Since it was founded 50 years ago, The Nature Conservancy in Illinois has preserved and restored grasslands, savannas, forests, wetlands and freshwater habitat throughout the state. The Conservancy in Illinois has protected nearly 80,000 acres of natural areas, and has had a far-reaching impact on regional and global conservation efforts.

The Conservancy in Illinois is part of The Nature Conservancy, the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific.

The Nature Conservancy in Illinois has launched a new campaign to raise awareness about the most critical conservation issues facing nature and people.

Called ‘Start One Conversation,’ the campaign is being launched in October, and spans mediums including magazine and web advertising, as well as display advertising in major Chicago train stations and at O’Hare and Midway airports. The hub of the campaign is the website, StartOneConversation.org, where visitors can learn more about the most pressing conservation issues of the day, post comments, suggest additional conversation ideas, and sign-up for e-updates.

The basis of the campaign is the notion that ‘Action Starts When People Talk.’ By providing thought-provoking conversation starters, the Conservancy’s goal is to get people talking about conservation issues that impact the natural world and their daily lives. At the same time, the Conservancy is providing information on what the organization is doing to address these issues through its scientific research and on-the-ground action.