OUR WORK WITH
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
SUPPORTING TNC’s MISSION
CONSERVATION CAMPAIGNS
Running Wild Media supports The Nature Conservancy’s mission to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends by developing impactful video projects across all branches of TNC. From documenting on-the-ground conservation efforts to crafting stories that inspire action, our collaboration helps bring TNC’s science, partnerships, and global impact to life through compelling visual storytelling.
FEATURED PROJECTS
Mission Possible
You might not know it, but government policies and funding are all around you and help make your life possible. Clean water to drink, parks to hike in, farmland where healthy food is grown—all of this and more is made possible by policy.
Many people don’t make the connection between the good thing happening to them—like drinking clean water—and the government. Click on the videos below to see how people all over the United States benefit from government policies, programs and the funding associated with them.
We hope these stories will inspire you to become an advocate for nature and climate. We must use our voices to remind government leaders of their responsibility to care for America’s land, air, water and wildlife.
Protecting Rock Climbing in Kentucky
Protecting Archaeology Sites in Illinois
Investing in Active Transportation in Minnesota
Restoring Whitefish Populations in Michigan
How Water Skiing and Farming Work Together in Wisconsin
Protecting Archaeology Sites in Illinois
TNC Ohio | Forestry in the Edge of Appalachia
The Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System is one of the most biologically diverse natural systems in the midwestern U. S., encompassing rugged woodland, prairie openings, waterfalls, giant promontories and clear streams.
Lovingly called “The Edge,” this collection of preserves sits in the beautiful Adams County in Southern Ohio. These hills and forests are the foothills for the larger Appalachian Forest System. It serves as a protected corridor for migratory birds and for wildlife moving in response to a changing climate. Our work at The Edge includes habitat protection and restoration as well as forest and wildlife management.
TNC Harvesting Hope
Harvesting Hope is a story series that highlights individual ranchers, farmers and forest landowners in the United States who benefit from the Farm Bill. This federal legislation is the largest investment in the conservation, restoration and management of private land in the U.S. The Farm Bill is one example of how policy makes conservation possible.
How the Farm Bill Restored Salem Saloom’s Tree Farm
Salem Saloom has been interested in forestry since 1983, when he first bought land in his hometown of Evergreen, Alabama.
Nurturing Land and Love on the Rivera Comas Ranch
Myrna Comas and Andy Rivera believe that their mutual love for the land is at the heart of their marriage. After lifelong careers in agriculture, they now work on their 75-acre farm in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico full time.
The Farm Bill Grew a Green Future on the Hauser Farm
As a farmer in Camp Verde, Ariz., between the rapidly growing cities of Phoenix and Sedona, two things are always top of mind for Claudia Hauser: water and development.
Stories from the Southern High Plains
The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Southern High Plains Initiative aims to protect large, connected areas of land to safeguard grassland species and their habitat while also sustaining local livelihoods. Since 2020, the initiative has provided innovative financial incentives that help landowners protect their lands for future generations while investing in sustainable ranching practices. These innovations also serve as a model for grassland conservation elsewhere.
Grassland Guardians
Grassland Guardians: Stories from the Southern High Plains explores efforts to protect one of North America’s largest remaining grassland ecosystems. Despite growing threats, local stewards are preserving this vital landscape through research, sustainable land use, and community-based conservation. The Running Wild Media team provided cinematography support and editing.
Produced by: Neon Raven Story Labs
Director: Morgan Heim
Editor: Alex Goetz
Cinematography: Morgan Heim, Alex Goetz, Alex Wiles, KT Bryden
Living a Legacy
In Colorado’s Southern High Plains, ranchers Steve and Joy Wooten are restoring land and preparing for a changing climate. With support from The Nature Conservancy and a conservation easement, they’re protecting their ranch for future generations.
Produced by: Neon Raven Story Labs
Director: Morgan Heim
Editor: Alex Goetz
Cinematography: Morgan Heim, Alex Goetz, Alex Wiles, KT Bryden
Connecting the Big Wide Open
The Southern High Plains—spanning five states—is one of North America's largest remaining grassland landscapes. The Nature Conservancy is working to protect its unique wildlife and habitat.
Produced by: Neon Raven Story Labs
Director: Morgan Heim
Editor: Alex Goetz
Cinematography: Morgan Heim, Alex Goetz, Alex Wiles, KT Bryden
Dance of the Lesser Prairie Chicken
Every spring, in the windswept grasslands of the Southern High Plains, male lesser prairie chickens compete for the attention of females. In a ritual that's taken place for eons, they stomp their feet and inflate vibrant orange air sacs on their throats. To help conserve and restore the grasslands where lesser prairie chickens live, The Nature Conservancy partners with local ranchers and landowners to improve the birds' habitat. This film was made possible with generous support from USDA, NRCS and all our partners.