Our Values | Unique Places to Save | 501c3 Conservation Land Trust

Hello!

Unique Places to Save is a group of committed professionals who share a passion for high-functioning ecological, aquatic, and agricultural systems. Our board of directors is composed of business owners and individuals who think outside the box. They have experience across various industries from real estate development to software startups.

As Executive Director, I bring over 16 years of experience in the restoration and conservation fields. Our leadership team believes the foundation for a healthy organization lies in building a mission-driven culture that can sustain growth in perpetuity. That coupled with a focus on people (our team, our clients, our partners, and our vendors) leads to long-lasting relationships.

Functioning natural systems are one of the greatest gifts the world has to offer and a shared passion by everyone in our organization is what motivates our drive for building a legacy of positive environmental impact.

Here at Unique Places to Save we are playing our part in restoring and conserving land and aquatic resources for generations to come. Clean and plentiful water, land for healthy food production, and high ecological diversity are goals we pursue every day.

As the world changes, so must we. We work to solve complex problems that can no longer be solved through the status quo and bring innovative ideas and science-based approaches to the conservation challenges facing us today and tomorrow. We are deeply proud of what we have accomplished over the last 12 years and feel that we’re only getting started.

Together, we can restore and conserve more of the unique places in our great country.

Sincerely,
Christine Pickens, PhD
Executive Director

Science is the foundation of our decisions and actions.

Where we work and how we work is first and foremost informed by science. Each natural community has different needs and approaches, which all fall within a greater landscape that interacts with human needs and uses.

Innovation inspires, drives, and motivates our work on solutions within and beyond the organization.

Solving complex issues with comprehensive solutions fuels our success and amplifies our impact. This motivation drives us to excel and fosters collaboration and leadership, helping us address outdated thinking and changing regulations. Together, we aim to achieve more sustainable positive impacts, inspire one another, fulfill our organizational mission, and share the benefits of our work with others.

Restoration of aquatic and terrestrial resources is a viable approach towards regaining natural functions of degraded ecosystems.

The stress that human land use has placed on our planet is undeniable. By restoring land, rivers, wetlands, and other critical natural resources, we help boost biodiversity and ecological resilience today, while working towards the greater goal of ensuring a healthy balance between our communities and our environment.

Conservation of working lands and ecosystems supports current and future communities.

Protecting high quality aquatic systems along with working lands and other land areas is critical for healthy and sustainable communities. Perpetual conservation ensures our natural and working land resource base is available for future generations.

Collaboration is critical to ensure lasting conservation.

Working in isolation is typically counterproductive. Just as the land and water we restore and conserve have a place within a larger landscape, our organization and our work must also fit within a larger framework of stakeholders, partners, and the public. Only through an understanding of where our goals and priorities align can we achieve a more sustainable impact.

Confidence to lead in the face of difficulty and uncertainty creates success.

Our world is ever-changing and becoming more complex and difficult to navigate. We embrace these uncertainties and adapt to meet the world’s challenges. We do not turn away from difficulties, but instead treat them as complexities that need solutions and we see ourselves as part of those solutions.

Permanence of our organization is necessary to achieve our goals.

It is imperative that we operate in a manner that is financially and environmentally sustainable in the long term. Ensuring the longevity and efficacy of our organization requires careful planning, resource management, and partnerships that provide ongoing support and adaptation to changing conditions.

Restore and Conserve Land & Water

The mission of Unique Places to Save is to restore and conserve high-quality land and aquatic resources. We directly restore and conserve natural and working lands and aquatic resources through conservation protections and sustainable land, aquatic, and natural resource restoration and management.

Where We Apply This Goal

Restoration
Conservation
Habitat Improvement
Public Access
Working Lands

Operate with Permanence & Sustainability

Our work includes perpetual responsibilities to our constituents, supporters and partners. Therefore, it is our goal to create an organizational structure that emphasizes the permanence and health of our finances, operations, and reputation. This requires us to implement sustainable and adaptable strategies for long-term organizational success.

Where We Apply This Goal

Financial
Operations
Reputation
Stewardship
Resilience

Lead through Innovation & Science

As we continue to work in our industry, we search for ways to improve our effectiveness. A key factor in being able to innovate is to utilize the best available science and decision-making processes to analyze what are thought to be established ideas, concepts, and processes from an independent perspective. By doing this, we can provide an objective critique of information and processes resulting in potential increases in efficiency and effectiveness.

How We Apply This Goal

Expertise
Consistency
Efficiency
Curiosity
Innovation

Our Unique Values

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