--- title: New Leadership, Same Mission! | Unique Places to Save description: Unique Places to Save has a new leadership team, continuing their mission of land restoration & conservation. Learn about their vision and ongoing projects. image: https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/chub_backup/point%20farm%20conservation%20mitigation%20easement.jpg --- [![Unique Places to Save logo](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hs-fs/hubfs/logo%20horizontal-1.png?width=1254&height=380&name=logo%20horizontal-1.png "Unique Places to Save logo")](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/) - [PROJECTS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/projects) - SERVICES - [FOR MITIGATION BANKERS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/conservation-mitigation) - [FOR LAND MANAGERS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/land-planners-managers) - [FOR LANDOWNERS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/conservation-for-landowners) - [FOR RESTORATION PARTNERS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/dam-removals) - ABOUT - [OUR GOALS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/our-goals) - [OUR VALUES](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/our-values) - [OUR TEAM](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/team) - [CONTACT US](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/contact) - UPDATES - [CONSERVATION EASEMENTS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/conservation-easements) - [MITIGATION BANKING](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/mitigation-banking) - [WORKING LANDS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/working-lands) - [RIVERS, WETLANDS & DAMS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/rivers-wetlands-dams) - [CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/conservation-and-development) - [CONSERVATION STORIES](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/conservation-stories) - [ORGANIZATION NEWS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/organization-news) - [ALL POSTS](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news) [Donate](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/wetland-keepers) [Donate](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/wetland-keepers) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ![A tidal pond fringed with marsh grass and old tree stumps, backed by pine woods under a blue sky.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/chub_backup/point%20farm%20conservation%20mitigation%20easement.jpg) # New Leadership, Same Mission! Nathan Phillips - July 2024 ![](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/raw_assets/public/unique-places-theme/images/sep-1-0.png) Two years ago, Clark Harris stepped up from our Board of Directors to lead Unique Places to Save through a planned two-year transition period. His work focused on leadership development and visioning for the organization and we are a much stronger and more focused organization thanks to his efforts. As this transition period comes to a close, two of our long-serving team members - Dr. Christine Pickens & Michael Scisco - are stepping up as Co-Executive Directors of Unique Places to Save. Clark will be moving back to the Board of Directors to continue his valued service to the organization. Christine is a wetland ecologist with over 15 years of experience in ecological research, restoration project management, and partnership building. She ensures that organizational decision-making is grounded in evidence-based knowledge. Her current on-the-ground efforts are focused on multidisciplinary coordination of dam removal, conservation of imperiled wetland types, and expanding public access to nature. Check out [Dr. Christine Picken's bio](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/christine-pickens-executive-director) to learn more about her background in research and restoration. Michael has spent nearly 20 years in the land conservation and real estate industries working with private landowners to help them strategize and conserve their lands and natural resources. He has direct experience in conservation funding and planning for parks, greenspaces, green infrastructure, large rural properties, and other landscape scale and local conservation efforts. [Michael Scisco's bio](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/michael-scisco-conservation-expert) provides more information about his extensive work in conservation and natural resource management. Due to their deep knowledge of our organization, our work and our goals, Christine & Michael will continue to advance the mission of Unique Places to Save; to restore and conserve high-quality land and aquatic resources. Clark's important work to shape the vision and mission for our organization has sharpened our focus and impact as we continue to provide conservation easement services for mitigation banks and are deeply involved in multiple dam removal projects. We are also expanding our conservation easement services to private landowners who wish to conserve their land and protect wildlife habitat, agricultural heritage, viewsheds, and other conservation values important to them, their families and communities. Our new leadership team has well over 30 years combined experience in the restoration and conservation space. Christine and Michael’s leadership will highlight the organization’s service-oriented and science-based spirit that have served our partners and communities well over the past 12 years. With our new leadership team, Unique Places to Save is well-positioned to continue growing its programs and building a stronger foundation for its future. We are looking forward to sharing this journey with you. Together, we can restore and conserve more of the unique places that are important to the future of our communities. Sign Up for our Newsletter ![Blackberries ripening on a bramble at the edge of a young pine forest.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/photo%20of%20poes%20landing%20conservation%20easement.jpg) [Unique Places to Save](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/unique-places-to-save), [Organization News](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/organization-news) Michael Scisco, October 2026 ### [Poe's Landing | Conservation Mitigation Easement](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/poes-landing-conservation-mitigation-easement) Total Acres 321 Project Year 2026 Located in York County, South Carolina Covering approximately 320.69 acres within the Upper Broad River Basin, the easement safeguards critical aquatic corridors including Bullock Creek, Bells Creek, 11 unn... ![A slow stream winds through an open wetland meadow lined with cattails and shrubs, with a band of trees on the horizon under a golden evening sky.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/image%20of%20wetlands%20conservation.jpg) [Unique Places to Save](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/unique-places-to-save), [Organization News](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/organization-news) Michael Scisco, September 2026 ### [What Happens After a Mitigation Bank is Complete?](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/mitigation-bank-long-term-management) Regulatory closeout is a major milestone for a mitigation bank. It confirms that the required restoration or enhancement work has been completed, performance standards have been met, and the formal monitoring and maintenance period can end.... ![Pink survey flagging tied to shrubs along a marsh-lined creek on the Point Farm conservation easement, with a weathered stump standing in the still water.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/point%20farm%20conservation%20mitigation%20easement.jpg) [Unique Places to Save](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/unique-places-to-save), [Organization News](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/organization-news) Mandi Taylor, September 2026 ### [The Impossibility of Capturing Nature in a PDF](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/baseline-documentation-report) Every profession has the gap between what the job looks like on paper and what actually happens on the ground. In land conservation, that divide can be neatly summarized by one specific, legal document: the Baseline Documentation Report (BD... ![Mandi Taylor smiling beside a tree in bare winter woods, wearing a cap and a daypack, with pine needles covering the slope behind her.](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/hubfs/mandi%20in%20the%20field.jpg) [Unique Places to Save](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/unique-places-to-save), [Organization News](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/tag/organization-news) Mandi Taylor, September 2026 ### [Behind the Scenes of Land Stewardship](https://uniqueplacestosave.org/news/what-does-a-land-steward-do) When people think of land conservation wins, they usually picture all the work and coordination required to place land with rich ecological, historical, or cultural value into a conservation easement. And they are right to celebrate those e... 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