* NOTE: These listings are not endorsements. You should check out an organization for yourself before giving them money.
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National Park Foundation
The mission of the National Park Foundation is to strengthen the connection between the American people and their National Parks by raising private funds, making strategic grants, creating innovative partnerships and increasing public awareness.
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National Parks Conservation Association
The National Parks Conservation Association advocates for the national parks and the National Park Service, educates decision makers and the public about the importance of preserving the parks, lobbies Congress, and assesses the health of the parks and park management to better inform the group’s advocacy work.
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National Forest Foundation
The National Forest Foundation is the Congressionally chartered nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service. It works toward solutions in community-based forestry, recreation, watershed restoration and wildlife habitat in National Forests and Grasslands.
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National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. The foundation provides grants on a competitive basis to projects that sustain, restore and enhance the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats.
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Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a volunteer-based, private nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of the 2,175-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
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American Hiking Society
“As the national voice for America’s hikers,” the AHS promotes and protects foot trails and the hiking experience through volunteerism, outreach and education, policy and advocacy, and trail grants and technical assistance.
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America’s State Parks
America’s State Parks, a lobbying group of the National Association of State Park Directors, says it is working to build a relationship with the public and educate them about the value of America’s state parks, establish and support initiatives and programs that connect children and families with the outdoors, and to position and promote state parks as assets to Americans pursuing a healthy lifestyle. The website has articles and links to state park systems in every state.
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The Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society brings to bear its scientific expertise, analysis and bold advocacy at the highest levels to save, protect and restore America’s wilderness areas in an effort to deliver to future generations an unspoiled legacy of wild places, with all the precious values they hold: biological diversity, clean air and water, towering forests, rushing rivers and sage-sweet, silent deserts.
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East Coast Greenway Alliance
The Alliance is trying to connect all the major cities of the East Coast along a continuous, off-road path spanning 3,000 miles from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. The non-profit groups works to ensure continuity and a consistent quality of route for the trail, which will be owned and managed by municipal, county and state agencies.
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The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service, is authorized to request and receive money on behalf of the Parkway. It provides private funding for specific programs and projects that further the preservation, protection and enhancement of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway
A non-profit, volunteer organization that is dedicated to preserving and protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising money and public awareness, and providing volunteers for needed projects.
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North Carolina Bartram Trail Society
In addition to recognizing and honoring the Philadelphia-born naturalist William Bartram, who traveled through the Southeast between 1773 and 1777, the Society seeks to establish and maintain a 100-mile memorial trail that follows a route as close as possible to Bartram’s original route through Western North Carolina in 1775.
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National Wildlife Refuge Association
The NWRA is the only organization dedicated exclusively to protecting, enhancing and expanding the National Wildlife Refuge System, lands and waters set aside by the American people to protect our country’s diverse wildlife heritage.
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Friends of State Parks
A citizens’ group dedicated to the understanding, enjoyment and protection of North Carolina’s State Parks. The site includes links to support groups for individual state parks.
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Friends of DuPont Forest
Friends of DuPont Forest is a volunteer service organization working to enhance the public use and enjoyment of the DuPont State Forest while protecting its natural resources.
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Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Stewards of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail provide MST information and organize trips to complete special work projects to meet annual goals for creating new trail sections and rehabilitating older sections.
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Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. The RTC shows 32 trails in North Carolina.
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North Carolina Rail Trails
North Carolina Rail Trails monitors the state’s rail system, and actively pursues corridor preservation, retrieval and conversion to public trails. NCRT provides coordination between local, state and federal agencies, allied state and national organizations, and project funding sources.
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The Nature Conservancy in North CarolinaThe Nature Conservancy works to preserve our lands and waters for future generations to use and enjoy, and often buys tracts of land that are eventually turned over to the state to become parks or game lands. In North Carolina, The Nature Conservancy has protected nearly 700,000 acres and currently manages 64 preserves, including Green Swamp Preserve, Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve and Waccamaw River Preserve, which are open to the public, and the Bat Cave Preserve, which has been closed to the public for the foreseeable future as the Nature Conservancy fights to to protect bats infected with white-nose syndrome and to keep the disease from spreading to unaffected colonies. Click on the photo for a look at our visit to the Bat Cave Preserve.
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Conservation Trust for North Carolina
The Conservation Trust for North Carolina is a non-profit statewide conservation organization that works to protect the state’s land and water through statewide conservation and cooperative work with land trusts. The CTNC is afilliated with 23 local and regional land trusts. The state and local groups also “support effective public policies to expand funding and incentives for land and water conservation in North Carolina.”
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North Carolina Coastal Land Trust
The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust is a non-profit organization formed in 1992 to help protect locally and regionally valuable natural areas and waters. It has protected more than 30,000 acres of barrier island beaches, riparian corridors and other special natural areas. Among the properties it manages, some, such as Springer’s Point on Ocracoke Island, are open to the public.
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Triangle Land Conservancy
Triangle Land Conservancy is a nonprofit corporation that protects important open space – stream corridors, forests, wildlife habitat, farmland and natural areas – in Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Lee, Orange and Wake counties. Some TLC lands are open for low-impact public recreation, including four nature preserves with parking lots; information kiosks; bridges, benches and other amenities; well-marked trail systems; and trail maps available on-site and online.
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Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy
The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy helps landowners in Henderson, Transylvania and parts of neighboring counties protect local land and water resources vital to our natural heritage and quality of life.
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Eno River Association
The Eno River Association works to conserve and protect the natural, cultural and historic resources of the Eno River basin, and since 1966 has helped to protect almost 5,200 acres of land largely contained within five public parks: Eno River State Park, Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, West Point on the Eno (Durham city park), Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve and the Little River Regional Park. The association also sponsors the Festival for the Eno, the region’s premier Independence Day celebration.
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American Rivers
Through national advocacy, innovative solutions and a growing network of strategic partners, American Rivers protects and promotes the nation’s rivers as valuable assets that are vital to health, safety and quality of life.
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Earth Share North Carolina
EarthShare NC assists other nonprofit groups (including several listed above on this page) in their work to preserve and enhance the natural environment. EarthShare NC raises money through employee workplace giving campaigns, educates the general public about the value of protecting North Carolina’s natural resources and promotes participation in the work of its member organizations. EarthShare NC also sponsors the annual Campout! Carolina, which encourages individuals and community groups across the state to show their support for a healthy environment by camping out in their backyard or favorite camping site.
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Top 100 Forestry Resources
ForestryDegree.net, an informational site for forestry students, has compiled a list of 100 top forestry resources based on factors that include traffic, search ranking, quality of content, and “their overall success in achieving forestry’s many goals.” They are grouped according to the topics of conservation, silviculture (the practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests), national and state parks, forestry business and general forestry topics.
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Careers in the Great Outdoors
This section of the Learn How to Become site looks at landing jobs outdoors, from careers as a guide or in the ski industry, to forestry, marine biology, landscape architecture and firefighting. The site is designed to be a one-stop, comprehensive resource that can guide individuals through each of the steps they need to take to begin, further, or change their career path.
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