Bill Ulfelder

Art & Climate Action

June 10, 2021

While we are proudly a science-based organization, The Nature Conservancy also appreciates the power of art and artists to tell us truths and inspire us to act. The creativity, emotion and honesty of art can be far more powerful than data.

This month, I had the pleasure of accompanying artist Maya Lin, journalist Andrew Revkin, Rodale Institute’s Maria Rodale and Perfect Earth Project’s Edwina von Gal for a discussion on climate change, nature and natural climate solutions, with a special focus on Lin’s haunting new work, “Ghost Forest,” now on view at Madison Square Park in New York City through November 14, 2021.

Organized by the Madison Square Park Conservancy, the Greening Public Art symposium brought together artists, environmentalists, journalists, cultural leaders and the public to explore how art and visual stories can move us to act for our planet. You can access the full two-and-a-half-hour recording here; the session I participated in begins at the one-hour mark. 

Bill Ulfelder 
New York Executive Director

Our World, New York: The Difference We Made Together

March 1, 2021

Thanks to your wonderful leadership, The Nature Conservancy has helped to create a thriving world in New York and beyond through our historic Our World, New York campaign. This unprecedented 5-year investment raised nearly $400M to tackle climate change and conserve healthy lands, waters and oceans would not have been possible without your generous support. Looking back, we worked with leaders and communities, committing New York to net zero emissions by 2050, cleaning Long Island’s waters of harmful nitrogen pollution, helped create new marine parks in the Indian Ocean and Caribbean the size of Germany and South Carolina, respectively. I invite you to explore the differences we’ve made together across the Empire State and around the world. I highly recommend our campaign accomplishments video, available via the link above, to get a sense of the breadth and depth of the remarkable difference we made.

Nature unites us, and with your help we are building a resilient, equitable and vibrant future, at home and around the world. 

With profound appreciation,

Bill Ulfelder
New York Executive Director 

A Statement on the Great American Outdoors Act

July 22, 2020

The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act is a tremendous victory for the American people. From the Grand Canyon to Montauk State Park, our lakes, rivers, trails and beaches are part of our national identity and cultural fabric. They provide solace and recreational opportunities to our communities, good-paying jobs and habitat for wildlife – all critical in making our state and nation prosperous. As we all navigate our way through the pandemic, investments in conservation are critical to a healthy and sustainable recovery. The importance of clean air, clean water and access to nature has never been more apparent. The Nature Conservancy is grateful to the entire New York Congressional delegation for their ongoing support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We also appreciate our New York team members and volunteer leaders for their tireless work and dedication to helping to secure this win for all of us.

Bill Ulfelder
New York Executive Director

Nature for All

June 23, 2020

These past months three simultaneous pandemics have been revealed in stark clarity—fast-moving COVID-19, slower moving climate change, and deeply rooted systemic racism. We have also had the financial blow of a recession that has hit New York, the nation and the world hard. All four disproportionately affect vulnerable, at-risk communities. A key to addressing all four is nature.

Nature absorbs carbon to reduce the cause of climate change, and nature, through city trees, oyster reefs, dunes, wetlands, forests and more can help protect us and help us adapt in a climate changing world. Building and protecting these nature-based solutions can be part of the economic stimulus we need to emerge from the recession, along with building the infrastructure for clean, renewable energy.

We know that getting outdoors in nature is a healthy response to the novel coronavirus, both physically and mentally. We go out to walk, to run, to sit, to socialize with our fellow human beings, and to appreciate the natural world around us. And doing so often presents enormous risks to people of color. Unfortunately, there is a long list of names that could be shared, like Ahmaud Arbery and Christian Cooper, that are reminders of the aggression and violence Black people face on a daily basis throughout our country and around the world as they look to spend time outdoors. 

Now, more than ever, it’s critical to remember that people are nature. We are part of the natural world. We cannot have a vibrant, sustainable natural world without equity, justice, inclusion and peace for all of humanity. And we cannot have equity, justice and inclusion without a healthy natural world. “When injustice reigns—whether it is unequal access to nature, unfair and inequitable laws, or police brutality—we must all do our part to push for change,” says The Nature Conservancy’s CEO Jennifer Morris, a statement that rings true today and every day.

These topics are essential to our mission across New York and around the world. We are focused on the links between social justice and climate change, investing more resources and time into things like expanding equitable preserve access, collaborating to advance a vision for a just and equitable urban forest in NYC, and growing partnerships that promote climate resilience while holistically thinking about the human benefits and impacts of our work.  

We know there is more to be done. We are as committed as ever to this work while we redouble our efforts to create a world where all of nature, humanity included, can thrive.

Bill Ulfelder
New York Executive Director

COVID-19 Update

March 23, 2020

As New York and the world grapple with a new reality, I hope this message finds you and those you love safe and healthy.

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting our lives in profound ways, I’m reminded more so than ever of the peace, tranquility and restorative power that nature provides us all.

The Nature Conservancy in New York takes our commitment to the safety of our team members, partners, trustees and supporters very seriously. With all of our offices across the state closed, we continue to work remotely in an effective, and safe, manner. We are as committed as ever to our mission and continue our work to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. 

Currently, most of our preserves remain open, but please check the individual preserve pages for any closing notifications before you visit. Consistent with Governor Cuomo’s Executive Orders, we encourage all New Yorkers to stay home as much as possible. If you do plan on visiting, stay local and close to your home. When venturing outside, please be sure you are in good health and practice social distancing. If you arrive at a preserve and notice crowds are forming, choose another trail, a different preserve or another day or time to visit. To find an alternative local spot to enjoy nature’s sanctuary, view our preserve map.

Getting outdoors is not always possible and I am heartened to see many of us strengthen our connection to nature in other ways—whether sharing some favorite nature images, tuning into a wildlife cam or exploring virtual nature tours.

As we navigate these unprecedented times, we are continually monitoring the situation and adjusting as needed. Know that it is my intention to keep you, our Conservancy supporters, as updated as possible. 

Today and always, I am especially grateful for your support as we work together to create a world where all of nature, including humanity, thrives. 

Stay well,

Bill Ulfelder
New York Executive Director