Announcing the 2020 Geospatial Conservation Annual Report
Our second Annual Report highlights 25 individual use cases where geospatial technology has advanced conservation globally.
The 2020 Geospatial Annual Report
Access 25 use cases that show how geospatial science influences conservation.
For decades, TNC’s conservation science and planning has been informed by geospatial technology. This dynamic field combines the disciplines of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and machine learning. At least one in every three TNC staff generates and uses maps to complete tasks such as monitoring preserves in the field and, increasingly through remote technologies, negotiate land and water transactions or illustrate the benefits of ecosystems and the costs of losing them. Together, the TNC Geospatial Systems team and the Geospatial Leadership Council have joined forces to bring you this annual report & map book that features:
- 25 use cases or applications illustrating how geospatial technology is supporting and advancing our conservation work around the world
- A global map series from our Global Science and Protect Oceans, Lands and Water teams showing crisis and last chance ecosystems under high development pressure
- 14 feature maps depicting specific conservation projects
- Results from our annual survey that reached over 1,500 staff
“As we seek to tackle the biggest challenges facing our planet, it is crucial to ensure that our teams and partners are able to leverage the most accurate and rigorous mapping data—and that geospatial professionals conducting this science reflect the diversity of the places we work,” says Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy
For the first time we have categorized three mapping types that convey all our conservation science and planning work into predictive modeling, prioritization with two aspects (asset & threat mapping and spatial action mapping), and monitoring & evaluation. This edition emphasizes spatial action mapping, or the mapping of strategies in priority places that inform decisions on when, where and what may be the best conservation actions to take.
As we tackle the biggest challenges facing our planet, it is crucial that our teams and partners are able to leverage the most accurate mapping data—and that geospatial professionals reflect the diversity of the places we work.
JENNIFER MORRIS
CEO of The Nature Conservancy
Fundamental to TNC’s mission is a focus on place. Maps are core to our mission in helping us understand the places we work and in engaging audiences through the stories they reveal. In this edition we have initiated the process of creating cartographic guidelines that encourage a cohesive look and feel within TNC while promoting our “conservation mapping brand.”
We hope you find this second edition a welcome sight in demonstrating the incredible work of The Nature Conservancy. See more of our geospatial conservation work on our Geospatial Conservation Atlas.