Conserv™ influences the way that local and regional economies interact with their natural assets. We work through a variety of initiatives to inject environmental externalities into consumers’ purchasing decisions for a wide range of products and services. Our projects are each a search for ways to link economic prosperity with ecosystem health. We work in the mid-atlantic and southeast regions of the U.S.

2010 Initiatives

Forests to Faucets

The Forests to Faucets Initiative (F2F) will create a pilot process to link urban water consumers and rural landowners in a water supply reservoir serving Charlottesville, Virginia. The program features the development of a unique model to compare the efficiency of natural vs. built infrastructure to enhance four ecosystem services to retain nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment , and summer baseflow into the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. Should the project reveal that conservation is a more efficient mechanism than constructed public works projects such as dredging and new dam construction, water utilities with reservoirs threatened with nutrient enrichment or siltation may seek ways to fund conservation as a more cost efficient path to water quality enhancement.

Contact Conserv Director of Research Dr. Nick Evans at nickonthebike@gmail.com for more information.

Rappahannock Exchange

The Rappahannock Exchange is a pilot economic platform to incentivize the sale of Bay-friendly products and ecosystem services in the Rappahannock River Basin of Central Virginia. The Initiative, launched in 2009, aims to increase the Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) buffering capacity of the watershed through the creation of ecosystem services projects while reducing the sources of N and P through targeted product and service marketing and tracking projects.  The multi-year Initiative features the development of a watershed-wide Nutrient Cooperative or Utility to manage the watershed’s nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and a Marketplace facilitating the transaction of products and services that will help meet federal water pollution goals.

Contact Director of Marketplace Development “Buzz” Van Santvoord at vansantvoord@verizon.net for more information.

Association for Conservation Real Estate

The Association of Conservation Real Estate began in 2006 as a pilot project in Charlottesville, Virginia to facilitate conservation through day to day real estate transactions. From 2007-2009 approximately 2 dozen real estate professionals were trained to become American Conservation Brokers through the Association’s American Conservation Broker certification and training program. This year, Conserv will open a new Chapter in Atlanta, Georgia with a rebranding and expanded focus for The Association - as a clearinghouse for the exchange of information between real estate and conservation professionals in the Southeast.

Contact Director of Real Estate Pam Sunderland at pamelasunderland@ymail.com for more information.

2006-2009 Programs

Deep Green Classifieds

Deep Green Classifieds is a first-generation environmental assets and ecosystem services classified advertising site. All listings are free. The purpose of Deep Green is to help parties that engage in conservation make money. Technically, Deep Green currently focuses on what the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment labels Cultural and Provisioning Ecosystem Services—those services that we humans utilize for recreation and spiritual pursuits and those we use for production of food and water. These services have been monetized to varying degrees. Conserv is working with other governmental and NGO partners to create marketplaces for other categories of ecosystem services, such as Regulating (control of climate and disease), Supporting (nutrient cycles and crop pollination), and Preserving (maintenance of biological diversity).

Deep Green brings together conservation-minded persons and organizations in search of:

• Leasing and sale of recreational rights;
• Leasing and sale of food, fiber, water, energy, and water rights;
• Recreational services wanted;
• Food, fiber, energy, and water rights wanted;
• Properties with environmental assets for sale;
• Properties with environmental assets wanted;
• Conservation jobs;
• Conservation/preservation services offered, and
• Conservation/preservation services wanted.

Conservation Real Estate

Conserv™ defines Conservation Real Estate as property that currently has or will have approved stewardship practices. Only American Conservation Brokers or other special listings approved by Conserv staff can be listed as Conservation Real Estate.

Broker Education

Conserv™ has created the American and International Conservation Broker training programs. These certifications provide instruction to brokers and agents about the ethical, scientific, and procedural dimensions of conservation real estate transactions. The entire American Conservation Broker certification is available as an on-line curriculum. Only properties listed by American Conservation Brokers or authorized by specially authorized by Conserv staff have listings appearing on the homepage.

Join Conserv

Are you interested in utilizing the Conserv logo for business purposes? Membership in Conserv costs $10.00 per year. Members receive access to Conserv logos, stationary, etc.

General Public Education

Conserv™ has created an on-line blog and Sustainability Blackboard that provides an educational forum to buyers, sellers, land trusts, conservation organizations, governmental agencies, and the general public to discuss any market-based conservation topic. These forums explain the principles of private property marketplace conservation, the techniques to use the listing function, and the success stories of buyers, sellers, and brokers that have used Conserv to protect our natural heritage. The public may also join Conserv™ and as a member have access to downloadable education and marketing resources unavailable to the general public.

Background

Conserv is a 501 c-6 non-profit U.S. corporation and owns the American  Conservation Broker Certification program and related environmental asset and ecosystem service marketplaces. Conserv’s staff is advised by a volunteer Board of Directors. Conserv™ has evolved out of the realization that government and non-profit organizations must identify new conservation strategies to more fully protect our planet’s biological diversity. To do this, our economy must move toward a far greater degree of ecological-friendliness. The thinking behind Conserv™ is based on the writings of Dr. Herman Daly (For the Common Good and Beyond Growth), on Sustainable Development research conducted by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission in Charlottesville, Virginia in the 1990s, on sustainable development educational programs conducted by the Environmental Education Center, a former 501-c-3 non-profit educational center also in Charlottesville, and prototype conservation real estate sales experiences of Conserv™ Staff and Board REALTORS in 2004-2007.