We cannot live without nature.

We cannot live without changing nature.

But we can determine the scale of our impact.

FROM MINNESOTA’S cool, sheltering forests and abundant, flowing waters to the Great Plains’ grasslands that fringe the western edge of the state and sweep across North Dakota and South Dakota, we are blessed with a natural bounty—one that defines, enriches and sustains us.

But we have reached a critical point of action. Conservation efforts have been unable to keep pace with the rate of change, development and destruction of our natural resources. We are losing ground.

Now is the time to preserve what remains, to restore what we can. Now is the time to act.

Right: Jud Dayton © Chris Anderson/TNC Far Right: Red Fox © Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr.

Cover: Burrowing Owl in South Dakota’s Conata Basin © Michael Forsberg

“I hope future generations say, ‘Thank goodness

they did something while they still could.’ If ever

there were a time to make nature a top priority,

now is the time to put nature first.”

JUD DAYTONCivic leader & Chair of the Nature Now Campaign

Before the tipping point—the moment when balance is lost

and crisis prevails—comes the critical point of action. It is

the time when forceful resolve can avert crisis and achieve a

positive outcome.

Now is the time to act.

MAKING A DIFFERENCEProtecting places. Reducing threats. Securing the future. NEARLY HALF A MILLION ACRES in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota and 130 million acres around the world speak to The Nature Conservancy’s ability to achieve its mission—protecting ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

The Nature Conservancy makes a difference because we have:

Experience The Nature Conservancy’s strength lies in almost 60 years of applying strong science and innovative strategies. We develop priorities and act decisively to achieve results that are tangible, lasting and extend across landscapes large enough to have a positive and measurable impact.

Expertise Conservancy staff work on the ground and in communities around the world, implementing strategies developed by our 700 scientists and forging partnerships for broader results.

A Bold Vision Over a 10-year period our chapter aims to double the amount of conservation achieved in our first 50 years.

An Immediate Plan We have a focused and measurable plan to protect the grasslands, forests and fresh water critical to the Earth and to the people of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Grasslands clean our waters, abate floods and safeguard threatened species. Yet they are the first habitat to be plowed up or developed due to the belief that grasslands have little value.

We see a better option.

Forests function as the ecological, economical and recreational backbone of Minnesota. But more than 1 million acres are at risk of being subdivided, sold and developed.

We offer a solution.

MArY BrAINErD CEO of Health Partners and Nature Conservancy supporter

Right: Mary Brainerd © Chris Anderson/TNC Above: Nerstrand-Big Woods © Harold E. Malde

Minnesota’s fresh water is legendary for its purity and abundance. However, current water quality analysis shows 40 percent of tested rivers and lakes fail to meet standards for drinking, swimming and fishing.

We have a plan.

Scientists agree that the Earth’s climate is changing rapidly. The effects of climate change threaten our quality of life and the ecological health of the Earth.

We must act.

“Preserving our natural world

is a priority for us. The Nature

Conservancy’s plan fits with my

belief that we need to take

action now so that our children

and grandchildren can

experience the diversity of the natural world around us.”

GRASSLANDS The most threatened. The least protected. On Earth.GRASSLANDS ARE CRUCIAL for wildlife and human life, yet they are the most threatened of all terrestrial habitats. Little remains of the Great Plains’ grasslands and conversion is escalating. Ninety percent of North American grasslands have been plowed, paved or altered, but in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, we have one of the best opportunities to preserve what remains.

Our Grasslands: Full of Possibility The Nature Conservancy is working to create new economic worth in grasslands. Projects are underway to demonstrate their potential as the centerpiece of a new grass-based economy, using diverse native plants for clean, renewable bio-energy.

VisionAs part of our goal to restore and protect more than 1,000 square miles of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota grasslands, we are developing an economic incentive to keep what remains and restore some of what has been lost.

ValueGrasslands are essential, not only to the astonishing diversity of wildlife and prairie plants they sustain, but to drinking water supplies, flood abatement efforts and the way of life for ranchers, farmers and communities.

DAVID TILMAN, PH.D.Renowned ecologist & Conservancy Board Member

Near Right: David Tilman, Ph.D. © Kyle Johnson/Courtesy of The University of Minnesota

Second From Right: The Conservancy’s Seven Sisters Prairie © Nathan Lovas Photography

Far Right: The Conservancy’s Moe Woods © Coldsnap/Mark Lissick

Above Right Inset: Tettegouche State Park © Pete Harris

“Millions of acres of retired farmland is mainly

planted with just a few

grass species. But if planted

with diverse native prairie,

the land could become a major source of renewable energy.”

FORESTS Facing a Divided Future.BEYOND THEIR VISUAL SPLENDOR, Minnesota’s eastern hardwoods, northern pine forests and central oak savannas sustain wildlife, filter our air and water, strengthen our economy and refresh our spirits. Unlike many parts of the world, we are fortunate that so much of our rich, dense forestland remains. But these vast, interdependent systems are jeopardized by changes in the forest industry. Large blocks of forest are currently being parceled and sold, predominantly for private real estate development.

Our Forests: Sanctuaries for LifeMinnesota’s forests are at the core of its identity. Throughout the state’s history, forests have been a critical and dominant feature, building empires, forging communities and providing fresh water, food and recreation.

VisionThe Nature Conservancy is working to preserve what is left by protecting, maintaining and restoring a minimum of 850 square miles of Minnesota’s remaining intact forestlands.

ValueProtecting large blocks of forest not only preserves deep-forest species like wolves and rare songbirds, it preserves outdoor recreational opportunities and fuels the economic engines of local communities that depend on forest-related jobs and tourism.

ConservationSuccess

Tettegouche State ParkThe Nature Conservancy was critical to preserving this crown jewel of Minnesota’s parks.

FRESH WATER An increasingly unstable foundation for life.WE WERE BORN INTO IRREPLACEABLE WATER wealth in Minnesota—a fortune of geology, topography and climate. Minnesota is home to the world’s greatest fresh water lake and our nation’s biggest river. Our waters have provided an outdoor reprieve, fueled our industries and sustained our lives. Yet, fresh water is one of the world’s least protected resources. Minnesota’s waters face mounting internal pressures from a growing population and increased pollution, and external pressures from states seeking new sources of fresh water.

Our Waters: Our Way of Life Our lives are dependent on our fresh water resources and the health of our rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers is directly connected to the lands surrounding them. Healthy forests, grasslands, wetlands and tributaries protect the abundance and purity of our finite water resources.

VisionCollaborating across state and country boundaries, The Nature Conservancy has targeted the waters of the Mississippi River and Lake Superior in an effort to reduce pollution and runoff and restore the health and purity of these waters.

ValueFresh water is the foundation for most life on Earth. Human health and well-being are undeniably linked to the health of our land, air and water.

ConservationSuccess

Lake SuperiorConservation of critical forestland has helped preserve wildlife habitat and water quality in our greatest lake.

“Every day I think how

lucky I am to live

and work on the shore

of Lake Superior,

it is both a privilege and a responsibility. It’s critical to us that

our personal lives

and our business lives

support the health of

this amazing lake.”

CLIMATE CHANGE A Planet in Peril.THE DATA IS IN and accepted by leading scientists around the world—global warming is changing climates. The effects of these changes are one of the greatest, most urgent threats to The Nature Conservancy’s conservation success. Every acre of land and mile of coast protected by the Conservancy and every community, state and nation where we work will be affected by climate change.

Our World: Our Responsibility, Our Opportunity Climate change alters temperatures and precipitation levels faster than plants and animals can adapt. The result—coral reefs are dying, glaciers are shrinking, the pines and birch of Minnesota’s Northwoods could disappear, and droughts will continue to intensify across North Dakota and South Dakota.

VisionThe Conservancy is joining with world leaders, scientists, industry and communities to slow the pace of climate change. In addition, local staff are spearheading new research and initiatives in our forests and grasslands to help plants and animals adapt to climate changes. And, by demonstrating the potential of native grasses for bio-energy, we bring the world a low-carbon alternative that benefits nature and our economy.

ValueBy conserving habitats that store greenhouse gases and by generating new innovations around grass- based energy alternatives, we help clean our air while protecting beautiful and vital landscapes.

NANCY BUrNS & SCOTT HArrISONConservation leaders and owners of Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior

Near Left: Nancy Burns and Scott Harrison © stephanhoglundphotography.com Left Inset: Moose at Isle Royale National Park © Mark Godfrey, TNC Above: North Shore of Lake Superior © TNC

ACT NOW…FOR NATURE. FOR ALL OF US. We all have a vested interest in the preservation of our natural resources—but why is there a new urgency to act now?LONGTIME Nature Conservancy member Steven Leuthold has an answer. Early in his career as an investment strategist he was coached by a gray-haired client who told him,

“The first thing is not to lose.”

Steve agrees. “The phrase ‘a better life’ has many meanings. But the basis for a better life for everyone starts with clean water, healthy soil and unpolluted air. We owe it to future generations to do everything we can to protect these foundations of life—to fight the good fight not to lose.”

Conservation efforts have not been able to keep pace with the rate of development and destruction. We have been losing ground. Now is the time to act. Lives depend on it.

Now is our time We can draw on our natural resources without destroying them, adapt to the effects of climate change without succumbing to them and slow the rate of loss. We can avert crisis.

Your contribution to the Nature Now campaign is critical to fulfilling this plan of action to protect nature and preserve life—now, before remaining natural lands are converted and altered and while we have an opportunity to restore some of what has been lost.

This is our time to act. Join us now, for nature.

Right: Children Fishing © istockphoto.com Right Inset: Mississippi River © Jim Brekke (jimbrekke.com) Back Cover: Blazing Stars in Minnesota © Nathan Lovas Photography Back Cover Inset: Wetland at the Conservancy’s Glacial Ridge Project © Chris Anderson/TNC

ConservationSuccess

The Mississippi RiverWorking with partners to recreate naturally fluctuating water cycles has restored plants and habitat without adversely affecting human use.

ConservationSuccess

Glacial RidgeThis Conservancy project is the nation’s largest prairie-wetland restoration effort and also a new national wildlife refuge.

The Nature Conservancy 1101 W. River Parkway, Suite 200Minneapolis, MN 55415

(612) 331-0750 | nature.org

“We begin not with what was, but with what is. And like the wind in the grasses,

sometimes the next pass we make is one that mends.”

—Laurie Allman from Far From Tame

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.