regular, automatic donations to The Nature Conservancy? Yes, you can! By joining our Conservation Champions program, you can arrange to have a donation taken each month automatically from your checking account or credit card. The Conservation Champions program accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Your financial information will always be kept confidential. You can make a monthly gift online or call us at 1 (800) 628-6860 to set up the automatic donations over the phone. How do I change the information for my automatic donations? To make a change to your Conservation Champions automatic donations, please call the Member Care Center at 1 (800) 628-6860 or send us the new information by to: Worldwide Office The Nature Conservancy 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 We will need: your name and address the old information for the automatic debits the new information How do I cancel my automatic donations? If you would like to cancel your automatic donations with our Conservation Champions program, please give us a call in the Member Care Center at 1 (800) 628-6860. We will cancel the donations immediately. Can I make automatic donations using my electronic bill-pay service? Yes, you can. By joining our Conservation Champions program, you can have your regular, automated donations applied to our special membership program and receive fewer mailings each year. You will receive a pledge statement at the beginning of each month to help you keep track of how your gifts are helping conservation around the world. Ask your bill-pay service to send your donations to the following address, and include your membership number. Let us know when you start making donations this way and we will be sure to apply the Monthly Giving indicator on your membership record. In addition to checking accounts, the Conservation Champions program accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, and your financial information will always be kept confidential. RENEWALS: Why am I still getting renewal notices after I already donated? Many of our mailings are prepared weeks in advance, and some members receive a renewal notice after they have already sent their donation. If you made your donation within the last six weeks, and received an acknowledgement along with an updated membership card, your membership has been renewed. If you made your donation more than six weeks ago, and have not received an updated membership card, please contact our Member Care Center by phone at 1(800) 628-6860 or by email. Our Member Care Professionals will be happy to research the problem and get back to you promptly. Membership ACCOUNT: How do I change my mailing address? You can change your address by contacting Member Care. Because many of our mailings are prepared in advance, we ask that you allow a few weeks before the change takes full effect. Can you remove me from your mailing list? If you are not a member of The Nature Conservancy, and you are receiving invitations to join, it's likely that another organization has shared your name and address with us. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please call our Member Care Center at 1(800) 628-6860 or email us. We will need the following information in order to make sure you are removed from the list: Your name and address exactly as they appear on the mailing The mailing code, which begins with the letters AHOMQ. (In some cases, that code can help us pinpoint where we received the name.) Please note that because many of our mailings are prepared in advance, it might take some time before the change takes full effect. We appreciate your patience and will do everything we can to expedite the process. Can you remove me from your mailing list? I am a member. If you are a member and would like to cancel your membership with The Nature Conservancy, please call our Member Care Center at 1(800) 628-6860, or email us. Please let us know why you would like to cancel, as it can help us improve the membership experience for our donors. If you would simply like to receive less mail, we will be happy to tailor your membership to your wishes. Your Member Care representative can discuss the options with you. We can also stop the magazine from being sent if you would prefer not to receive it. Just let us know what suits you best, and we will take care of it right away. How can I receive less mail? If you are a member and you would like to receive less mail, we will be happy to tailor your membership to your wishes. Just let us know which works best for you, and we will take care of it right away. You can call our Member Care Center at 1(800) 628-6860, or email us. Can you remove someone else's name from your mailing list? If you would like someone else's name removed from our mailing list, please contact our Member Care Center by phone at 1(800) 628-6860, or email us. We will need the following information: The name and address as they appear on the mailing; Membership number (if applicable); Mailing code (if applicable) that begins with AHOMQ. We will remove the name as quickly as possible, but because many of our mailings are prepared weeks in advance, it could be several weeks before the change takes full effect. How can I stop receiving duplicate mailings? We try to avoid creating duplicate memberships whenever possible, but it happens every now and then. Duplicate memberships can be created for many reasons, including: Donation with change of name Donation with change of address Spouses making donations separately If you are receiving two copies of our mailings (particularly the magazine), please let us know as soon as possible either by phone (800-628-6860) or via email. We can merge your duplicate memberships permanently in our system, resulting in just one record that contains your entire history with The Nature Conservancy. To merge your memberships, we will need the following information: Name(s) Address(es) Membership numbers (if possible) Preferred information (how you would like the membership to be addressed) Because many mailings are prepared several weeks in advance, it may take a few weeks before the update of your membership is fully implemented. In the meantime, consider passing the extra information along to others who might be interested. If you have recently joined The Nature Conservancy but are still receiving invitations, please allow a few weeks for the original list to be updated and your name removed from further invitations. GENERAL: How do I join The Nature Conservancy? You can join The Nature Conservancy by making a donation by mail, by phone, or online. To join by phone: Please call our Member Care Center, toll-free, at 1-800-628-6860 to donate by credit card. To join by mail: Send a check or money order, payable to The Nature Conservancy, to our main address. Include a note letting us know you would like to become a member of The Nature Conservancy. Address: The Nature Conservancy Attn: Treasury 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203-1606 What are the benefits of joining The Nature Conservancy? When you join The Nature Conservancy, your membership will include: our award-winning magazine; a personalized membership card; information on Conservancy projects in your area; an annual Nature Conservancy calendar. We also often offer gift items bearing the Conservancy logo as a thank-you for joining. How can I receive a replacement Membership Card? Members who have lost their membership card can receive another card by simply submitting a request to member@tnc.org, or by calling our toll free number (800) 628-6860. What if I am already a member, but am receiving invitations to join the Conservancy? Although we make every effort to avoid duplications, this cross-checking of potential membership lists is not always fool-proof. Any variation in name or address could prevent us from identifying the duplicate record. If you are a member and receive another invitation to join The Nature Conservancy, please indicate this on the membership application that has your name and address on it and return it in the envelope provided. If you have recently joined the Conservancy, the invitations to join are from the same list to which you first responded; please allow a few weeks for the list to be updated and your name removed from further invitations to join. You can also call the Member Care Center toll-free at 1-800-628-6860, or email us. Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for the corrections to be implemented. When will my membership card arrive? After your donation is received and processed in our system, it can take up to three weeks for your membership card to reach you by mail. If you made your donation more than three weeks ago and have not yet received your membership card, please contact the Member Care Center by phone at 1-800-628-6860. If you are expecting a gift item, please look for it under separate cover from the acknowledgement letter, and allow up to eight weeks for it to arrive. Can I be a member, but not receive the magazine? If you would prefer not to receive The Nature Conservancy's publication, we will be happy to edit your membership to your liking. Please email us with your request, and we will take care of it right away. Please bear in mind that the mailing list for the magazine is printed some time in advance, so it's possible that another issue will arrive after we receive your request. GREAT PLACES: What is Great Places? Great Places is our free online e-newsletter. You don't have to donate to become a member of Great Places, but if you decide to donate after you've joined, your gift will be much appreciated. How do I unsubscribe from Great Places? To no longer receive Great Places, please use the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email from The Nature Conservancy. MONTHLY GIVING: How can I make monthly, automatic donations to The Nature Conservancy? When you pledge to give a specific monthly donation by credit card — in an amount you are comfortable with — you automatically join Conservation Champions, a group of committed supporters making a significant contribution to TNC’s conservation efforts worldwide. You will receive all of the benefits of membership, including our quarterly magazine Nature Conservancy, where you will see first-hand the outcomes of your investment. In addition, you will be a paperless member and won’t receive any renewal mailings from us! Setting up a monthly gift is easy! Use our safe and secure online form to join Conservation Champions today. Call our Member Care team at (800) 628-6860. Why should I donate monthly? Monthly giving to The Nature Conservancy is easy, flexible and the most efficient way for you to give. Learn more about the benfits of this versatile way to give. It's simply the best conservation investment that you can make to support our work to protect our natural world. What are the benefits of making monthly, automatic donations? It's Easy - With one simple sign up, you determine the amoung of your recurring donation. Plus, you’ll receive an annual giving statement which can be used for tax purposes. It's Flexible - You can change or cancel your pledge at any time through our Member Care Center. It's the Most Efficient Way to Give - Monthly credit card gifts are the most cost-effective method of donating, allowing more of your dollars to go to protecting our natural world. Can I change or cancel my monthly donation? Yes, you can make changes to your monthly gift or payment information by calling The Nature Conservancy at (800) 628-6860 or email us at member@tnc.org. For security purposes, please do not email credit card numbers. How will my monthly donations be used? Monthly support from Conservation Champions allows us to tackle the most critical conservation challenges. Conservation Champions enable us to plan for the long term, with both certainty and security about what we can achieve, for now and future generations. I currently donate monthly by check – can I switch to automatic monthly giving? Yes, if you are a current monthly check member and want to switch to a paperless monthly membership, please contact our Member Care Team at (800) 628-6860 and we would be happy to make the changes to your account. You can also fill out the response form attached to your monthly pledge statement and return it in the envelope provided. Be sure to check off the automatic payment box on the front of your statement and fill in your credit card or bank account information on the back. I want to give monthly – can my donation go to a specific state or program? Yes, you can designate your gift to a state or program of your choice. Use this special monthly giving form to designate the state or country program you wish to support. You can also call Member Care at (800) 628-6860 and your pledge will be set up as you request. I have a question about my monthly gift, whom can I contact? If you have any questions about your monthly gift to The Nature Conservancy, please contact our Member Care Team at (800) 628-6860 or member@tnc.org. RENEWAL: How do I renew my membership? It's easy to renew your membership online. Or you can renew by phone by calling the Member Care Team toll-free at (800) 628-6860. Preserves PRESERVES: Whom can I ask about a specific preserve? Please contact the chapter office in the state in which the preserve is located. Where can I see a list of all Nature Conservancy preserves? We have over 400 preserves in the United States alone, which can be found on our chapter websites. What is The Nature Conservancy's position on hunting and fishing? Our primary focus has always been to protect the entire spectrum of native biological diversity. In North America, hunting and fishing are only permitted on a Conservancy preserve in instances where these activities are compatible with achieving the site’s written conservation goals. The most common reason for allowing hunting and/or fishing on Conservancy preserves is to maintain or restore the integrity of sensitive species and biological communities. Another common reason the Conservancy allows hunting and/or fishing on some of our preserves is to respect the practices and cultural traditions of human communities. In some situations, we are motivated to open a preserve to hunting for both reasons: ecological and cultural. We do not permit hunting on those lands we own and manage where hunting may generate collateral threats, or detract from our ability to achieve our conservation goals. For more information, please refer to this Conservancy fact sheet on hunting and fishing in North America. If you would like to know whether hunting or fishing is allowed on a particular preserve, please contact the chapter office in the state in which the preserve is located. Does The Nature Conservancy allow managed hunting? In many places, managed hunting is a critical tool to reduce wildlife game populations that have grown beyond the habitat’s ability to support them. Managed hunting is a carefully regulated action implemented to protect the ecological integrity of sensitive species and biological communities. At many of our sites, populations of non-native animals like feral hogs and of native animals like white-tailed deer can grow well beyond the ability of the natural communities to withstand their effects. In those situations, we may employ carefully managed hunting as a tool to reduce populations in order to reduce the damage that they cause, allowing natural communities to recover their full vigor and diversity. To take one example, white-tailed deer have increased dramatically across North America in recent decades. Multiple factors have led to larger deer herds including land use changes (e.g., increased suburbanization), a concerted effort by state wildlife agencies to increase recreational hunting opportunities, declining numbers of hunters with limited access to hunting lands and a decline in natural predators. Deer are a natural, native component of our ecosystems. But with unchecked growth in deer populations, many areas are over-run with deer, causing well-documented negative impacts on habitats. Chronic overbrowsing greatly reduces the diversity of forest plants, stunts growth and leads to failures in tree reproduction. Further, deer can play a role in the spread and proliferation of invasive plants and are linked to the decline of some bird populations. The effects of excessive deer browsing on habitats can last decades, impacting not only today’s forests but also future forests. Elevated deer populations also have consequences for public safety (e.g., traffic accidents), human health (e.g. Lyme disease) and the deer themselves (e.g., spread of diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease). Managed hunting on our preserves helps reduce these impacts, allowing natural communities to recover their vigor and diversity. Practices vary across the Conservancy from state to state and country to country. In all cases, managed hunts on Conservancy lands are conducted to meet the dual goals of healthy habitats and wildlife populations. VISITING A PRESERVE: What should I bring when I visit a Nature Conservancy preserve? To get the most from your trip, and to protect yourself from the elements, you may want to include the following items in your backpack: Binoculars Camera Compass Field guides (to wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other natural features) Insect repellant Rain gear Snack (fruit or trail mix) Sunscreen Extra water When are Nature Conservancy preserves open? Visitation options for specific preserves vary. Please see the preserve page for more information about the specific property or contact the local office for details. Are any activities prohibited on Nature Conservancy preserves? The following activities are not generally permitted on Conservancy preserves: Biking and mountain biking Caving Driving an ATV or off-road vehicle Cooking or camp fires Trapping animals Horseback riding Ice Skating Bringing Pets (even on a leash, with the exception of service animals) Picking flowers, berries, nuts or mushrooms Removing any part of the natural landscape (shells, rocks, etc.) Rock or ice climbing Please do not trespass on private property adjacent to Conservancy preserves. Property lines are usually marked with small yellow signs featuring the Conservancy's logo. Websites CONTENT: Will The Nature Conservancy add a link on nature.org to my web site? While The Nature Conservancy values relationships with all of its constituents, The Nature Conservancy does not link to web sites other than those of our formal partners. PRIVACY, LEGAL DISCLOSURE AND TERMS OF USE: Does The Nature Conservancy exchange membership records with other organizations? Yes, occasionally we exchange names with other like-minded organizations. This allows us to attract new members in support of our global conservation efforts and to welcome these supporters to the Conservancy. If you prefer not to have your name exchanged, we will certainly honor your request. Just let us know by calling the Member Care Team (800) 628-6860 or by emailing us. For more information, you can also view our Privacy Policy. Where can I learn more about The Nature Conservancy's privacy statement? The Nature Conservancy's privacy statement is linked to every page on our website. To opt-out from sharing your membership information with third-party organizations, please email member@tnc.org. Note: The Nature Conservancy never shares your e-mail address with outside organizations How does The Nature Conservancy protect my online privacy on nature.org? This web site, nature.org, is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy. Our intention is to provide an informative tool for those interested in conservation and as a means of allowing our members and the public to become more involved in our mission. We recognize that visitors to our web site may be concerned about the information that they provide to us and how we treat that information. The Nature Conservancy is committed to honoring our constituents' privacy preferences. To this end, the Conservancy supports the following principles: Consumer Choice We believe that a visitor to our web site is the one to best determine: When—and under what conditions—to provide "personally identifiable information" (e.g., data that may be used to identify, contact, or locate a person) When such information may be shared with other organizations When to remain anonymous Informed Consent When personally identifiable information is collected, we believe that a visitor to our web site has the right to: Know when we are collecting personal information Know what personal information is collected, and the purpose of any such collection Expect the opportunity to choose whether or not personal information will be provided to any third parties Expect reasonable steps to be taken to protect personal information from unauthorized use Review the accuracy of personal information and update it Is my information secure at nature.org? All sensitive information (such as your credit card information) provided to The Nature Conservancy or our trusted partner, Convio, is transmitted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. SSL is a proven coding system that lets your browser automatically encrypt, or scramble, data before you send it to us. We also protect account information by placing it on a secure portion of our web site that is only accessible by certain qualified employees of The Nature Conservancy. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can ever be 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information to the fullest extent, we cannot ensure or completely guarantee the security of such information. The VeriSign Secured Seal The globally recognized VeriSign Secured Seal (at right) allows you to learn more about the web sites that you visit before you submit any confidential information. The Nature Conservancy’s and Convio’s investment in this advanced technology ensures that the web page you are visiting is authentic, secure, and that any data or information you submit will be protected by 128-bit SSL encryption. Whenever you see the VeriSign Secured Seal on our web sites, you can personally verify that the web page in question is both secure and administered directly by The Nature Conservancy or Convio. You may submit personally identifiable information and/or sensitive data (such as credit card numbers) to the web site with the assurance that: The web site has a VeriSign Secure Server ID VeriSign has verified the organizational name and that The Nature Conservancy and/or Convio have the proof of right to use it The web site legitimately runs under the auspices of The Nature Conservancy and/or Convio All information sent to the web site, if in an SSL session, is encrypted, protecting against disclosure to third parties Learn more about the VeriSign Secured Seal Program. Your Credit Card Information When you enter your credit card information into a form field on https://support.nature.org or https://adoptanacre.org, your credit card information is encrypted and transmitted securely to The Nature Conservancy or Convio. Neither The Nature Conservancy nor Convio store your credit card information on a permanent basis; your credit card information is only used for the duration of the transaction and is then deleted from our records. We take the utmost precaution to keep your credit card information safe and secure. But if you are uncomfortable submitting your credit card information online, you can also contribute to The Nature Conservancy by printing out the online form and mailing it to: Attn: Member Care Team The Nature Conservancy 4245 N. Fairfax Drive Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203 USA You can also call our Member Care Team between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., EST at (800) 628-6860. Does The Nature Conservancy use cookies? Cookies are small files sent from a web server to your computer through your browser program. There are two types of cookies: non-persistent and persistent cookies. A non-persistent cookie enables a web site to temporarily keep information on your computer as you travel from one page to another on our web site. This cookie is automatically deleted from your machine when you close your browser. Because these cookies are necessary to provide some functions, failure to allow such cookies may make some of the functions on our web site unavailable to you. A persistent cookie is kept even when you close your browser. You can manually delete these cookies using commands specific to your browser and computer system. These cookies store information that would generally not change from session to session. They also contain information that would need to be reentered by you each time you visit the web site. For example, a common use of persistent cookies is to allow a registered web site visitor to enter the web site without having to specify their username and password. Our Use of Cookies The Nature Conservancy and Convio use cookies for various reasons. The Nature Conservancy and Convio only read information from the specific cookies that are written by our web sites. The Nature Conservancy and Convio do not use cookies to obtain information about other web sites that you may have visited. Cookies may be used to store some history about the parts of our web sites that you have visited to help you navigate our web sites more easily or to alert you to related pages on our web site that may interest you. Where can I find the legal disclosure and terms of use for nature.org? The legal disclosure and terms of use for The Nature Conservancy's website, nature.org can be found here. 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