| Sam Warnock, April 2025
How Dam Removals Sustain & Enhance Natural Capital - Part Two
In the first part of our series, we explored the historical significance of dams and the myriad benefits they have provided over the centuries, from hydroelectric power to flood control. We also highlighted the serious environmental drawbac...
| Sam Warnock, April 2025
How Dam Removals Sustain & Enhance Natural Capital - Part One
While dams provide significant benefits, such as reliable water sources and energy with relatively low maintenance costs, these advantages often come at a cost to the environment. Dams can disrupt ecosystems, alter river flows, and generall...
| 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 ...
| Christine Pickens, March 2025
A Season of Change: Our 2024 Annual Report
We are proud to present our 2024 Annual Report which highlights our work to restore and conserve land and water across the country. This year, we expanded our work to new states with exciting projects that protect vulnerable species, preser...
| 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...
| Sam Warnock, October 2024
Natural Capital and Its Value to the Economy
When you think of capital, you probably think of money or investments. But at its core, capital is anything that: Stores or confers value Generates benefits Grows in value over time We’re all familiar with financial capital—the money and re...
| 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...
| 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...
| Sam Warnock, August 2024
How to Value Ecosystem Services
Economics is all about determining how to best use our limited resources, and assigning a value to these can help us understand how scarce these resources are. When we value ecosystem services and biodiversity, we show what we're willing to...
| Nathan Phillips, July 2024
New Leadership, Same Mission!
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 s...
| Sam Warnock, June 2024
What are Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services (ES) is a buzzword that often appears when discussing ways to protect the environment. Although the term has been around since the 1980s, there’s a lot of confusion behind what it conveys. We’ll discuss ES’s meaning and h...
| Sam Warnock, April 2024
Securing the Food Supply by Preserving Local Farmland
Many global challenges include climate change, population growth, and economic instability. However, the preservation of local farmland emerges as a linchpin in the quest for sustainability and resilience.
| Christine Pickens, March 2024
The State of Wetlands in the US
Historically, wetlands were misunderstood and undervalued, often dismissed as mere wastelands. This misconception led to widespread practices of filling them in or using them as dumping sites. However, our contemporary understanding has evo...
| Michael Scisco, February 2024
Opportunities for Real Estate Developers in North Carolina's Conservation Efforts
Last year marked a significant turning point for many real estate developers in North Carolina. It was the start of an era where the paths of development and environmental conservation not only met but intertwined, offering a golden opportu...
| Christine Pickens, February 2024
Rivers Through the Seasons: A Majestic Journey of Flowing Water
Rivers are part of the fundamental support system for our environment and an essential part of the framework for economies and societies worldwide. Their importance cannot be overstated, yet their significance is often overlooked. In this b...
| Christine Pickens, February 2024
How Healthy Rivers Impact Us & Our Local Communities
Rivers are the lifeblood of our communities, providing invaluable benefits that extend far beyond their flowing waters. In the United States, a network of rivers crisscrosses the landscape, offering many advantages to both people, the econo...
| 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
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.
| Nathan Phillips, January 2024
Christine Pickens | Executive Director
Dr. Christine Pickens is a wetland ecologist with over 15 years of experience in ecological research, restoration project management, and partnership building on projects in North Carolina, Louisiana, Ohio, Georgia, and California.
| Michael Scisco, January 2024
Michael Scisco | Conservation Expert
Michael is a trusted expert contractor that manages our land conservation program. He has spent over 15 years in the non-profit land conservation industry with another 10 years working as a consultant to private landowners for conservation ...