BOARD OF TRUSTEES Beth Alm, Kansas City Rick Boeshaar, Shawnee Mission John Brands, St. Louis Claire Carstensen, St. Louis Debra Filla, Kansas City Carl Freiling, Ashland Ruth Grant, MD, Springfield Jeanette Hartshorn, Kansas City Diane Herndon, St. Louis Steve Mahfood, Wildwood Steve McMillan, St. Louis Carolyn Polk, St. Louis Robbie Price, Columbia Joel Pugh, St. Louis Fritz Riesmeyer, Kansas City Jon M. Risdal, Springfield Michele M. Risdal-Barnes, Springfield
Five years ago, we asked you to look into the future with us and picture Missouri in the year 2050. A Missouri with gorgeous Ozark streams, thriving grasslands and cities strengthened by green jobs, parks in every community and infrastructure solutions rooted in nature. To create strategies for this transformation, TNC’s staff launched a sweeping plan, one that also addresses biodiversity and climate change. This was the beginning of a journey. We knew it would take an effort beyond our capacity, and it would have to start right away. Ambitious? Sure. But we had a secret weapon — you, our supporters. Today, we look back at the past five years with amazement and gratitude. Thanks to the passion and commitment of our donors, staff, volunteers, trustees and countless community partners, the 2050 campaign we launched in Missouri has surpassed our most hopeful goals. Here’s the big number: $106,399,920 raised. That’s four times the goal we set five years ago and includes $66 million that donors in Missouri designated for TNC’s work nationally and internationally. At the local level, your generosity has immediately lifted our strategies and allowed us to deploy on-the-ground projects across our state. You’ll read more in this report about the five main strategies that guide us to boost biodiversity and battle climate change. But to give you an idea of the breadth of the work, consider that five years ago we didn’t have a cities program or dedicated work in the western Ozarks. We didn’t have a carbon sequestration program or any bioengineered streambanks that harness the power of nature to stop erosion and increase water quality. Five years ago, moving a levee on the Missouri River seemed impossible, but now the people in Atchison County are better protected from the threat of devastating flood waters — and the 1,000 acres of reconnected floodplain are a haven for wildlife. Little Creek Farm had not yet been established as TNC’s first sustainable agriculture demonstration farm in Missouri, and creating a grassbank that allows neighboring farmers to graze their cattle on specific pastures at Dunn Ranch Prairie while they establish conservation practices on their own land was just an idea. The results are even more impressive when you consider the emphasis we put on scalable projects and programs that others can adopt. We hope you’ll take pride in the work accomplished and find hope in the work that’s still to come. We’re on this path together, and we are focused on the future. If the past five years has taught us anything it’s that no matter the challenge, no matter the odds — together, we’ll find a way. Thank you for supporting TNC. You have made all the difference.
Sharon Shahid, Washington, D.C.
Jean Wagner, Kansas City Wallis W. Warren, Beaufort Nancy Ylvisaker, St. Louis
TRUSTEES EMERITI Susan Lammert, St. Louis
The Nature Conservancy is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) international membership organization. Its mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Nature Conservancy meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability established by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance is a national charity watchdog affiliated with the Better Business Bureau. Printed on 100% PCW recycled, process chlorine-free paper, creating the following benefits: 55.8 trees preserved for the future 4,171.7 gallons of water not used 8,096.8 lbs. of CO 2 prevented
With gratitude,
Nancy Ylvisaker
Beth Alm
Immediate Past Board Chair
Alumni Trustee Council Chair
COVER Children at Dunn Ranch Prairie © Kristy Stoyer/TNC ; Huzzah Creek field day © Kristy Stoyer/TNC ; Treesilience program kick-off event © Kristy Stoyer/TNC ; MO Trustees at the Capitol © Holly Neill/TNC ; Megan Alkazoff at a prescribed burn © Doyle Murphy/TNC ; Construction of L-536 levee setback project © Route 3 Films
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