MISSOURI Summer 2020 • nature.org/missouri
Adam McLane © Kristy Stoyer/TNC
Protecting Missouri’s critical landscapes has been the core of our work since we began in 1956, and it still is. But we cannot meet the changing needs of the planet or its people on that one strategy alone. More and more our work demonstrates how nature can solve problems and challenges that our communities face by identifying barriers, collaborating on strategies and building relationships with partners outside of TNC. The two projects in this update represent just that—one taking place in the city and one in the country. Both will impact the lands beyond TNC’s borders on projects that benefit people and nature. We thank you for your support and for making all our work possible!
Cattle grazing on restored prairie in Nebraska © Chris Helzer/TNC
Growing Conservation How grassbanks can protect our grasslands
Every spring, Dunn Ranch Prairie pops with colorful prairie flowers, buzzes with pollinators and is serenaded by a variety of birds. This year, new guests were welcomed onto a portion of the prairie for a very specific purpose—to increase native habitat across the Grand River Grasslands. TNC has partnered with two local ranchers, whose cattle will graze on two specific pastures on the prairie for the next three years. In return, those ranchers will select and implement sustainable grazing practices, such as removing fescue and planting native grasses on their own land. “We’re in grazing country,” says Kent Wamsley, TNC’s grasslands and sustainable agriculture strategy manager in Missouri. “If we want to make a difference, we need to work beyond our property borders.” While this is TNC’s first grassbank in Missouri, the idea is not a new one. “Grassbanks are a time-tested way to enhance management flexibility, build larger scale collaboration, and efficiently support conservation of important lands and waters,” says Sasha Gennet, TNC’s North America sustainable grazing lands director. “TNC has been at the forefront of developing several grassbanks in the western U.S. and Northern Great Plains,” says Gennet. “The Dunn Ranch project represents the first of its kind in the central U.S., and holds much potential as a model for other pasture and prairie systems in the region.” Grasslands are the least protected habitat on earth. This grassbank gives ranchers the ability and time to adopt and establish sustainable practices on their land, keeping our grasslands ecologically intact and economically productive. “The goal is to transform what sustainable ranching looks like in the Grand River Grasslands while providing for nature too,” says Wamsley.
Adam McLane, Missouri State Director
LEARN MORE about the Grassbank project at nature.org/moag
MISSOURI 500 number of trees planted in the Shoal Creek watershed this spring as part of TNC’s Western Ozarks Waters Initiative.
Green The Church site visits in St. Louis © Vickie Barber-Carrol (L); © Thomas Brackeen/TNC (R)
Growing Green Solutions How faith-based institutions are leading the way for environmental change
What’s Your Legacy?
Across the nation, the black church community has been a catalyst for environmental action and stewardship efforts. Green The Church, a California-based national non- profit, sits at the intersection of theology and ecology for the black church community, and has been a driving force of this leadership. Since its inception in 2010, the organization has activated programs and conversations around food sovereignty, environmental justice, energy and building efficiency, and public health in the communities in which they serve. The Nature Conservancy is proud to be a longstanding partner of Green The Church, and to have been the presenting sponsor for its 2019 Summit in St. Louis, Missouri. “The Summit has helped our organization make valuable connections with local partners and places of worship, identify and uplift current environmental leaders in the St. Louis region and provide resources for other faith-based institutions to kick- start their own sustainability projects,” says Kim Noble, chief operations officer for Green The Church. Out of the Summit came the first-ever Growing Green Solutions Seed Funding Program, funded by TNC in Missouri. This program is funding projects at 10 St. Louis-based places of worship, which range from energy efficiency upgrades to nature education, permaculture design programs and a green bus tour that aims to expand the local Green The Church network by exposing additional faith leaders to sustainability programs and projects. This seed funding will help Green The Church grow both its mission and impact. “There has never been a social movement without the black church community at the table and providing leadership,” says Rev. Dr. Ambrose F. Carroll, founder of Green The Church. “By funding local black-led faith-based partners, TNC, in partnership with Green The Church, is able to honor the leaders of previous social movements, while also assuming responsibility for future generations.”
Western tiger swallowtail butterfly on purple thistle © Sherrie Stille/TNC Photo Contest 2019 Protecting nature is easier than you think. Tens of thousands of TNC supporters have made planned gifts to further critical conservation work— now and in the future. Many of our members choose to make a gift to The Nature Conservancy through their will, trust, retirement accounts or life insurance policy. These gifts allow us to plan ahead and work more efficiently at a larger scale—meaning a bigger impact for people and nature. To learn more about planned gifts, contact Mona Monteleone at (314) 968-1105, ext. 1118, or mona.monteleone@tnc.org. Together, we can make a world of difference. Support Our Work Visit us at nature.org/missouri to make a donation and support our work in Missouri.
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Missouri missouri@tnc.org nature.org/missouri
The Nature Conservancy P.O. Box 440400 St. Louis, MO 63144
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