| Mandi Taylor, August 2025
Conservation: Deeper Than the Natural Resources
Land conservation is a powerful tool that has consistently proven to benefit public health, boost economies, and reduce effects of natural disasters. While we have access to ample data that highlights the tangible benefits of land conservat...
| Mandi Taylor, August 2025
The Untapped Power of Protecting Surface Water
Clean surface water is vital for human survival, as it is one of the primary contributors to our drinking water sources. We know that, but in the hustle and bustle of life it is easy to forget how important and interconnected everything is....
| Caroline Sevier, August 2025
How Conservation Helps Keep PFAS Out of Water
Have you ever seen a new acronym online and wondered what it meant? In a world swimming with acronyms like LOL and YOLO, you are definitely not the only one. PFAS isn’t a trendy new text lingo, but actually a dangerous source of widespread ...
| Michael Scisco, August 2025
Lasting Conservation Depends on Private Commitment
Across the United States, mountain slopes, productive farmland, forested valleys, and headwater streams define the character of our shared natural heritage. While public lands such as national parks and forests often get the spotlight, the ...
| Mandi Taylor, June 2025
How Working Lands Unlock Community Benefits
If you are an avid reader of our blog posts, you probably have a pretty good understanding of what we mean when we reference “working lands.” Farms, ranches, some forests, and lands where people can hunt or fish are often called working lan...
| Christine Pickens, May 2025
Conserving a Transitional Wetland in a Rapidly Developing Estuary
In partnership with New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District, and funding provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 14 acres of floating marsh located on Eagles Island were permanently protected. This critical site expa...
| Mandi Taylor, May 2025
How Green Spaces Improve Our Immune System
Like many other millennials, I grew up hearing tales of hardship from the older generations - like the infamous 12-mile, uphill both ways trek to school. We were often labeled as “soft” compared to their experiences. Now, when seeing the yo...
| Mandi Taylor, April 2025
How Wetlands Impact Insurance Costs - Part Two
In the first part of our research into how wetlands impact insurance costs, we discussed the decline of wetlands across the U.S., amplified by recent legal changes that leave millions of acres unprotected. Now, we connect that ecological lo...
| Mandi Taylor, April 2025
How Wetlands Impact Insurance Costs - Part One
Welcome to the first installment of our Conservation Cares series! We often hear about land and natural resource conservation in broad strokes, but how does it tangibly affect our daily lives? This series of topics illustrates how different...
| Mandi Taylor, April 2025
The Importance of Stewardship in Conservation
When you hear about land and resource conservation, the focus is often on the big moments: a large parcel of land being protected in perpetuity, a forest is spared from development, or a critical habitat is preserved for wildlife. But what ...
| Michael Scisco, January 2025
The Financial Basics of Conservation Easements
Conservation easements are voluntary agreements landowners can utilize to permanently protect their property from incompatible uses. They also have fairly significant financial incentives that can benefit landowners by providing tax deducti...
| Christine Pickens, December 2024
The Mid-Reaches: Part Two on River Ecology & Conservation
Welcome back to our series on river ecology and conservation. This is a follow-up article to one published recently about headwater river ecology & conservation. If you haven’t read that yet, hop over there first! Otherwise, keep swimming d...
| Christine Pickens, November 2024
At The Headwaters: Part One on River Ecology & Conservation
This blog post is the first of a three part series on River Ecology & Conservation by Christine Pickens, PhD. At Unique Places to Save, we put a special emphasis on protecting aquatic resources. One of the most prominent aquatic resource fe...
| Mandi Taylor, November 2024
Nurtured by Nature: Why Outdoor Recreation Matters
While the benefits of being outdoors–such as soaking up vitamin D, boosting your mood, and getting more exercise–has always been emphasized, the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for recreational activities and social interacti...
| Mandi Taylor, September 2024
First Days at Unique Places to Save
My first day in the field as a Conservation Specialist took me to Jigsaw, a 21.54-acre conservation easement property immediately adjacent to a working farm. This property is a mix of mature forested stream buffer and restored in-stream hab...
| Michael Scisco, September 2024
An Introduction to Conservation Easements
A conservation easement can be a desirable tool in very specific instances where landowner, land management and fiscal goals meet. They are a unique solution for many landowners who wish to conserve and protect their investment in their lan...
| Mandi Taylor, September 2024
Mandi Taylor | Conservation Specialist
Hi everyone! My name is Mandi and I am thrilled to be part of the Unique Places to Save team, and continue to help advance our ongoing conservation and restoration efforts. I bring experience in public health, project management, and commun...
| Nathan Phillips, February 2024
Boiling Spring Wilderness Receives the Third Largest Grant in NC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3rd Largest Grant in 2023 Awarded By State to Fund Conservation of 978 Acres of Boiling Spring Wilderness The North Carolina Land and Water Fund Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday, September 20th to award Unique Plac...
| Sam Warnock, February 2024
A History of Land Trusts in North Carolina
North Carolina, with its diverse landscapes ranging from the Appalachian Mountains in the west to the coastal plains in the east, has an incredible range of unique places worth saving. Despite the modern form of land conservation being rela...
| Michael Scisco, February 2024
Cate's Farm Farmland Conservation
Unique Places to Save partnered with the City of Mebane to assist with their master planning process that garnered community input for this remarkable rural property as part of their park concept. Unique Places to Save partnered with the Ci...
| Nathan Phillips, February 2024
Box Creek Wilderness Land Preservation
Unique Places To Save Provided Online Technology to Help Prevent a Power Line Over One of the Largest Natural Heritage Areas in North Carolina Unique Places To Save conducted an online outreach and education campaign in coordination with ou...
| Michael Scisco, February 2024
Why Conservation Matters during North Carolina’s Rapid Growth Phase
North Carolina has abundant natural resources that contribute significantly to the state's economy, environment, and overall quality of life. Our state's landscapes provide many opportunities for outdoor recreation, improved water quality, ...
| Nathan Phillips, January 2024
Sam Warnock | Aquatic Resources Manager
Sam is dedicated to managing and protecting our aquatic resources, bringing over seven years of expertise in environmental consulting and project management.