Stewardship, Monitoring, and Applied Research

Stewardship and Collaborative Conservation

To conserve biodiversity, The Nature Conservancy uses many tools. The founders of the Conservancy relied primarily on purchasing and managing ecologically important lands, and we still do a great deal of this stewardship work, especially on our preserves. However, to conserve large ecosystems in Texas, preserve stewardship is only one of many strategies we employ. About 90% of Texas is privately owned, and continuation of current land tenures is often in the best interest of both landowners and biodiversity, and the economic well-being of people is intricately linked to the health of their lands and waters. That is why we collaborate with landowners who seek to manage their lands for biodiversity, through private lands partnerships and community-based projects. The Conservancy works with these people to fill unmet needs and remove roadblocks to sustainable management. Often our role in these partnerships is to provide or find technical assistance, cost-share support, or biological data.

Monitoring and Applied Research

Biological monitoring is an essential part of our conservation process. By monitoring changes in the species and habitats we are managing, we can determine whether we are making progress toward conserving these systems for the long-term. The Conservancy conducts monitoring at all of its preserves and at many of its other projects as well. The data gathered through these efforts is used in management and shared with others to add to the general body of scientific knowledge about our natural world.

In addition to monitoring our conservation work, the Conservancy conducts or supports applied research (see below). Applied research (conducted in a field setting to answer a specific set of management questions) teaches us more about natural systems, and this knowledge can be used to improve resource management.

Stewardship, Monitoring, and Research Links:
Preserves and Collaborative Projects
Fort Hood Center for Cooperative Ecological Research
Texas Fire Management Program
Partnering in Research: working with Texas A&M Commerce to support education and research

For Researchers:
Conservation by Design Research Program: Grant opportunities and selected past projects

Other Science Links