Snow Lake Located in the Lucia S. Nash Preserve, Snow Lake is an ancient kettle lake, created when glaciers once covered northern Ohio. © Randall Schieber
Imagine a world where people are not separate from nature, but intertwined with it. A world where our lands and waters are protected and restored, where people, wildlife and nature can thrive.
The Nature Conservancy’s vision for Ohio and the world is built on the understanding that people are a part of nature. We know that communities and local economies can thrive alongside Ohio’s irreplaceable forests, streams, wetlands and grasslands.
You are helping us bring this vision to life.
Together, our efforts will yield positive impacts for every Ohioan—all 11.7 million of us and counting—and the billions more who benefit from the shared systems that connect Ohio and the Midwest to the rest of our planet.
Our United By Nature Goals
Ohio is home to diverse natural areas, plants and wildlife. But they face an uncertain future. We’ve chosen the following areas where, together, we can make the greatest impact—click each tile to learn more.
Securing Clean Waters
Ohio’s waters have supported people since the arrival of the region’s earliest Indigenous communities. They have shaped our state’s borders—and our identity. They are irreplaceable, driving a natural rhythm that provides vital drinking water, feeds our communities, powers our economy, guides wildlife and draws people to the water’s edge from across the nation and internationally.
But our waters are vulnerable. We will preserve and restore wetlands and streams in strategic locations across the state and partner with the agriculture community to adopt practices that lead not only to overall farm sustainability, but to healthier waters for people and wildlife.
Our Goals for Clean Water
- Restore 23,000 acres of wetlands, floodplains and stream corridors to filter nutrients and improve water quality
- Protect 16 miles and restore 5.5 miles of stream to offset impacts from development
- Increase adoption of conservation practices, such as cover crops, conservation tillage and 4R nutrient management, on 8 million acres of farmland to improve soil health and water quality
- Advocate for long-term funding for H2Ohio and promote public policy that increases the adoption of soil health and nutrient management practices
Conserving Climate-Resilient Lands
Ohio is home to incredibly diverse natural areas that provide critical habitat for plants and animals, filter the water we drink, and produce the air we breathe.
Unfortunately, Ohio ranks near the bottom for publicly protected land, making most of Ohio’s natural areas highly susceptible to development and fragmentation. As a result, it's difficult for wildlife to live, thrive and migrate in a changing climate. And in many places, invasive species have become commonplace, which can devastate a landscape and the native plants and animals it supports.
With so few of Ohio’s natural areas under federal or state protection, the work of private conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy is essential to the existence of the lands we cherish. Protecting these lands will require acting strategically and increasing the capacity of others.
Our Goals for Climate-Resilient Lands
- Protect 38,000 acres of Ohio’s most climate-resilient lands
- Improve ecological management on 14,000 acres to treat and reduce the spread of invasive species, pests and pathogens
- Ensure dollars in the Land and Water Conservation Fund and other public grant programs are directed toward conservation priorities that advance our mission
- Implement the 30x30 framework, a roadmap to conserve 30% of the planet in a natural state by 2030
Driving Action on Climate
Climate change is not a distant threat. Across the Midwest, crop yields are affected by increased flooding, droughts and severe weather. From rising and warming waters in Lake Erie to heat islands with poor air quality that disproportionally affect poor and minority communities, climate change impacts us all. And not just us—plant and animal species are approaching the limit of where they can go to find hospitable climates.
We have a responsibility and an opportunity to address climate change right here in Ohio. We will use our respected reputation with decision-makers to improve the dialogue around climate change and advance policies that promote a low-carbon future. And we will work with private landowners to better protect the lungs of our planet—our forests—through new, innovative models of conservation.
Our Goals for Science-Based Action on Climate
- Introduce new programs of conservation to capture carbon and drive revenue back to the landowner and community
- Remove the CO2 equivalent of 150,000 cars from the road annually through forest and agricultural carbon sequestrationI
- Increase support for policies that incentivize renewable energy and emphasize energy efficiency
- Strengthen bipartisan support for climate action and improve the narrative around climate change
Your Impact in Ohio
Through contributions to The Nature Conservancy in Ohio’s United By Nature campaign, supporters like you have made an impact in all of our work for nature and people. Here are just a few of the milestones we have achieved together.
Your Contributions in Action
-
1,700
Acres of land protected.
-
18,000
Acres of wetlands restored by both TNC and partners.
-
12,000
Acres of natural areas managed with partners.
-
770,000
Metric tons of CO2 removed from the atmosphere.
Make a Difference
For more than 60 years, people like you have helped The Nature Conservancy protect Ohio's lakes, forests, winding rivers and rolling hills. We’re building on that legacy and bringing people together to help solve today’s biggest conservation challenges from climate change and habitat loss to protecting clean water.
Restoring Ohio's Waters
From the shores of Lake Erie to the banks of the Ohio River, water sustains us. We rely on it for drinking water, industry, recreation and so much more. Lake Erie alone supplies drinking water to 11 million people.
In 2023, TNC worked to restore and protect our waters and the lands that cradle them to ensure that we protect our health and wellbeing today and into the future.
A Win for Clean Water
Thanks to partners and support from people like you, we have restored 7.2 miles of streams and more than 155 acres of wetlands over the past two years through 13 projects led by the Ohio Mitigation Program, with 23 additional projects in various stages of implementation or evaluation.
Explore Our Work in Water
Throughout Ohio, TNC is working to protect and restore Ohio's water, from wetlands to rivers and beyond. Follow the links below to learn more about our efforts to secure clean water for every person in Ohio.
-
Securing Clean Water for Ohio
The health and wellbeing of 11 million people in Ohio is directly tied to the health of our water. Discover how we're protecting clean water for all. Learn More
-
Restoring Sandusky Bay
Working with partners throughout Ohio, TNC is helping to revitalize the waters and wetlands that flow into Sandusky Bay. Learn More
We Can’t Save Nature Without You
Sign up to receive monthly conservation news and updates from Ohio. Get a preview of Ohio's Nature News email.
Protecting Ohio’s Lands
Climate change and loss of biodiversity threaten the future of people and nature worldwide. The Nature Conservancy is addressing these interconnected issues by conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends.
Here in Ohio, we’re doing our part by conserving valuable habitats that will help us achieve our climate and biodiversity goals. By protecting and restoring habitats like wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes and forests, TNC is helping to reconnect fragmented habitats for plants and wildlife while ensuring the resiliency of these systems to support people and nature in a changing climate.
A Win for Land Protection
In 2023, we acquired and protected three parcels of land, adding 287 acres to our Edge of Appalachia preserve. The Frame tract, Portman tract, and Wayne Moore tract protect some of Ohio's most resilient watersheds, rare prairie habitats, forested hills and uncommon and state-listed species.
Explore Our Land Protection Work
From the wet prairies near Toledo to the forests buffering Cincinnati and all the greenspace between them—TNC is working to protect, restore and reconnect Ohio's most climate-resilient lands.
-
Conserving Ohio's Climate-Resilient Lands
Ohio's natural areas support a thriving recreation industry and an array of plants and wildlife. Discover how we're protecting climate-resilient lands for all. Learn More
-
Protecting Places Crucial for Nature in Ohio
Ohio’s natural areas are as bountiful as they are beautiful. Discover how we're safeguarding biodiversity through land protection across the state. Learn More
Driving Climate Action in Ohio
Climate change is no longer a crisis of the distant future. It's here, now. We see it happening in extreme wildfires, droughts, floods, hotter temperatures and rising sea levels. To survive, we need to adapt our thinking and our actions to account for the severe changes we already see happening.
But to thrive in the coming years, we need to lean on and into nature and the cost-effective solutions that already exist. While there is no one, true solution to the myriad of issues we face from climate disruptions, we have hope. From practical solutions such as solar panels to poltical advocacy and growing partnerships, TNC is working on diverse and innovative solutions to tackle the growing climate challenges.
A Win for Climate Action
We installed solar panels at the Grand River Conservation Campus to help power pavilion lights, nature center and electric vehicle charging stations, all while saving the amount of CO2 emitted by 111 tons of coal over the next 30 years.
Explore Our Climate Action Work
We are all connected by the water we drink, the air we breathe and the lands that feed us. Yet the world’s rapidly changing climate is straining the systems we rely on to live. TNC in Ohio is turning to nature for science-based solutions to tackle climate change in the state.
-
Creating Solutions for Climate Change in Ohio
limate change threatens the health of people and the planet, but nature can help. Learn how TNC is creating a climate-resilient future for Ohio. Learn More
-
Creating a Clean Energy Future in Ohio
TNC is helping to create a renewable energy future in Ohio that benefits the economy and reduces impacts to nature. Discover how we're doing it.
Our Impact Beyond Ohio
Ohio was the first TNC chapter to financially support conservation work outside the U.S. Since then, The Nature Conservancy has emerged as a global problem solver and a respected voice for nature in some of Earth’s most remote places.
Now more than ever, we have a unique opportunity to positively impact the health of the natural world, and the communities that depend on them. We understand the imperative need to halt climate change and biodiversity loss, and believe achieving global change starts at home.
With 2030 organizational goals as our North Star, Ohio is developing and leading tangible projects and programs that benefit people and nature beyond our state. At the same time, we are drawing from scientific research, Indigenous wisdom and diverse partnerships locally and globally to create a healthier, more resilient planet for all.
And you are a vital part of our work. Because of your generosity and support, we're not only able to set ambitious goals for a thriving future—we're strongly positioned to meet those goals.
Ways to Give
There are many ways to give to The Nature Conservancy that aren’t a cash gift or pledge. Many of TNC’s supporters give in other ways that better suit their individual situations. Four of the most common are listed below. Like other charitable gifts, they can provide significant tax advantages. If you are interested in having a conversation with a member of our Development Team about these or other options for giving to TNC, please reach out to Meg Sekas, Development Operations Manager, at meg.sekas@tnc.org or by phone at 380-206-2172.
-
Gifts for Today
The threats to our natural world have never been greater and the need for bold solutions has never been more urgent. Your gift today puts the best conservation science into action right now. Make your United by Nature gift today.
-
The Legacy Club
Legacy Club members—those who include TNC in their estate plans—are critical to long-term conservation success and stability. More than 20 percent of the funds TNC raises globally for conservation come from Legacy Club gifts. Learn more about the Legacy Club.
-
Donor Advised Fund
A cost-effective and efficient alternative to establishing a private foundation, this flexible fund represents a commitment to TNC that also preserves the donor’s ability to choose how and when distributions are made, at their own pace. Learn more about Donor Advised Funds.
-
Charitable IRA Rollover
Some donors are surprised to find that they can put their IRAs to work for nature! Direct distributions from one’s IRA to TNC can be made without incurring income tax on the withdrawal, while also protecting Wisconsin’s lands and waters. Learn about Charitable IRA donations.
Explore More in Ohio
10 Endangered Species Crucial to Ohio’s Biodiversity
A diversity of wildlife supports lives and livelihoods across our state—here’s how we're ensuring it thrives for generations to come.
Protecting Native Plants in Ohio
Native plants are the foundation of Ohio's ecosystems. Discover how TNC is supporting native plant communities and how you can help at home.
Returning Fire to Ohio's Lands
While fire is often viewed as a destructive force, scientists say the correct use of wildland fire can save money, protect lives and improve wildlife habitat.