Shark Sanctuary RESEARCH AND SURVIVAL AT THE CONSERVANCY'S REMOTE PACIFIC OUTPOST
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Shark
Sanctuary
RESEARCH AND SURVIVAL
AT THE CONSERVANCY’S
REMOTE PACIFIC OUTPOST
54 46 28
VENEZUELA’S HIDDEN DOGS RESCUE
MARCH / APRIL 2013 SACRED GROUND PRESERVES SALAMANDERS
“This is a critically important book contents
NATURE
that comes at just the right moment.”
FEATURES CONSERVANCY
MAGAZINE
MARCH / APRIL 2013
—Walter Isaacson, President and CEO, The Aspen Institute, and author of Steve Jobs
DEPARTMENTS
30
2 In Focus
6 From the President
8 About Us
12 Contributors
14 Member Forum
worldview
19 News
An accord to revive the Colo-
rado River Delta; plus, a new
home for Kenya’s hirola
22 Good Work
Helping Puget Sound, protect-
ing land along the Mississippi
and other good news
CO V ER STO R Y 26 Interview
Meet Conservancy coral
“The environmental community needs to talk about nature using the language of business: assets, risks,
30 Kingdom of the Hungry expert Stephanie Wear
28 Work in Progress
and innovation. Nature’s Fortune is the guidebook that can move environmentalism to this next level.” Palmyra Atoll may be a Pacific paradise, but it is also one of Rescued dogs help
—Walter Isaacson, President and CEO, the most active shark habitats in the world—a living labora- save salamanders
The Aspen Institute, and author of Steve Jobs
tory for researchers working in an unforgiving wilderness. 62 Just Published
“In Nature’s Fortune, Mark Tercek and Jonathan Adams expertly articulate the interdependence of our BY MATT JENKINS | Photographs by Tim Calver Books: Moonbird and
The Power of Trees
economy and nature’s economy, and the practiced ways both can be saved in perpetuity.”
—Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University Research Professor,
Emeritus, and author of The Social Conquest of Earth 46 Hidden Gems 64 Back Story
The making of a
shark photograph
These three wild places are alive and well and waiting for
“This is an important book for environmentalists, investment bankers, and everyone else. It presents a
compelling case that investing in nature is a great deal—not just morally but economically as well. It is in you, thanks to the work of The Nature Conservancy.
all of our enlightened self-interest to take this book very seriously.” BY HAL HERRING | Artwork by Stan Fellows
—Morton Schapiro, Professor of Economics
and President, Northwestern University
54 The Changing Land
A new season has arrived in the vast Venezuelan prairies,
From Mark R. Tercek, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy,
and science writer and conservation biologist Jonathan S. Adams. where the Conservancy helped protect a million acres and
the cultural heritage of local indigenous groups.
© TIM CALVER
BY VIRGINIA GLASS | Photographs by Antonio Briceño
On the cover:
Kydd Pollock researching
Basic Books · Available April 9 wherever books are sold Above: Coconut palms seen from the water at Palmyra Atoll. blacktip sharks. © Tim Calver
Autographed copies available at naturesfortunebook.com
M A GA Z I NE .NA TURE .ORG 1
Proceeds benefit The Nature Conservancy
in focus
Community
Heritage
Conservancy research-
ers interviewed people
in communities through-
out Venezuela’s Llanos
grasslands—including in
the village of Raicero—to
support the designation
of new protections for
the region’s cultural and
© ANTONIO BRICEÑO
ecological heritage.
Page 54: The Changing Land
2 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013 M A GA Z I NE .NA TURE .ORG 3
in focus
Under
the Weather
On a rainy day in the
waters around Palmyra
Atoll, researchers track
the ocean’s salinity,
temperature, carbon
levels and acidity. A
pole-mounted video
camera is used to docu-
ment the health of the
corals below.
© TIM CALVER
Page 30: Kingdom of the Hungry
4 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013 M A GA Z I NE .NA TURE .ORG 5
from
the
president
Kansas
or business innovation. With this book I hope to draw
Investing attention to the high returns available from invest-
There’s no place like
in Nature
ments in nature, and to broaden awareness of why the
work of The Nature Conservancy is so important.
The Conservancy has long been a leader in de-
veloping innovative ways to finance conservation.
We continue to explore new strate-
gies and to test new tools to pay for
”Investing conservation and integrate it into
in nature is our local and global economies.
TravelKS.com . 800.2Kansas, ext. NC
the smartest Water funds that we developed in
decision any Latin America, whereby urban water Vast, rolling hills that go on forever. Lush prairie grasses that wave like the sea.
business or users pay to protect the forests and Follow inflowers
the footprints of history – whereand
families braved
government grasslands that hold and filter cities’ Native dot the landscape bison roam the plains.
westward trails, soldiers guarded frontier outposts, and
can make.” freshwater, are now being replicated Visit
the bloodyKansas and
battle for feed was
freedom the fought
nature-loving
and won. soul in you.
around the world—in Africa, Asia
Water Source: and the United States.
Protecting lands that We are also working hard to pursue
supply drinking water
in Ecuador supports funding from “impact investment”
people and nature. sources of capital. An exciting new
example is the Conservation Note,
which allows individuals to invest
Passionate supporters and generous in Conservancy projects and generate a financial Full page (bleed)
philanthropists drive conservation forward. At The
Nature Conservancy, we appreciate our supporters
return—as well as a return for nature and future
generations. The Conservation Note represents
8.375 in x 10.75 in
tremendously and are proud of all that you help us an expansion of opportunities for people who care
accomplish. Your commitment to conservation is vital. about our natural heritage and want to put their
Nevertheless, to advance our ambitious mission, we’ll money where their values are.
need support that reaches beyond philanthropy. The need for innovation extends across all scales
We’ll also need to persuade government and busi- and all sectors of our work. With that in mind, this
ness leaders to invest in nature. Natural capital—the issue of Nature Conservancy magazine also marks a
goods and services that nature provides—forms the change. For the first time, we are accepting appropri-
foundation of all economies and all human well-being. ate advertising to offset costs and to free up more
Broad investments in natural capital will secure impor- of your contributions to support our mission. In
tant benefits and will provide a powerful new source addition, we are returning to our former bimonthly
of funding and support for conservation. schedule to keep you better informed—and, we hope,
© FLORIAN KOPPIMAGEBRO/AGE FOTOSTOCK; DAVE LAURDISEN
Viewing nature through basic business principles inspired—about news and developments related to
focuses more attention on the benefits of conservation. our work in your backyard and around the world.
In my new book, Nature’s Fortune: How Business and Society
Thrive by Investing in Nature, I argue that such a perspec-
tive makes clear that protecting nature is a central and
important driver of economic activity—every bit as im-
portant as manufacturing, finance and agriculture.
Investing in nature is the smartest decision any busi-
ness or government can make. The forests, floodplains Mark R. Tercek
and oyster reefs often seen as raw materials or as obstacles President & Chief Executive Officer
to be cleared in the name of progress are, instead, as
important to our future prosperity as technology or law Flint Hills
Photo by Jim Richardson
6 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013
about us
B OA RD O F D I R ECTO R S
Co-Chairs
Teresa Beck
Steven A. Denning
President &
WH AT W E DO Chief Executive Officer
Mark R. Tercek
Vice Chair
Roberto Hernández Ramírez
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is
to conserve the lands and waters on which M E M B E RS
all life depends. We address the most urgent
conservation challenges at the largest scale
by pursuing nonconfrontational, pragmatic, David Blood
Shona L. Brown
market-based solutions. Our vision is to leave Gretchen C. Daily
a sustainable world for future generations. Joseph H. Gleberman
Jeremy Grantham
Frank E. Loy
Jack Ma
Craig O. McCaw
Thomas J. Meredith
Top: Yosemite Valley; Yellowstone Falls; CON TACT US Thomas S. Middleton
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at the
magazine
t hat
Simplify
o f
Pro y can
e
mon on
grow s!
your Giving tree
C O NTRI B UTO RS
COVER STORY
Tim Calver
Photographer Tim Calver began
shooting underwater after meet-
ing free divers at Bimini Biological
Field Station in the Bahamas. There
he spent six years assisting graduate
students with shark research and
free diving with his camera to cap-
ture their experiences—skills that
T he Nature Conservancy’s Donor
Advised Fund offers a way to
simplify your charitable giving, receive
proved valuable at Palmyra Atoll
(“Kingdom of the Hungry,” page 30). “Free diving makes you quiet and
quick underwater,” he says. Fish and other species come much closer
enhanced tax benefits and save time to him that way, he says, because “there are no flashy bubbles.” Calver’s
and money. The fund offers many of work has appeared in Time and National Geographic magazines.
the benefits of a foundation, without
1/3 vertical
the complexities.
Full page (bleed)
(non-bleed)
You can create your fund with a
personal donation or, in many cases, 8.375 in x 10.75 in
2.2037
by transferring assets from anin x
existing
foundation. The minimum initial gift
Naturally, one of the greenest credit cards on earth.
9.1722
is $100,000 in cash in
or securities.
Real estate may also be accepted.
Introducing the BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Visa® card benefiting The Nature Conservancy.
Now, your everyday retail transactions can help support conservation. Already, this program has raised
$13 million to protect lands and waters around the world.
Antonio Briceño Hal Herring Matt Jenkins
Learn more at nature.org/daf. Antonio Briceño has As a child in northern Senior Editor Matt Jen- s #ONSERVE RESOURCES WITH A CARD MADE PARTIALLY FROM RECYCLED CONTENT
Or, contact Greg Sharkey: photographed indig- Alabama, Hal Herring kins spent an unforgetta- s !UTOMATICALLY EARN CASH BACK ON EVERY PURCHASE AND A TOTAL OF CASH
PHONE: (614) 787-4739 enous groups for many was fascinated by the ble hour snorkeling with
BACK ON GROCERIES AND CASH BACK ON GAS 1UARTERLY MAXIMUM APPLIES TO
years. He turned his lens glimpses of nature avail- 10 baby blacktip sharks
TOLL-FREE: (877) 812-3698 on the Pumé people able to those willing to during his reporting trip BONUS REWARDS ON GROCERY AND GAS PURCHASES
EMAIL: legacy@tnc.org of Venezuela to docu- explore. “Some of my to Palmyra Atoll (“King- s 2ECEIVE A CUSTOMER BONUS WHEN YOU REDEEM REWARDS INTO A "ANK OF
ment the Conservancy’s earliest memories are of dom of the Hungry,” page !MERICA® CHECKING OR SAVINGS ACCOUNT
The Nature Conservancy cannot render tax or partnership in the Llanos wading in springs, catch- 30). “The sharks were s 2ECEIVE A FREE ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP TO 4HE .ATURE #ONSERVANCY UPON
legal advice. Please consult with your professional region (“The Chang- ing the colorless craw- only several weeks old,” APPROVAL STUDENTS NOT ELIGIBLE
advisor before making a charitable gift. ing Land,” page 54). dads and minnows that says Jenkins. “But they
s (ELP PLANT TREES &OR EACH YEAR THAT YOU ARE AN ACTIVE CARDHOLDER "ANK OF
“Normally, when we spend their lives under- were full of curiosity,
COURTESY OF CONTRIBUTORS (3); © TIM CALVER
Image credit: © Theresa Green !MERICA WILL PLANT A TREE IN "RAZILS !TLANTIC &OREST
PHOPM130305001 think about nomadic ground and only briefly hovering face-to-face
indigenous groups, we come out into the light,” with us even as an adult s %NJOY A ,OW )NTRODUCTORY !02 OFFER†
think about the Amazon he says. Visiting the 1,000 blacktip patrolled the
forest,” he says. “It was Springs Complex in Idaho deeper channel just
fantastic to get in contact (“Hidden Gems,” page behind us.” Teaming with
with people from the 46) was a chance, on a sharks and other preda- newcardonline.com | 1.800.438.6262 | Priority code: VABIB7
flat Llanos grasslands.” grand scale, to rekindle tors, the remote island’s
Briceño has had more that appreciation for hid- waters offer a rare †
&OR INFORMATION ABOUT THE RATES FEES OTHER COSTS AND BENEl TS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THIS CARD OR TO APPLY CALL THE TOLL FREE NUMBER OR VISIT THE WEBSITE LISTED ABOVE 4HE
than 30 solo exhibitions den waters. Herring is a glimpse into the past. CASH BACK ON GROCERY PURCHASES AND CASH BACK ON GAS PURCHASES APPLIES TO THE l RST IN COMBINED PURCHASES IN THESE CATEGORIES EACH QUARTER !FTER THAT THE BASE
and more than 70 inter- contributing editor at Field “This is the edge of the EARN RATE APPLIES TO THOSE PURCHASES 9OU WILL QUALIFY FOR A ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP TO 4HE .ATURE #ONSERVANCY UPON APPROVAL OF YOUR NEW ACCOUNT ,IMIT ONE ITEM PER NEW AC
national group shows. and Stream magazine. truly wild,” he says. COUNT 4HIS PROMOTION IS LIMITED TO NEW CUSTOMERS OPENING AN ACCOUNT IN RESPONSE TO THIS OFFER &EDERAL LAW PREVENTS STUDENTS FROM RECEIVING A PREMIUM 4HIS CREDIT CARD PROGRAM IS
ISSUED AND ADMINISTERED BY &)! #ARD 3ERVICES .! 6ISA AND 6ISA 3IGNATURE ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF 6ISA )NTERNATIONAL 3ERVICE !SSOCIATION AND ARE USED BY THE ISSUER PURSUANT
TO LICENSE FROM 6ISA 53! )NC "ANK!MERICARD #ASH 2EWARDS IS A TRADEMARK OF "ANK OF !MERICA #ORPORATION Ú "ANK OF !MERICA #ORPORATION
!2!- 
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O NL I NE : magazine.nature.org/contact
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Readers Respond to: 2012/ISSUE 4 Arlington, VA 22203
C HA NGE O F A DDRE S S
Visit nature.org and click on “Contact
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HIGHWAY IN NORWEGIAN
READER SAYS
“With so much focus on
grand-scale projects, it was
refreshing to read about a
small success story.”
—Sondra Wolferman
On the Cover
While the lady and her dog on the cover of 2012 issue 4 are 1990s] does not mention that thanks Full page (bleed)
very photogenic, they were barely in the story, “The Missing to those efforts, Chileans now have 8.375 in x 10.75 in
Link” (page 46). I can go along with having people on the two new national parks: the magnifi-
cover of the magazine, but it would be nice if they played a cent Corcovado and Pumalin National
prominent part in the article to which the cover refers. Parks. Both of these gifts promoted the
Otherwise, the magazine was, as usual, wonderful. protection of additional government
S. Gelabert, New Smyrna Beach, Florida land to create very large parks. [Tomp-
kins’s efforts have helped protect an
estimated 2 million acres in Chile.]
The Land and the Furor While indeed there was some
Photo: Per Eide/visitnorway.com
As a trustee of the Conservancy’s furor in early days, these two fine
Vermont chapter, a longtime member protected areas—plus other lands
om
(more than 35 years) and a Legacy that Tompkins has conserved—have
Photo © Terje Rakke/Nordic Life/VisitNorway.c
dnowway.com
Photo © C. Hagelund/Visitnorway.com
Club member, I was happy and set a fine example of private conser-
proud to read about the three large vation philanthropy.
Geirangerfjord
Photo © Robin Strand/fjor
land-conservation ventures carried Larry Hamilton, Charlotte, Vermont FJORD NORWAY
out as reported in the last issue of (Professor Hamilton is an advisor to the Interna-
the magazine. These great initiatives tional Union for the Conservation of Nature’s
included the Valdivian coastal range one aspect: It leaves the impression World Commission on Protected Areas.)
in Chile, Moosehead Lake in Maine that the land purchases in Chile by
and the Tollhouse/Tejon Ranch [businessman and conservationist] Bryggen, UNESCO Oslo Opera House
Correction Stave churches
complex in California. Great maps, Doug Tompkins (who was not men- The Statement of Ownership, Management and World Heritage Site
photos and writing! tioned by name) had only negative Quarterly Circulation of Nature Conser-
I do believe, however, that the consequences—“a furor.” The article vancy magazine that appeared in 2012/issue 4
article about Chile, “An Abundance [which focused on the difficult climate included an incorrect filing date. The date should Explore Norway and you’ll return to nature with breathtaking scenery, dramatic waterfalls, and the
of Rarities” (page 28), was remiss in for private conservation in Chile in the have read September 28, 2012. freshest of mountain air. You’ll be amazed at the wonderful places to stay, historic cities, charming
villages, excellent cuisine, and fantastic hospitality. Whatever type of vacation you choose, you’ll
experience an overwhelming feeling of peace and tranquility that will remain with you forever.
14 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013
Out of Line
Vince Stanley’s letter (page 14) stating
that sports fishermen are hounding
bluefin tuna and swordfish to extinc- J O I N T O D AY .
tion is way out of line.
Sports fishermen’s catch and keep
of those two species is tiny compared
with commercial catches—one would
have to call it insignificant in com-
Low-Tech Success parison. But what is significant is the
Kudos to the magazine for “The positive effect that sports anglers
JOIN US
Mafia Birds” (page 40) on parasitic have by providing the vast majority
cowbirds versus songbirds in the of information about these two pe-
Cache River Watershed of Illinois. lagic fish that roam around the world.
With so much focus these days on Sports fishing catch-tag-and-release
grand-scale projects and high-tech programs for bluefin tuna and sword-
solutions, it was refreshing to read fish provide scientists with informa-
about a relatively small, localized tion they never would be able to
conservation success story that could acquire otherwise.
have a big impact on future conser- So please put a bit more research
vation decisions. into making the kind of statements
Using only “low-tech” equipment, that can turn a very supportive group
Picnic for Earth Day such as empty milk cartons and a of people into nonbelievers. L A S T G R E AT
PLACES
Grab your blanket and join us the
weekend of April 20-22 for a global bicycle rear-view mirror attached to Dick Pinney, Greenland, New Hampshire
picnic to celebrate and protect the a paint-roller pole, scientists man-
source of our food: nature. As part aged to peer into the nests of an SOCIETY
of the All Hands On Earth move-
elusive bird and solve the mystery Full page (bleed)
ment encouraging millions to help
us save our land and water, The
Nature Conservancy will celebrate
of how cowbirds are contributing to
the decline of songbird populations
8.375 in x 10.75 in
Earth Day by hosting picnic events throughout the region.
around the world. Share a meal
with friends in recognition of com-
Even better, the scientists were
munity and the natural resources astute enough to realize that the “The world we live in is a fragile place, with threats to habitats, plants and wildlife,
that sustain us all. Tweet a photo of solution lies not in trying to eradi-
your April picnic at #AHOEPicnic. cate the cowbirds—they are simply and our climate. We have supported the Conservancy for many years, and as we
doing what they are biologically Magical Conservation have gotten to know the organization better, we have come to appreciate the way
CLICK: Find a picnic location programmed to do—but in restoring I enjoyed reading about the establish-
near you or sign up to host your
own at nature.org/allhands. habitat disturbed by human activ- ment of reserves in Chile and Cali- they scientifically manage and preserve complex We donate
ecosystems.
ity so the songbirds have a fighting fornia, but was perturbed that no because we want to help them continue to do this for future generations. ”
chance at survival. mention was made as to the amount
Sondra Wolferman, Albrightsville, Pennsylvania of monies spent. Conservation doesn’t - Christine & David Ve r nie r, Por t la nd, Oregon
just magically happen; without the dol-
Another Perspective on Mafia Birds lar amounts, it all seems a bit abstract.
While preparing for a bird-watching Tom Carroux, Menlo Park, California
Members of the Last Great Places Society help protect nature’s abundant variety through
trip to Costa Rica, I read an article
concerning the impact of cowbirds on The editor responds: their generous annual gifts of $10,000 or more. Make your conservation mark.
Montezuma oropendola fledglings. Thanks for the reminder to keep members fully
One cowbird chick in the nest informed. Here are the details from those deals:
increases the survival rate of oropen- $7.5 million for the 147,000-acre Valdivian For more information:
dola chicks. Why? Because the large Coastal Reserve in Chile, and $19.2 million Please contact Ryan Surber at
© KARINE AIGNER
cowbird chicks are better at keeping to protect the Caliente, Tollhouse and Parker (703) 841-7481 or rsurber@tnc.org
the parasitic insects under control. ranches, a total of nearly 32,000 acres in or visit nature.org/lgps
Jim Vokac, Willow Springs, Missouri Southern California.
Oregon coast photos © Mark P. Dawson; Design by Jen Newlin/TNC
16 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013you trust us with nature’s future. INSIDE: Protecting part of the Old West PAGE 20 ... Kenya’s new
home for hirola PAGE 20 ... Bulldozers restore a bay PAGE 22 ...
Who’s using Puget Sound? A closer look at species PAGE 22
let us help you plan for yours.
“We wish we had known years ago how easy
it would be to build funds for retirement
and help protect the natural world. The
Nature Conservancy gave us a wonderful
way to provide for our old age and promote
conservation too.”
Full page (bleed)
8.375 in x 10.75 in
Self-employed, Orly Yadin and Bob
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The Nature Conservancy understands the challenge of protecting precious resources generate income for retirement.
Using funds from an inheritance,
IRUWKHIXWXUH)RUPRUHWKDQ\HDUVZHKDYHVXFFHVVIXOO\SUHVHUYHG(DUWKnVQDWXUDO they established a Nature
Conservancy charitable remainder
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LQFRPHZLWKJURZWKSRWHQWLDODQG
(DFKGD\ZHXVHWKRVHVDPHTXDOLWLHVDQGORQJWHUPYLVLRQWRKHOSRXUGRQRUVSODQIRU tax savings. Read their full story at
nature.org/truststory.
WKHLUIXWXUHVDVZHOO:KHWKHU\RXZDQWWRVXSSOHPHQW\RXUUHWLUHPHQWLQFRPHGLYHUVLI\
LQYHVWPHQWVVDYHRQWD[HVRUOHDYHDOHJDF\IRUORYHGRQHVRXU*LIW3ODQQLQJH[SHUWVZLOO
WATER DIPLOMACY: A new deal will return more water to
ZRUNZLWK\RXRQHRQRQHWRGHYHORSDSHUVRQDOL]HGJLIWSODQWKDWnVULJKWIRU\RXrRQH the Colorado River Delta, now 10 percent of its former size.
WKDWUHÚHFWV\RXUÙQDQFLDOand philanthropic goals and values.
© PETER MCBRIDE/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STOCKNOW ENJOY BRILLIANT
worldview NEWS
COLLEGE COURSES IN YOUR HOME OR CAR!
WESTERN CRITTERS: The plains leopard
frog (above) and the Texas horned lizard
thrive in eastern Colorado’s grasslands.
INNOVATIONS
48
ENDANGERED HIROLA
ANTELOPES GET A NEW
SANCTUARY IN KENYA COLORADO
In Optimizing Brain Fitness, In Museum Masterpieces: In Experiencing Hubble: In The History of the Bible:
Old West Lives On
When Africa’s hirola pop- award-winning Professor of The Louvre, expert art critic Understanding the Great- The Making of the New
ulation declined to less Neurology Richard Restak and historian Professor Richard est Images of the Universe, Testament Canon, New York
than 500 in 2011, conser-
teaches you how to improve Brettell takes you on an unfor- Professor and Director of the Times best-selling author and
your memory, sharpen your gettable journey through one of Dearborn Observatory David Professor Bart D. Ehrman
vation officials proposed a YOU MAY NEVER VISIT THE 33,000-ACRE SMITH CANYON RANCH IN
attention, enhance your learn- the world’s greatest museums. M. Meyer unlocks the secrets reveals the secret history
radical idea: Build a preda- southeastern Colorado, but you know what it looks like. “This is the epicenter of Old
tor-free sanctuary (“Hirola West mythology,” says the Conservancy’s Matt Moorhead, who directs the Southeast
ing and creativity, and even Full page (bleed)
This 12-lecture series explores of the universe. In this 12-lec- behind the making of the New
¿QHWXQH\RXUVHQVRU\DFXLW\ some of the most beautiful and ture series, he discusses the Testament, including how and
Heroics,” 2011 issue 3). In
2012 that plan became a
Colorado program. The ranch is near the historic Sante Fe Trail, and countless movies
have been shot depicting the region’s grasslands and pinyon and juniper forests.
—all by using one of the most 8.375 in x 10.75 in
renowned examples from the most spectacular images ever when each book was written
revolutionary discoveries in museum’s remarkable collec- produced by the Hubble Space and why it was chosen to be
reality when Kenya’s With its purchase of the ranch last October, the Conservancy has now protected modern neuroscience. telescope.
tion of masterworks. included.
Ishaqbini community, more than 300,000 acres of shortgrass prairie east of the Rockies, much of it in the
which considers the hirola past five years. These large tracts support declining grassland birds and a host of other Course No. 1651 Course No. 7175 Course No. 1884 Course No. 6299
sacred, worked with a co- species, such as black bear, mountain lion, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep. 12 Lectures 12 Lectures 12 Lectures 12 Lectures
(30 Minutes/Lecture) (30 Minutes/Lecture) (30 Minutes/Lecture) (30 Minutes/Lecture)
alition of Conservancy Local ranching families have kept the land intact, says Moorhead, and after a
partners to fence off rest and the addition of a conservation easement to preclude development here, the
© JOEL SARTORE/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STOCK; iSTOCK/TEXCROC; DAVE SHOWALTER
10-square-miles and re- ranch will be sold back into working hands. —ERIK NESS
shuffle the food chain—
hirola in, cheetahs out.
After the 6-foot-tall fence
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20 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013
www.THEGREATCOURSES.com/5NATC 1-800-832-2412worldview GOOD WORK
DOUBLE
PROTECTING PUGET
SOUND’S SPECIES
YOUR IMPACT.
The dunlin is one of dozens of
shorebird species that migrate
through Port Susan Bay, a stop along
the Pacific Flyway. Between 2007
and 2011, annual counts ranged from
30,000 to 57,000 shorebirds, many
of them the dunlin and the western
WINTER STOPOVER: Thousands of shorebirds migrate through or overwinter in the marshes of Port Susan sandpiper. With the arrival of spring,
Bay, Washington. Surveys in the mid-1990s found more than 20,000 shorebirds regularly gathering here. the migrants depart for Alaska.
WASHINGTON Full page (bleed)
Building a Better Bay TAKE ADVANTAGE of your
8.375 in x 10.75 in
NOT MANY ECOSYSTEMS GET REPAIRED BY BULLDOZER, BUT HEAVY company’s matching gift program.
machinery was the tool for the job this past year at The Nature Conservancy’s Juvenile chinook salmon transition
Port Susan Bay Preserve in Washington. from river to sea at Port Susan Bay.
After hatching in the Stillaguamish
At Port Susan Bay, the freshwater currents of the Stillaguamish River mix River, young salmon swim to the bay
into the salt water of Puget Sound. Thousands of wintering shorebirds, juvenile where they will stay for up to six
months. In the marshes, youngsters
salmon and young crabs feast in the relative safety of its marshes. find food to eat and places to hide as
At least that’s how things used to work. But in the 1950s, farmers diked an they adapt to salt water.
area at the mouth of the Stillaguamish, deflecting the river south. With that A matching gift means your contribution will go twice as far.
diversion in place, “not a lot of fresh water was getting into the northern part Many companies will double (or sometimes triple) the value of their employees’ gifts to
of the bay,” says Kat Morgan, who manages the Conservancy’s program at Port The Nature Conservancy. These matching gifts provide valuable funds, as we work to protect
Susan Bay. As a result, salinity levels rose while the bay’s native species declined. important lands and waters around the world.
The Conservancy launched a plan to turn things around. The first step, in © BRIDGET BESAW. ILLUSTRATIONS: © STEVE SANFORD
2001, was buying the 4,000-acre preserve. The next step: Lose the dikes. To see if your company will match a gift to The Nature Conservancy,
In autumn 2012 bulldozers breached the barriers separating the river from the visit nature.org/matchinggifts or contact your company’s human resources department.
bay’s northern reaches. Workers restored a nearby pocket estuary, a small backwa-
ter perfect for juvenile salmon looking for food and good hiding spots. They also
reinforced a nearby dike to protect neighboring farms from flooding. Finally, the Young Dungeness crabs also prefer
Conservancy purchased a bluff that feeds critical sandbar-building sediment to the shallow estuary, where they live
among eelgrass beds and feed on the
three miles of Port Susan Bay shoreline. plentiful invertebrates found in the
Morgan figures it will take four years for these changes to produce measurable warm waters. The vegetation and debris
of the estuary provide good cover from
results. But after decades of decline, this estuary is on its way back to health, she predators—including adult crabs, which
says. “This was the year of Port Susan Bay.” —BETH GEIGER are known to cannibalize juveniles. Boardman grasslands harbor Oregon’s largest viable population
of the endangered Washington ground squirrel. © Rick McEwan
22 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013The Only Guest Ranch
worldview GOOD WORK
Owned & Operated by
The Nature Conservancy
By the Numbers
New deals and developments As part of the Conservancy, we share a single mission. That’s
from the world of conservation why we have expert naturalists along as you ride and hike
through our majestic Rocky Mountain setting. Our pool
and showers are heated with solar energy, wind powers our
$10
office, and your sumptuous meals are made with ingredients
3KRWR .HQWRQ5RZH
fresh from our garden and nearby ranches. But, don’t worry,
you won’t sacrifice a bit of comfort or fun!
million
Amount raised by The Nature Conser-
vancy in the United States and The
2.1 MILLION
2,000 Nature Conservancy of Canada to help
pay for the permanent retirement of
Trees planted by the Conservancy’s
Plant a Billion Trees campaign, thanks
PINE BUTTE
3KRWR 6LPRQ:LOOLDPV
Acres protected along the Upper oil and mineral development rights on to contributions from cosmetics
Mississippi River in Minnesota. The the headwaters of the Flathead River, a giant Avon and its customers. Avon
Conservancy provided critical sup- project completed in September 2012. launched its Hello Green Tomorrow Full page (bleed)
port for an $11 million deal brokered program in 2010 and has since raised
8.375 in x 10.75 in
by The Trust for Public Land, Crow
Wing County and other entities to
protect the property—a haven for
more than $2.7 million for the Conser-
vancy tree-planting project. GUEST RANCH
In The Heart of Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front
the state’s beloved walleye (above).
94,000
40%
Acres encompassed by a new pro-
tected area established by Mexico
on and around the island of Cozumel.
Proportion of the contiguous United With Conservancy help, local group
© DESIGN56/VEER; ALEXRATHS/VEER. ILLUSTRATION: © STEVE SANFORD
States encompassed by the Mis- Amigos de Sian Ka’an built the case for
sissippi River basin. The 1.2-million- the September 2012 declaration.
square-mile landmass discharges
31,000
water into the Gulf of Mexico at a
2.5
rate of 600,000 cubic
2*+(# )*# ( ) " )2
feet per second. 2 #( % $ #.'(& ($)2
Jobs in Iowa created by outdoor 2&/.'( ,* %)2
recreation activities, which inject $717 Miles of Sulphur Creek in Idaho now
CLICK: Find out what’s million into local economies, according safeguarded by a conservation ease-
2 " % )- $$ % 0) % $&( 2
new in your neck of the
woods at nature.org/ to a 2012 Iowa State University study ment agreement between the Con-
wherewework. funded by the Conservancy. The state servancy and the Page family, owners
legislature is considering a small sales of Big Creek Ranch. The easement
tax increase to fund additional parks, secures permanent water flows for
trails and soil conservation projects. chinook salmon and native bull trout. %!&.%## %#+) , )+$$ (,* &%&(&% & &+(*+(# )*&(.&(") &')
' % +** + )*(% &$
24 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013 &+* &("&1 &* +&%*% 3KRWR 5REHUW*UDQ]RZinterview BY COURTNEY LEATHERMAN
of challenges do they face? When you talk to involve corporations. How? I haven’t When you were a kid, your family
“It’s irresponsible to about losing a reef, you’re ultimately los- figured it out yet. I’m used to working moved from Washington state to Vir-
ing it to seaweed. It’s a battle between with fishermen, people in the tour-
call it quits on such an coral and seaweed, fighting for space. ism industry, governments. Now we’re
ginia for what your father described as
work and church reasons. How did that
important habitat.” Seaweed and algae grow a lot faster [than trying to identify the global drivers affect you? My dad would never put it
coral], so corals are at a disadvantage. We that are affecting reefs, like pollution. this way. I was born in a hippie Chris-
DETERMINED: Wear, a marine biologist humans have done a tremendous job of An example would be a sewage treat- tian commune. He would say it was
with The Nature Conservancy, spends aggravating this by fishing the herbivores ment company. Maybe we partner with “intentional living.” We moved for a
her time studying—and fighting for—
coral reefs around the world. that keep the seaweed under control and a company like that to make it more church that was really focused on out-
by pumping nutrients into the system. affordable to bring sewage treatment to reach in the community, doing good
countries that need it—protecting reefs things for people, helping the weak
Speaking of which, you’ve had close calls And these reefs are even more at risk as and helping people. and poor. I was raised in this environ-
in the ocean, right? Yeah, I did have the climate changes? Corals don’t live ment. Social causes were my founda-
a near-drowning experience. I was well beyond a very narrow range of You’ve traveled for work to many of those tion. That continues to be my moral
working as an intern in St. Croix—my temperatures. Even bumping tempera- places—Palau, India, Guam—frequently compass. My focus just happens to be
first job for The Nature Conservancy. tures by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius can be with your two small kids in tow. Short of the environment.
I was out on my own—everyone was catastrophic for a reef.
spread out across the reef—and I
ended up getting cramps in both my That sounds fairly hopeless—but not too
feet and legs. Before then I had been long ago you castigated a New York Times
a lifeguard for five years, and I always opinion writer who said it was a waste of
thought I would just float and relax in time and money to protect coral reefs.
that situation. But it was excruciating, Why? I strongly disagree with him that
and I panicked. there is no hope, that it’s a done deal.
I started yelling, and fortunately The respectable science is demonstrat-
Rob Weary—a competitive swimmer ing lots of examples of recovery and
who also works at the Conservancy— reasons for hope. I think it’s incredibly
saw me and came over. He got me on irresponsible to call it quits on such an
my back and basically swam me 500 important habitat that so many people
yards over to the boat. To this day he depend on.
jokes that I should have named my
firstborn after him. So what can be done for coral reefs? We
as a global community have to figure out
And yet you haven’t been put off by the how to get carbon dioxide emissions
Stephanie Wear oceans and coral reefs. What is it about
them that you find so interesting? The
diversity—it’s hard to get bored. When
down. That’s a tough order. Not impos-
sible. In the meantime, if we could solve
some of the other problems affecting ALL IN THE FAMILY: Wear’s husband Brian Silliman—a marine ecologist himself—and two young
The Conservancy’s leading expert on coral reefs talks I’m out in the water, I love looking reefs—the way coastal areas are devel- children frequently travel with her to coral conservation projects around the globe.
about her fear of scuba diving, nearly drowning and under rocks for cryptic creatures. Tur- oped, the way fisheries are managed,
why she’s hopeful about the future of coral reefs. tles, sharks and dolphins are exciting, sewage discharged—that would benefit knocking them out with Benadryl, I’m Moral compass I get, but you’ve said
but I love to find the little things. It’s so other marine habitats as well. For me, it’s not sure how you survive those trips. We before that the ocean provides you with
I was surprised to learn that you, a all the reefs; it was that I didn’t like complex—the way everything interacts. not just about losing habitats; it’s about haven’t drugged them. My husband balance—even after all the trouble it’s
marine biologist, don’t scuba dive; you the physical sensation. I didn’t like As much as coral reefs have been stud- losing all the things that those habitats travels with me, and most of the time given you? It’s not a simple relationship;
only snorkel. Why is that? I am actually breathing pressurized air. ied, we still don’t totally understand provide to people—essential resources the trips work out. One of the biggest it’s complex. I’ve had a few bumps and
© KARINE AIGNER (ALL)
claustrophobic. I dove in grad school how they function. for human life. challenges is being OK with the fact scrapes and close calls, but nothing that
because I had to for my research. Doesn’t that make it hard to do your job? that your baby might cry, and it’s going would send me to the mountains. The
I didn’t like it. It’s not that I didn’t No. I actually know a famous marine You know better than anyone, however, You also are re-evaluating your approach to bother other people. But everyone ocean makes me feel more good than
like being underwater and seeing biologist who doesn’t even swim. that coral reefs are in trouble. What kinds to coral reef protection and are looking around you was once a baby, too. bad—any day. •
26 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013 M AGA Z I NE .NA TURE .ORG 27work in progress SCIENCE ON THE GROUND
Hot on the Trail
Conservationists call in the dogs to
help track down elusive salamanders.
CLICK: See Frehley
the dog in action at
nature.org/canines.
Full page (bleed)
Between the mountain peaks of southern Colorado
and Great Sand Dunes National Park lies the 103,000-acre
8.375 in x 10.75 in
ZAPATA RANCH
Medieval lore has it that salamanders thrive in fire. CONSERVATION CANINES:
If the legends were true, New Mexico’s endangered A border collie named
Frehley helps field tech- Work side-by-side with cowboys,
Jemez Mountains salamander wouldn’t be struggling nician Nathaniel “Bud”
now that climate change has brought bigger, more Marks look for Jemez observe the resident bison herd and
Mountains salamanders
intense wildfires to the region. To help the species in the Santa Fe National explore the spectacular surroundings.
weather the changes, scientists working with the Forest in New Mexico.
Frehley is one of many
Conservancy first need to know how many salaman- dogs rescued from
ders there are and where they live. But finding them shelters and trained to Enjoy comfortable accommodations in
isn’t easy—if you are human, that is. sniff out species from
mice to orcas. renovated historic facilities.
Yet for a canine tracker from the Center for Conser-
vation Biology, tailing salamanders can become second
nature. Assisted by dogs trained to sniff out hard-to-
© KARINE AIGNER (ALL)
Cowgirl and bison images © Stephen G. Weaver
find species, a forestry team is surveying the salamander (888) 592-7282 Zapata Ranch © Duke Phillips
population in New Mexico so that controlled burns and Ranch landscape and photographer images
other work to reduce the threat of intense wildfires
zranch.org © Erika Nortemann/TNC
won’t harm the salamanders’ habitat. —HEATHER SISAN
28 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013KINGDOM OF THE
HUNGR
The Conservancy’s Palmyra Atoll
has become the ultimate living laboratory
for researchers who spend their days working
in some of the healthiest—and
most dangerous—shark habitat in the world.
ALL HANDS ON DECK: Scientists aboard a research boat implant
a tracking transmitter on a gray reef shark at Palmyra Atoll. BY MATT JENKINS / PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIM CALVERF
“His entire head was in her mouth,” says Amanda
Meyer, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge man-
ager, who was scuba diving nearby. “You could hear the
crunching underwater.”
Then, unexpectedly, the shark backed up, spat him out,
made one more glancing blow at his head and disappeared.
The other divers heaved Pollock into one of their boats
and raced back to the atoll’s research station, where they im-
provised an emergency room in the science lab. Pollock was
in shock and shaking, and covered in blood. “Both his eyelids
were sliced,” says Meyer. “It was just a torn, ripped mess.”
The nearest professional medical help was 1,000 miles
away in Hawaii. Via satellite phone, research station man-
ager Ned Brown reached doctors, who then coached Meyer
and other Conservancy staff through the delicate process of
closing his wounds with stitches and surgical staples.
Miraculously, Pollock’s injuries were light enough
that he was able to remain on the island for another
month—and resume diving—before finally flying out to
FOR YEARS, KYDD POLLOCK HAS DIVED WITH SHARKS. Hawaii. But New Zealand’s Sunday News wasted no time
Yet even now he is awed by the animals’ ability to gather in splashing grisly photos of Pollock under a headline that
together, like specters, seemingly from nowhere. screamed, “Kiwi’s Horror Shark Attack.”
“I’ll scan around and see nothing,” he says. “And only For Pollock, though, getting bitten was simply the cost of
moments later, I can look up again, and they’re right there. trying to understand a world where sharks, not humans, are
They’re just amazing creatures.” in charge. “Even the minute it happened, I’ve never seen it
But on November 11, 2010, Pollock got a terrifying as an attack,” he says. “Sure, the shark bit me. [But] it was us
glimpse of just how wild the animals can be. That day, Pollock, that put the net down. It wasn’t the shark’s fault.”
the chief of marine operations at the Conservancy's Palmyra Pollock was back in the water just 21 days after being
Atoll preserve in the central Pacific, accompanied several re- bitten. Since then, he has racked up lots more dive time
searchers as they boated to the outskirts of the islands. helping scientists carry out their research on Palmyra.
The scientists hoped to corral a cantankerous Napo- There is, in many ways, a sense
leon wrasse they called Big Eddie with a net. Once the of rare opportunity on this group of
group moored their boats, the scientists pursued the fish islands that make up the atoll. Nearly
with scuba gear. Suddenly, a pregnant six-and-a-half-foot 40 million sharks are killed world-
gray reef shark appeared—and, to everyone’s alarm, swam wide each year, and the planet’s coral
straight into the researchers’ net. reefs have suffered widespread de-
Pollock, who grew up working on his dad’s charter struction. Yet Palmyra is different.
fishing boat in New Zealand and fishing and diving in the >> CONTINUED ON PAGE 37
South Pacific’s Cook Islands, has been a big-fish wrangler
all his life. While the scientists worked to untangle the
shark, Pollock removed his scuba gear and snorkeled above Occupational Hazards
to serve as a safety backup. Once free, the disoriented Kydd Pollock recounts the shark bite
he sustained while working at Pal-
shark swam straight for another section of the net. myra. He isn’t alone when it comes
Pollock kicked through the water to pull the net out of to heart-stopping run-ins with ani-
the way, and the shark turned away, as if she were going to mals in the wild. We asked several
swim off. Then, as he gathered the net in his hands, Pollock Conservancy scientists to describe
their wildlife close-encounters and
looked over his shoulder and saw a terrifying sight. how the experience intensified their
“She had spun around and was coming at me, mouth commitment to conservation.
wide open,” he says. “I was the only thing in her way.”
The shark closed her jaw over Pollock’s head, grabbing CLICK: Read these stories and
share your own close encounters COMMITMENT: Even after a gray reef shark bit him on the face and head, Pollock’s enthusiasm for working at
his face mask and skull with her teeth, and began forcing at nature.org/close-encounters. Palmyra has not diminished. As the Conservancy’s chief of marine operations for Palmyra, he continues to dive
him deeper, violently shaking her head as she went. the reefs (top) and helps guide researchers who are studying sharks and ocean conservation.
32 NAT URE CON SER VAN CY MA R CH / APR IL 2013 M A GA Z I NE .NA TURE .ORG 33You can also read
