| 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...