Chesapeake Conservancy

Conserve: more than 18 million people call the Chesapeake home. As a result of associated development, thousands of acres of open space disappear each year. We are in a race against time to conserve, protect, and restore what makes the Chesapeake so special before it is too late. We believe that land conservation has one of the greatest impacts on water quality and in restoring the health of the bay. We partner with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private landowners to practice large landscape conservation and restore vital natural systems. Chesapeake Conservancy strives to change the effort-based conservation movement to evidence-based and results oriented. We defend existing public programs and strengthen market-based solutions.

Restore: using the high-resolution gis mapping data, the Chesapeake Conservancy implements precision conservation putting the right landscape restoration practices in the right places at the right scale. We work with federal, state, and local governments and other local partners to use data to prioritize restoration opportunities and implement high-ranking restoration projects to demonstrate that not all acres and not all projects are equal. By concentrating effort and working in partnership at high-ranking projects, we can deliver greater ecosystem benefits.

Innovate: as conservation entrepreneurs, Chesapeake Conservancy uses technology and innovation to practice precision conservation. We help partners with cutting-edge data, tools, knowledge and expertise to make better conservation decisions and protect and restore the places that matter, saving resources and improving results. This innovation will enable the conservation movement to reach goals and ultimately work towards a protected watershed and healthy environment.

Connect: the Chesapeake bay is a national treasure and should be accessible for everyone and a place where people and wildlife can thrive. Chesapeake Conservancy is proud to be the principal partner with the national park service helping to administer both the Chesapeake bay gateways program and the captain john smith Chesapeake national historic trail, delivering programs including the roving ranger and findyourchesapeake.com. Through these programs and in partnership with other organizations and government agencies, we help build parks, trails and programs that connect the public to the Chesapeake. By enabling a diverse population to explore, learn, enjoy and become inspired by the nature, cultural history and wildlife throughout the Chesapeake bay watershed, we hope to build stewardship.