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The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

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The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Forward Thinking

Some of Delaware’s plants and animals survive just fine on the edges of forests – slightly hidden, but not far from civilization. These small patches of forest, scattered among farmlands and other human development, even favor species such as raccoons, crows and hawks. White-tailed deer thrive in the modern fragmented landscape, often doing significant damage to trees and shrubs bridging the gap between human development and native interior forests, which are becoming increasingly imperiled.

In order to increase the size of Delaware’s interior forests, the Conservancy works around the state to protect and build on what remains. This includes engaging in “forward thinking restoration,” which involves envisioning the landscape prior to human interference, and then taking steps towards restoring it as it once was.

A little “detective work” can turn up many clues to the past. For example, agricultural lands experiencing seasonal floods lasting from winter through spring often represent the hallmark of small wetlands once dotting Delaware’s large, interior forests. Such knowledge informs reforestation efforts in need of hydrologic restoration as a key component.

Forward thinking restoration also benefits from communicating with farmers and other landowners who have worked and lived in Delaware over several generations. Their knowledge of local woodlands and marshes often reveals marvelously preserved habitat that otherwise might have gone unnoticed. By listening to their stories, and asking focused questions about specific places of interest, a picture of the historic landscape quickly emerges