50 Years of Conservation
A look back on five decades of conservation and the evolution of NatureServe and the NatureServe Network
Photo by Danny Perez .
Launch of a movement, birth of a network
The U.S. Endangered Species Act, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1973, recognizes the importance of our rich natural heritage and creates a mandate for the federal government to protect and recover species at risk of extinction. Conservation scientists need to answer some fundamental questions about biodiversity.
How do we know what species, in what places, are at risk?
Cook Inlet, Alaska. Photo by Patrick Comer at NatureServe.
Photo by Irvine Wilson.
Elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans), NatureServe Global Conservation Status: Imperiled (G2). Photo by Robert Gundy.
The network of natural heritage programs had formed a membership association in 1994 to facilitate collaboration and better coordinate responses to partners' needs, called the Association for Biodiversity Information (ABI).
The first executive team and Board of Representatives of ABI on a field tour in 1999.
Recognizing the network's growing needs, ABI expands through an agreement with The Nature Conservancy in 1999 and assumes responsibility for the network's scientific databases, information, and tools. ABI becomes NatureServe shortly after.
A national affiliate organization called NatureServe Canada is established to facilitate biodiversity data management among Canada's nine conservation data centers.
NatureServe becomes the new hub of the natural heritage network.
At this point, the NatureServe Network includes over 60 programs throughout North America and responds to over 65,000 data requests annually.
First all-staff meeting at NatureServe's Arlington, VA office in 2001, shortly after NatureServe's establishment as the hub of over 60 conservation organizations throughout the Americas.
2000s
NatureServe publishes major global findings about at-risk biodiversity and grows important partnerships to advance conservation.
2013: NatureServe's data management goes online with Biotics 5.
Since the dawn of computing in the 1970s, the network has pioneered technological advances in biodiversity data management.
In 1975, the network's biodiversity records were computerized on the Lowest Common Denominator (LCD) System. Here, Larry Morse is seen making punch cards which were used to enter the data.
In the 1980s, most state natural heritage programs used PC-based dBASE III systems to manage their data. Pictured is Lynn Davidson of the Maryland Natural Heritage Program.
In 1988, network programs began converting their dBASE systems to the Biological and Conservation Data (BCD) System, which used Advanced Revelation (ARev) as the software platform. In 1994, the BCD received the prestigious ComputerWorld/Smithsonian Award for innovative applications of technology in the service of society. Pictured is Steve Kettler of the Colorado Natural Heritage Program.
In 2013, NatureServe releases its first web-based data management system, Biotics. Biotics provides unifying technology across the NatureServe Network for documenting biodiversity. It is the 10th generation of biodiversity data management software developed by NatureServe. The cloud-based platform allows for tabular and spatial data management.
The Map of Biodiversity Importance highlights where multiple underprotected species are concentrated. Brighter colors indicate where land and water protection will benefit the least protected yet most threatened biodiversity in the United States. 15 maps produced through the Map of Biodiversity Importance project are available on Esri's Living Atlas of the World.
Areas of unprotected biodiversity importance have been identified by NatureServe and partners based on the presence of unprotected, range-limited imperiled species. By combining data on the location of imperiled species with a map of protected areas, NatureServe has identified currently unprotected areas where conservation actions will most benefit biodiversity. These areas, marked in red on the map, indicate where on-the-ground conservation actions can most effectively prevent the extinction of the nation’s most imperiled species.
NatureServe delivers the best science, tools, and expertise to protect threatened biodiversity in North America.
NatureServe works with over 60 organizations and nearly 1,000 conservation professionals to collect, aggregate, and standardize biodiversity information, providing comprehensive data to land use decision-makers for strategic conservation efforts. NatureServe and the Network develop and manage the most comprehensive data for over 100,000 species and ecosystems, answering fundamental questions about what exists, where it is found, and how it is doing.
In the face of global change, NatureServe is thinking big about how the next generation of technology can be put to use for the good of biodiversity.
To facilitate the efficiencies in collecting and managing biodiversity data that will allow us to react and manage threats to biodiversity appropriately, NatureServe is developing tools to incorporate data from partners across the globe in biodiversity assessments. Utilizing new and advanced sensors of data from citizen science observations, satellites, artificial intelligence, and open data, NatureServe will continue to lead the way in improving our understanding of biodiversity.
As we look back on 50 years of conservation and envision the next 50, one thing is clear: we would not have been able to accomplish so much to protect biodiversity without the support of our Network and generous donors over the years. NatureServe would like to thank everyone who has supported us and humbly ask that you continue to help us achieve our shared goal: protecting our planet's biodiversity for generations to come.
