mission & history
Our mission is simple: land for life, nature for all. We work to preserve and nurture nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in nature for everyone in our region.
how we advance our mission
saving open space
Protecting open space from development by growing publicly accessible nature areas, working with private landowners to create permanent conservation plans for their properties, and helping communities preserve more of their land.
caring for nature
Stewarding natural resources on our properties and sharing what we learn with others.
connecting people to the outdoors… and each other
Creating opportunities for people to connect with and learn from nature.
an unlikely hero
The year is 1953. Ike has just become President and America is in the throes of the post-war boom; jobs and babies are plentiful.
Allston Jenkins
In the Chestnut Hill community of Philadelphia, an accountant by the name of Allston Jenkins has set his mind on a daunting task. An avid bird watcher, Allston has fallen hard for the little winged things and is fighting to save a world-class bird habitat, the Tinicum marshes in southwest Philadelphia.
Gulf Oil is planning to dump dredging spoils from the Schuylkill River in the marshes. But then along comes Allston and his friends in the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club. Allston prevails and the marshes are saved, establishing what is now the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, the first urban refuge in the country.
But Allston isn’t done. That’s not Allston. He forms a new organization called the Philadelphia Conservationists. In the years that follow, Allston becomes a recognized leader in conservation. He and the Conservationists help to preserve many more acres in the Philadelphia region, assist with the creation of four more National Wildlife Refuges, and even help to establish the first national park in Costa Rica.
Eventually, the Philadelphia Conservationists becomes what is now Natural Lands and Allston leaves a legacy of conservation that touches millions of people in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
For his financial acumen, forward thinking, and prudent management, Allston Jenkins is the namesake of our society of planned giving donors, the Allston Jenkins Legacy Society.
staff and leadership
We are passionate about nature and committed to preserving and sharing it.
our fiscal approach
We value fiscal discipline, strategic planning, and thoughtful risk-taking and innovation.
why protecting land matters
Every acre we save cleans the air we breathe, provides wildlife with habitat, filters the water we drink, and brings humans improved health and joy.
