NatureServe

This is a fantastic organization filled with immensely smart and dedicated professionals. The work they do is pivotal to conservation and each employee I've come across wholeheartedly believes in the organization's mission to provide the scientific basis for effective conservation.

NatureServe provides actionable knowledge to sustain biodiversity. Their non-partisan, non-advocacy approach allows them to work collaboratively with other scientists in governments, corporations, and non-profit organizations and provide them with unbiased information that can be trusted. Their network of biodiversity programs across the Americas, combined with standard methods and training, allow data to be rolled up to answer pressing questions. And not only does NatureServe play a critical role in collecting and providing data that are absolutely essential to the maintenance of biodiversity but they make working with them a delightful experience.

Incredibly smart and innovative conservation professionals make up the staff of NatureServe and the NatureServe Network Programs. I have been working in the conservation field for over 20 years, and I have never met a more dedicated, passionate group who are constantly developing innovative solutions to the ever evolving suite of conservation challenges we face. The NatureServe Network works in collaboration with many agencies and organizations to develop methods, information, and tools to ensure that biodiversity conservation decisions are being guided by rigorous science.

NatureServe is an invaluable resource for the conservation of biodiversity in the U.S. Innovative, science-based methodology, thorough work ethic, vast expert knowledge, and meaningful partnerships with other organizations are what makes them such a reliable source for data. The people of NatureServe deserve every penny they earn (and more).

NatureServe is the science behind how we protect biodiversity. Often underappreciated and behind the scenes, there is not a non-profit who deserves conservation dollars more. NatureServe's staff are servants to biodiversity, and the NatureServe Network Programs are the boots on the ground - the frontline of conservation. NatureServe is a small non-profit, tasked with big problems, that finds solutions by punching well above their weight.

Love this organization! It is full of amazing people committed to making a real impact in the environment.
They work in collaboration with state agencies so their work expands throughout the Americas and Canada.
I truly recommend NatureServe. This is an awesome place to donate and make sure you are really helping make a difference in our Earth!

As a scientist, I am very particular about where I donate my funds to. NatureServe is one of the few organizations that not only want to make changes to the natural world but wants to do it in a smart and strategic way. They work with so many amazing organizations and partners to make effective and efficient conservation action. The amount of work they do on the budget they have is truly mind-blowing and I only hope they can continue to do more amazing work in the future!

MISSION: To Provide the scientific basis for effective conservation action.

NatureServe has been recognized with a genius grant by the McArthur Foundation because of its commitment to assisting governments, conservation organizations, corporations, landowners and the scientific community to manage our natural resources more carefully.

We cannot ensure the survival of endanger species and natural environments unless we can rely on organizations such as NatureServe to provide the scientific underpinning for our decisions.

NatureServe and LandScope provide us with the tools we need to guide our conservation work as a national land trust. Their peer reviewed system for characterizing and comparing habitats all across the county make for efficient field work on our part. And, the staff are pretty great too!

NatureServe is one of the most efficient organizations I've had the pleasure to work with. The expertise and enthusiasm of the staff and the importance of the data and relationships across the regions NatureServe works always amaze me. Knowing that every bit of every resource is being put towards conserving environmental systems in places we all care about is why I spend so much time working with NatureServe to achieve their mission of connecting science with conservation.

Terrific management team and staff working passionately towards biodiversity conservation. NatureServe's tireless efforts to augment its data to be the credible source for intelligent decisions is truly inspiring.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but they're not entitled to their own facts. But where do you go to get the facts about declining biodiversity? The short answer NatureServe. With a network of 1,000 scientists doing deep factual dives on the status of 70,000 species of plants and animals, NatureServe is the go-to place for anyone with a business or other decision to make where biodiversity has to be taken into account. I have been on the board for two years and met a wide variety of NatureServe people and they're for real. Honest, professional, dedicated. This is just an outstanding nonprofit organization.

NatureServe is a valued conservation partner that supports and facilitates a diversity of conservation efforts. No other resource is able to compile, maintain, and distribute the volume of data that NatureServe provides. They are an invaluable resource that supports and enhances the broad conservation community.

NatureServe is rightfully recognized as the premier source for scientfic data and information for the U.S. conservation community. Their resources and leadership is essential for the community.

NatureServe is the premier organization in the Western Hemisphere which gathers scientific data on plants, animals and the natural communities in which they live. It is widely recognized as the source for the most accurate and reliable data available. Yet one of NatureServe's greatest strengthts is the ability to make the knowledge gained from millions of data points accessible and understandable to those who work to conserve our natural world. NatureServe and its network of Natural Heritage Programs help guide conservation which is carried out through the expenditure of government and non-profit sector funds as well as the commitment of many volunteers who give of their time and personal resources. In a time when individual species and natural communities are being lost to the ever increasing human impact on our only planet - this biological knowledge is truly key to preserving the incredible quality of life which IS possible on this planet - for all of its inhabitants.

Every day, NatureServe is making scientific data and information readily availalbe in a timely and cost effective manner to help guide biodiversity and land conservation and informed economic development decisions. NatureServe is a great organization that provides support to the Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centres that cover all of Canada, all 50 US States and 19 Latin American programs. This network provides current accuate conservation information on the biodiversity of the Western Hemisphere. Go NatureServe.

NatureServe provides an invaluable service to conservation organizations, government agencies, and the public in a variety of ways. They provide a clearinghouse for information on the location and condition of rare species throughout the North America, provide a wide array of conservation planning and evaluation tools, and perhaps most importantly, leadership in the conservation of biodiversity.

NatureServe is critical for protecting the diversity of life on earth. They provide invaluable information and perspective on plants, animals, and natural landscapes that government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and professional ecologists use to inform good land use decisions around the world. I've worked with them since their inception, and have found their data to be rigorous and reliable, their tools powerful and useful, and their staff knowledgeable and professional. No one else does the critical work NatureServe does, and we're all lucky to have them .

NatureServe is an important and influential organization in informing conservation with good science. They have been innovative in developing scientific methodologies, information products, and software applications to achieve this end. They are the essential hub in a network of Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers throughout the western hemisphere. Their work has helped our program to leverage the collective intelligence of this network and NatureServe has been critical to our success.

My association with NatureServe dates to the founding of the organization at which time I was the natural resources program manager for the Department of the Air Force. In that capacity I was responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental laws and sound natural resources stewardship was practiced on Air Force lands. The nearly nine million acres of Air Force land is distributed throughout the country and is typically characterized by high biological diversity and other important environmental values. Ensuring sound stewardship of the Air Force lands was imperative for the accomplishment of the Air Force’s primary mission of military testing and training. Although the Air Force, as well as the other military services, maintain professional staffs to manage the natural resources on individual installations, those individuals often required assistance in dealing with specific issues involving critical species management. For that reason the Department of Defense established a partnership with NatureServe to assist in the management of its critical species management programs as well as other efforts for the general conservation and enhancement of biological diversity. Over the years that partnership has yielded spectacular results and directly enabled the military services to effectively manage their natural resources programs. NatureServe has felicitated access to Natural Heritage databases and other resources to help military natural resources managers make assessments of the status of individual species on their lands. Additionally, they have provided resources to assist military planners in reducing the impact of future military operations on sensitive species and they have provided educational resources to help inform military natural resources managers of current issues and strategies for enhancing biological diversity on military lands.

Since my retirement from the Air Force, I continue to use NatureServe programs and resources. For example, as an active member of the Arizona Native Plant Society, I and others in our organization working on the protection of Arizona’s native flora have found NatureServe’s Explorer website to be an invaluable source for information on the status of the sensitive plants and ecosystems we are attempting to protect.

In summary, NatureServe is an outstanding organization which provides truly unique and priceless resources to government agencies, private industry, environmental organizations, and individuals seeing to protect and enhance biological diversity.

NatureServe is committed to using science to inform conservation. There is clearly a deep culture of scientific integrity and value for biodiversity. NatureServe protects endangered species and ecosystems by harnessing large amounts of knowledge and data while also connecting to small projects and groups. I have personally met NatureServe's CEO and am impressed with her tireless commitment, energy and vision. this is truly one of the most important nature non-governmental organizations.

NatureServe is amazingly effective and is unique in its ability to bring together the power of a Network of Heritage programs throughout the world to address big questions. Their receipt of the 2014 MacArthur award for being a Creative and Effective institution reflects this. NatureServe Scientists are leaders in conservation science and NatureServe is working with a broad set of partners to help lead conservation and provide answers to big questions.

I was recently hired by NatureServe to facilitate a conversation among the Board of Directors and Senior Professional Team on deepening lay leadership engagement and strengthening the lay/professional partnership to accelerate the organization's exciting strategic direction. From the moment I met the NatureServe team, I was wowed! by their strategic acumen, passion for conservation, and commitment to achieving even greater excellence.

Andrea B. Wasserman
President and Founder of Social Profit Ventures

NatureServe is about science. It's about fundamentally understanding the bits and pieces of nature, seeing how they fit together, and doing everything in their modest power to bring this understanding to others. Their method combines the information gathered from 80+ conservation data centers with hundreds of top-notch biologists together with their talented science staff to provide relevant, meaningful biodiversity information.

The end-goal is science-based conservation and this is steeped in deep knowledge of the natural world, the bits and pieces of nature, understood and disseminated by this incredible organization.

Natureserve is a very special nonprofit. The core of it was originally the science staff from The Nature Conservancy, back when TNC had biological staff. TNC funded it for several years, after which Natureserve needed to find its own funding, which it has, and successfully so.

Natureserve is the "mother ship" for the large array of natural heritage programs found in the United States. Natural heritage programs track the locations and status of all of the rare and endangered and special status species and natural communities in the country. There is a program in each state, as well as in Canadian provinces and in several countries in Latin America. They are all tied together by common methodology and philosophy and, to some extent technology, maintained by Natureserve. It's a big job!

I am continually impressed with the professionalism and talent found at Natureserve. I've worked for them (briefly), or with them as a colleague in another agency, for many years and count many of the staff as friends. This is a nonprofit truly worth supporting.

They occupy a unique niche in the world wide effort to protect biodiversity.

NatureServe is a unique institution gathering and synthesizing the best science to inform natural resource policies and the conservation of critical habitats.

I've worked with NatureServe for over a decade and they have been an essential partner in helping our organization achieve its mission. They have helped us with technical expertise, scientific review/feedback (especially taxonomic expertise), strategic planning, and fundraising. Their annual conferences help us network with other organizations, give us with new ideas/inspiration, and provide training. Their staff have always been professional and helpful.
We would be hard pressed to achieve our goal of having the best scientific information for New Mexico without NatureServe's assistance.

NatureServe is responsible for something most people presume the US (or Canadian) government would be doing: keeping the definitive database of endangered species and endangered ecosystems in the US (and in Canada).

NatureServe is a network of dedicated biologists across the US and Canada, who collaborate to ensure this information is not only stewarded and updated, but made accessible, for free, on line, to any interested person, schoolroom, or researcher.

As a board member (unpaid, as are all non-profit board members) for NatureServe, I have an insiders' view, and am hugely impressed with the devotion to mission and careful stewardship of resources at NatureServe.

NatureServe is one of the greatest non-profits that I have worked with. They provide essential data, data management management, organized thinking and useful tools for conservation. NatureServe takes on conservation standards, which is the less glamorous part of conservation, but is absolutely fundamental. And they do it extremely well. NatureServe provides standard template for ranking species and ecosystems that has been adopted around the word.

Go and grow NatureServe!

NatureServe is an outstanding organization. I have worked closely with the staff for many years and depend on them for the highest quality and most complete information on biodiversity and ecosystems. This data is essential to inform planning and management decisions across the United States and internationally. NatureServe does what state and federal natural resource agencies should be doing - collecting, maintaining, sharing, interpreting, and data on biodiversity, in a consistent and efficient manner.

I have worked with NatureServe over the last 8 years and found them to be an outstanding not for profit. They are well run with a dedicated team of employees. They are committed to their mission and their focus on nature and the environment are to be commended.

Bill Aiton, President
SSi Consulting

For the past three years I have worked closely with NatureServe in jointly managing a major collaborative project called LandScope Chesapeake. Our partnership in this effort is extremely productive, positive and mutual. NatureServe leadership and staff have been superb. We are true partners in the effort with shared values.

A great organization is all about its people, and NatureServe employs some great people who are committed to the mission of the organization. The Conservation Leadership Programme collaborated with NatureServe to implement a leadership training in Latin America, and the network members who participated were dynamic and committed to having a positive impact on conservation across the region.

This is a get-things-done organization! I used to work for NatureServe and enjoyed the culture and inertia so when an opportunity to volunteer, I jumped right in. I have seen and been a part of the ongoing growth end development of NatureServe and what constantly amazes me is how the different members of the network diligently work away at the conservation issues of the day. I hope to continue to volunteer or work for NatureServe in some form throughout my working career or beyond.

As a conservation biologist for over 25 years, I have relied on NatureServe for the best available information so critical to protecting the Earth's rich biological diversity. Natural areas data is the single most important tool in my tool box and few organizations know more about natural areas data than NatureServe. As the national association of the state natural heritage programs within the U.S. as well as a highly respected international conservation organization, NatureServe combines essential on-the-ground local expertise with strong working relationships with leading conservation, industry and economic interests globally. This enables NatureServe scientists to develop and advance the leading conservation technologies and structured decision-making processes from around the world with locally evaluated data from scientist and natural resource professionals who know the local ecology and the unique ecological dynamics of the areas where the information will be applied. I know of few organizations comprised of more dedicated and committed professionals to protecting natural areas and local biodiversity and I would not be surprised if even the success of those organizations are due in part to NatureServe data or their ecosystem-based management tools.

NatureServe is an non-profit organization (based in Arlington), which makes the difference in the day-to-day with their innovative methodologies connect the social sciences and conservation of
nature, so it has a great influence on decision-makers, academia, business and the general public
on crucial issues such as adaptation to climate change, species and ecosystems’ health and the establishment and consolidation of protected areas across the Americas. This organization composed of very professional and committed people; for me it is very clear that this group is
willing to offer their best to do their jobs and support other organizations and individuals with an interest or influence on the conservation of nature. If there were no NatureServe, we would have to create it ...

NatureServe was our (BLM) contractor to do two ecoregional assessments in the Great Basin and Mojave areas. These assessments were driven by management questions that required extensive data acquisition and evaluation along with development and application of conceptual models. NatureServe personnel were very knowledgeable in these areas and helped our project management team refine our management question for clarity and intent. NatureServe's knowledge in identifying appropriate datasets to use and developing the models helped the management team structure the assessment to get the best results in addressing the questions. NatureServe conducted several in-person workshops and webinars during this process where they worked collaboratively with the management and technical teams to resolve questions and concerns so final processes were agreed upon. NatureServe also worked with a subcontractor to provide BLM with bioclimatic change envelopes for selected conservation elements. This work is cutting edge in climate change science and provided BLM, for the first time, potential forecasts on how conservation elements may shift under two climate change scenarios. Previously BLM could only address climate change in very general terms; now we have a tool that can be used to address the potential “how” climate change may affect the landscape. NatureServe was the only contractor on BLM’s seven ecoregional assessments to provide this pioneering model. BLM staff have been very receptive of change envelopes. NatureServe's staff were always very professional and responsive to our needs and provided an impressive and useful product. It was a huge undertaking for which we will benefit for many years. Through this effort we have established an excellent working relationship that continues to expand into other areas. We will continue to work with NatureServe on future projects.

NatureServe is a remarkable organization with outstanding programs, initiatives and personnel. In having worked closely with many NatureServe employees, I am continuously impressed with the overwhelming dedication, commitment and enthusiasm everyone has for such an incredible cause. I look forward to continuing my relationship with NatureServe.

I have cooperated with NatureServe and the organization from which it budded off (The Nature Conservancy) since 1988. It is very professional and is the only organization doing what it does in a field that gets little credit in relation to the importance of its work. The organization, its mandate, its staff, and the way they go about their business have been huge inspirations for me as a conservation biologist. I highly recommend NatureServe as a starting point for finding out about the elements of biodiversity (species and ecological communities) in the Western Hemisphere.

The strength of NatureServe and the Natural Heritage Network lies with the expertise, passion and dedication demonstrated on a daily basis by staff. Kudos to the exceptional work completed to date, and best wishes for continued success in the future.

NatureServe is uniquely situated between State/provincial and Federal Government agencies on one hand, and volunteers, naturalist groups and those concerned about that status of our wildlife legacy on the other. By filling the information void, and by providing value-added analyses and interpretation of the data from a wide variety of sources NatureServe enables soundly based conservation decisions to be made whether by governments, resource sector industries, or others. It is truly a remarkable organization with an intelligent and relevant business plan.

Before retiring, I was the Endangered Species Listing Coorinator for the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Southwest Regional Office. In reviewing information presented on the status of any rare species, I regularly turned to NatureServe's website because I trust them to present the best available science-basded information. Good science is important in decision making on rare and endangered species, and I trust the science NatureServe presents.

As a botanist in the US Forest Service, I often check the "NatureServe Explorer" web site to find important information about a rare plant. NatureServe provides one-stop-shopping for global and state ranks (numerical scores from 1 to 5 indicating status from "critically imperiled"to "secure" based on rarity and threats). NatureServe's national system allows the Forest Service to take a more consistent approach nation-wide in considering relative rarity of species across state lines and among the many different National Forests and National Grasslands we manage for the public. We use this information to focus limited funds and our efforts to conserve biological diversity. Without NatureServe, we would not have this consistency.

Hi, as a senior biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I worked extensively and closely with many Nature Serve staff, from CEO Mary Klein to various staff biologists. I found nothing but dedication and professionalism, as well as new friends, at all levels. Nature Serve did much for the National Wildlife Refuge System during the time I worked with them, and I'm sure they continue to do so under long-term agreements we set up. I highly recommend them as for their unique mission as a non-profit, for their professionalism as conservationists, and for their good-natured dedication to all they do!

NatureServe serves a critical role in accumulating, analyzing, and disseminating information on biological diversity to inform conservation planning and implementation.

NatureServe and its member network provides critical information and tools to help decision-makers make informed land use decisions. Better informed decisions will guide conservation and biodiversity efforts. I have been incredibly impressed by the commitment and passion of the NatureServe staff. All of my contributions to NatureServe have been unrestricted because I understand the care and thoughtfulness that goes into projects that meet the organization's mission.

NatureServe has many strengths, but what resonates with me is the combination of global vision with a local presence. Through its natural heritage programs and conservation data centres, NatureServe is able to provide objective biodiversity data and expertise to solve problems at the local level. Through its vast network of member programs and data resources, NatureServe is able to place this local biodiversity data in both regional and global contexts -- a valuable service not available anywhere else.

NatureServe, an offshoot of The Nature Conservancy, is the umbrella organization for the network of natural heritage programs in every U.S. state and Canadian province as well as in many Latin American countries. NatureServe provides the scientific basis for effective conservation action throughout the Western Hemisphere. It is inconceivable to me how one could effectively target scarce conservation dollars towards those species most at risk and those ecosystems most deserving of conservation attention without the information researched, compiled, and distributed by NatureServe.

We are fortunate in the United States to have amazing biodiversity -- plants, animals, and other organisms -- including living things not found anywhere else in the world. To understand and hold on to our biodiversity, we need a reliable, science-based organization that does the hard work to pin down where the life forms are. And that's NatureServe. Their Natural Heritage program is the best, most comprehensive effort to inventory and map the life that helps to make our places special. Thanks to NatureServe, we know much more about our biodiversity, and we stand a much better chance of conserving it for future generations.

I've been affiliated with NatureServe since they first launched and was a user and contributor of Natural Heritage data for many years prior. I'm a firm believer in the work they do as a fundemental building block for conservation work. It's not necessarily sexy and they don't spend money on slick calendars and gimmicky swag to sway prospective donors but they do the hard work to make sure that authoritative data and information are curated and available for agencies and the public to make informed decisions.

I think most people expect conservation science information from NatureServe. Well, so do I, but more importantly, I find that NS staff provide leadership in conservation science and data delelopment. They listen to what we know or need to know and forge into data development that is responsive and progressive. Their influence is obvious when I participate in conservation planning forums, not only at the national level but at every scale. Sometimes NS staff are at the table. Even when they are not, people that are present speak to the perspectives and data products that I recognize from NS leaders. I think the conservation community expects a lot from NS. I know that I do. - Dennis Figg

NatureServe has been a great partner over the last 10 years in providing timely and relevant information to help in conservation decisions. They have also helped provide tools to better manage biodiversity information.

I personally have known and worked with many of the staff in NatureServe for many years. They are all top-notch professionals who are enormously dedicated to nature conservation and providing North America in particular with biodiversity information that all public and non-profit conservation organizations must have to get our jobs done. Their classifications of ecosystems and conservation rankings of species are everyday parlance of most state and federal natural resource agencies. NatureServe fills a very unique niche among conservation nonprofits - they along with state natural heritage programs are managers and disseminators of invaluable data on the status and distribution of plants, animals, and habitats in North America.

NatureServe is the information engine for conservation. They have a clear vision, top scientists, and great integrity to their work. While what they do isn't as glamorous as saving whales or fuzzy pandas, it's essential to conservation. I know the organization well and trust it with my donation.

As a staff member of a state natural areas agency, I have worked with NatureServe since it was created. NatureServe gives our state agency National/International priorities on the species and natural communities we protect, keeps us in communication with other similar programs around the nation and the world, allows us to add our data to analyses of larger areas, provides us with common classifications and nomenclature, and provides many other services. Simply, NatureServe makes us more important that we would be otherwise. We depend on them!

More than just the leading source for information about rare and endangered species and threatened ecosystems in the Americas, NatureServe is full of bright, intelligent and passionate people who find effective ways to support conservation action with new technologies and partnerships.

NatureServe provides a framework for managing and sharing conservation information that is not available from any other source. It also plays a critical role in coordinating the efforts of the 85 US and international natural heritage programs and conservation data centers. NatureServe and the partner programs play a significant role supporting the protection of rare species and the establishment of conservation lands across North American and Central America. These conservation lands, whether state or national parks, wildlife refuges, or watershed protection initiatives are critically important to the ecological health of our planet and the well-being of its citizens.

I have worked with NatureServe and some of their scientific and technical staff, administration, and leadership since 1997. NatureServe has incredible staff who always do a great job providing technical expertise and assistance; providing high quality and useful training, tools, and information; facilitating communication and collaboration among the natural heritage network and its many partners; providing leadership and support for the natural heritage network and biodiversity conservation internationally. NatureServe has facilitated and contributed to biodiversity conservation in so many ways. NatureServe is a fantastic and invaluable organization and resource.

As a former research associate and an ecologist currently working in Ontario, Canada, I use NatureServe's Biodiversity Explorer tool routinely to obtain information on conservation priority species. I have personally benefited from the many insightful articles and papers written by NatureServe's network of conservation experts.

I've contracted with NatureServe on a couple of occasions for vegetation mapping. They have always done a great job--produced usable, accurate maps. I use the NatureServe website almost daily in my work in natural resource management.

Naturserve provides an invaluable clearing-house for biodiversity information. Their committment to networking state agencies is commendable and necesssary. Many other efforts have been made to create biodiversity hubs and they have failed or been only variably used.

I was preparing for a local radio interview on the impacts of the gulf oil spill on migratory birds (piping plover and American white pelican) and only had 10 minutes to prepare. While I had the basic general facts I needed more precise information on the extent of these species' wintering range in relation to the gulf oil spill. NatureServe's website delivered current and up-to-date information and images that I used and provided the links to for the interview. This is only one recent example demonstrating the power of sharing such credible and transparent information with a broader audience for conservation purposes.

My work managing information on plant and animal species and natural plant communities in need of conservation depends on a database developed and supported by NatureServe. The information in this database informs decisions every day. Their incredibly helpful and thoughtful staff have never failed to help me improve the quality of the data we maintain. The technical and biological knowledge of their staff represent a powerful combination. Their support of natural heritage programs around the country and world has had innumerable impacts on conservation efforts.

NatureServe is the authority on the status and location of rare species and plant communities. This information is critical to the long term conservation planning that I do with a land conservation organization. Good, defensible data results in effective, efficient biodiversity conservation. The staff at the Manitoba NatureServe node (Conservation Data Centre) are constantly striving to improve data quality and usability, are easily accessible, and are willing to assist in providing practical advice on conserving and managing lands that support rare species and plant communities.

I have worked with NatureServe, and its network of natural heritage experts in positions I have held in three separate states, in university research, private sector and state government roles. In all cases, I turned to NS to get the highest quality, most current, data and information on whatever species or natural community I was working to protect. They always had it, in one place, available via smart on-line map- and database-driven tools. NatureServe will undoubtedly continue to gain recognition as the most comprehensive source for the highest quality data on all rare species and habitats in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

Want answers -- get data. And get data based on actual evidence. From human health care to health of the environment, quality information is vital for sound decision making. The better the data, the better the outcome. NatureServe is the nation's leading conservation data support non-profit. Full stop. They provide some of the best diagnostics to the conservation community --- from the non-profit community to government managers to the general public.

There is no finer group of scientists and data managers out there. NatureServe provides many services and professional expertise to the scientific community. The history of standard and methods for 35+ years makes this the best there is.

The work done by NatureServe is important. In particular, global ranking is a valuable metric when choosing where to spend scarce conservation dollars. Also, the push toward a standardized methodology facilitates the synthesis of information from multiple states and provinces and makes analysis of multi-jurisdicational projects more feasible.

Naturserve's rankings of species and ecosystems form the backbone of our rankings for the BC Conservation Framework, which provides direction and priorities for conservation activities in British Columbia. Without the dedication and commitment of this ENGO to this hightly credible and continuingly improved system, the basic core of our program would not be credible. Kudos to the entire program!

NatureServe provides an invaluable service to the biological diversity conservation community. There is no other entity that can provide the data and expertise on rare and declining flora and fauna. Without NatureServe's leadership, conservation of many at-risk species would be further jeopardized.

NatureServe is an invaluable resource for conservation biologist in North America. It is a central clearinghouse for data, but it also provides expertise, works to standardize methodology so data can be easily comparded, and is an important driver in determining the directions of continuing research.

NatureServe is an invaluable coordinator for biodiversity data. With strict data standards, member programs from all U.S. state, Canandian provinces, and several countries around the world can share data to evaluate local, regional, national, and global biodiversity needs. But they also allow for certain flexibility for individual member programs to work within their own financial, political, and prioritization structures. The spatial database and onging technological advances and projects (handheld data collection software, observational database, sharepoint, climate change vulnerability index tool, etc.) keeps this organization at the forefront of conservation.

Dollar for dollar, person for person, there is no organization that does more to conserve the biosphere of the Americas!

As a professional ecologist and advocate for biological diversity, I rely on and desperately need good quality data when commenting on federal and state proposals that could negatively impact the environment and species of concern. NatureServe is the first place I go to in acquiring that data and information. They provide an invaluable service to their users in a professional and high quality manner, and without charge to boot. They are truly a GREAT non-profit!