TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY INC
514 SOUTH DUKE STREET, DURHAM, NC 27701 www.triangleland.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY (TLC) STRIVES TO CREATE A HEALTHIER AND MORE VIBRANT TRIANGLE REGION BY SAFEGUARDING CLEAN WATER, PROTECTING NATURAL HABITATS, SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMS AND FOOD, AND CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE THROUGH LAND PROTECTION AND (CONT. ON SCHED. O) STEWARDSHIP, CATALYZING COMMUNITY ACTION, AND COLLABORATION. SINCE 1983, TLC HAS PROTECTED OVER 20,000 ACRES, INCLUDING 147 MILES OF STREAMS, THROUGH PURCHASE AND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS IN CHATHAM, DURHAM, JOHNSTON, LEE, ORANGE, AND WAKE COUNTIES IN NORTH CAROLINA. TLC OWNS AND MANAGES 7 PRESERVES ACROSS THE REGION: 6 ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DAILY AND IRVIN FARM IS USED BY HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AND REFUGEE FARMERS EACH YEAR. SUBSEQUENT TO JUNE 30, 2020, TLC OPENED ITS 8TH PRESERVE, THE BAILEY AND SARAH WILLIAMSON PRESERVE, IN WAKE COUNTY.

THE PURPOSE OF TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY IS TO CONSERVE LAND FOR OPEN SPACE, [CONT. ON SCHED. O], CLEAN WATER, NATURAL HABITAT, AGRICULTURAL USES, OUTDOOR RECREATION, AND SCENIC VIEWS IN CHATHAM, DURHAM, JOHNSTON, LEE, ORANGE, AND WAKE COUNTIES IN NORTH CAROLINA, INCLUDING PURCHASED AND DONATED LAND AND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. CONSERVATION LAND HELD BY TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY IS MANAGED TO PROTECT ITS NATURAL RESOURCES AND IS OFTEN AVAILABLE FOR SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

IN OUR SECOND YEAR OF IMPLEMENTING TLC'S STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO PROTECT 25,000 ACRES BY 2025, WE CONSERVED 1,432 ACRES WHICH TOOK US OVER 20,000 ACRES AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2020. SUPPORT FROM OUR MEMBERS AND DONORS REMAINS VITAL FOR TLC TO CONTINUE THIS ACCELERATED PACE OF CONSERVATION TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION OF SAFEGUARDING CLEAN WATER, CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE, PROTECTING NATURAL HABITATS, AND SUPPORTING FARMS AND LOCAL FOOD.AS THE TRIANGLE CONTINUES TO GROW AND ESPECIALLY DURING COVID-19, THESE CONSERVATION EFFORTS BENEFIT ALL RESIDENTS, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH MORE OPEN SPACES TO WALK AND BIKE, OR THE REASSURANCE (CONT. ON SCHED. O) THAT THEIR WATER IS CLEAN AND THAT FRESH, LOCAL FOOD IS AVAILABLE.CONSERVATION STRATEGIES: IN FY 2020, TLC PROTECTED 1,432 ACRES OF PRIORITY CONSERVATION LAND, COMPRISED OF 1,228 ACRES PURCHASED OUTRIGHT AND 204 ACRES PROTECTED BY CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. EACH OF THESE CONSERVATION PROPERTIES SUPPORTED AT LEAST TWO OF THE BENEFITS OF CONSERVATION THAT TLC PRIORITIZES: SAFEGUARDING CLEAN WATER, LOCAL FARMS AND FOODS, NATURAL HABITAT, AND CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE. CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ARE LEGAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN A LANDOWNER AND A LAND TRUST THAT LIMIT USES OF THE LAND IN ORDER TO PROTECT ITS CONSERVATION VALUES IN PERPETUITY. SPECIFIC TERMS OF INDIVIDUAL EASEMENTS VARY, BUT IN GENERAL THEY LIMIT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. OF THE 1,432 ACRES PROTECTED THIS YEAR, 240 WERE FARMLAND, AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD CONSERVING 3,000 ADDITIONAL ACRES OF FARMLAND BY 2025. TLC ALSO PROTECTED MORE THAN 25,700 FEET (4.8 MILES) OF STREAM, TOTALING 776,649 FEET (147 MILES) OF STREAM TLC HAS CONSERVED SINCE 1983.ANOTHER STEP IN PROTECTING CLEAN WATER OUTLINED IN THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN (SAP) WAS TO DEVELOP A JORDAN LAKE WATERSHED CONSERVATION STRATEGY WITH NUMEROUS PARTNERS. THE STRATEGY WAS COMPLETED IN FY 2020 AND PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR PROTECTING DRINKING WATER SUPPLY THROUGH LAND CONSERVATION, A KEY ELEMENT IN A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN THE JORDAN LAKE WATERSHED. IN FY 2020 WE FOCUSED ON ADOPTION OF THE STRATEGY BY LOCAL PARTNERS AND DEVELOPING LOCAL SOURCES OF FUNDING TO PROTECT OUR DRINKING WATER RESOURCES.

STEWARDSHIP: TLC'S STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES INCREASE AS WE PROTECT MORE PROPERTIES: CURRENTLY TLC HOLDS MORE THAN 8,200 ACRES OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND OWNS OVER 6,200 ACRES OF LAND. ALL 14,400 ACRES MUST BE MONITORED, MANAGED, AND CARED FOR BY STEWARDSHIP STAFF ANNUALLY. FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, MONITORING VISITS ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED AND HELP TO ENSURE THAT THE EASEMENT TERMS ARE NOT VIOLATED. AS AN ACCREDITED LAND TRUST, TLC MONITORS ALL OWNED PROPERTIES EVERY YEAR WHICH INFORMS OUR MANAGEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP PLANNING AND PROCESSES. DURING FY 2020 AT WILLIAMSON NATURE PRESERVE, TLC BUILT MORE THAN 5 MILES OF HIKING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAILS, THOUGH THE ANTICIPATED GRAND OPENING OF THE PRESERVE WAS DELAYED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2020 DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THESE TRAILS (CONT. ON SCHED. O) CONTRIBUTE TOWARD TLC'S GOALS OF BUILDING 25 MORE MILES OF TRAILS BY 2025 AND ENGAGING MORE PEOPLE WITH OUR CONSERVATION PROJECTS. TLC CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FARM PLAN AT BAILEY AND SARAH WILLIAMSON PRESERVE AT WALNUT HILL BY HOSTING OUR FIRST FARMER, NEWBOLD FARMS, WHO USES REGENERATIVE GRAZING TO RAISE CATTLE. TLC ALSO FORMALIZED AN AGREEMENT FOR A NATIVE PLANT NURSERY, AND IS WORKING OTHER POTENTIAL FARMERS. TLC BEGAN A PARTNERSHIP WITH AUDUBON NC AT HORTON GROVE NATURE PRESERVE AS PART OF AUDUBON'S FOREST LAND LEGACY PROGRAM WHICH FOCUSES ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO BENEFIT BIRD SPECIES IN DECLINE DUE TO LACK OF HABITAT. TLC PERFORMED GAP CREATION, SNAG CREATION AND EDGE FEATHERING PRACTICES TO INCREASE THE SUITABILITY OF HABITAT FOR THE TARGETED SPECIES.VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVE REGULARLY WITH TLC THROUGH THE CONSERVATION CORPS, TRAIL CREW OR WALNUT WEDNESDAY PROGRAMS CONTRIBUTED 502 HOURS TO STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR. AN ADDITIONAL 302 HOURS WERE DONATED DURING CORPORATE WORKDAYS, WEEKEND SERVICE EVENTS, AND PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS. THESE 804 HOURS OF STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES INCLUDED TRAIL BUILDING, MAINTENANCE, FOREST RESTORATION, AND INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL. OVER 50 VOLUNTEERS HELPED PLANT 6,000 LONGLEAF PINE SEEDLINGS AS PART OF TLC'S LONGLEAF RESTORATION AT BAILEY AND SARAH WILLIAMSON PRESERVE AT WALNUT HILL.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS AFTER BEING FOUNDED BY VOLUNTEERS, TLC STILL RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF REACHING OUR GOALS IN THE SAP. IN ADDITION TO THE 804 VOLUNTEER HOURS THAT SUPPORTED STEWARDSHIP, DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVED ON THE BOARD AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEES FOR TLC CONTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY 683 VOLUNTEER HOURS IN FY 2020. VOLUNTEERS HELPING IN THE OFFICE, TEACHING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, LEADING HIKES, REPRESENTING TLC AT EVENTS, AND PARTICIPATING IN OTHER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES DONATED 466 HOURS OF TIME. EVEN THOUGH VOLUNTEER EVENTS WERE CANCELLED FOR FOUR MONTHS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 1,860 HOURS TO TLC'S MISSION OF SAVING WILD AND WORKING LANDS FOR TOMORROW THROUGH STEWARDSHIP, CATALYZING COMMUNITY ACTION, AND (CONT. ON SCHED. O) COLLABORATION. ONE WAY TLC SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL BE GOOD STEWARDS OF WILD AND WORKING LAND IS BY PROVIDING POSITIVE EXPERIENCES IN NATURE FOR TODAY'S YOUTH, WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING THE REACH OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS BY 50 PERCENT BY 2025. WITH THE HELP OF THE AMERICORPS PROGRAM, TLC PROVIDED 22 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS SERVING YOUTH FROM AROUND THE AREA THIS YEAR. EIGHT OF THOSE PROGRAMS TOOK PLACE ON PROPERTIES OWNED OR CONSERVED BY TLC AND PROVIDED 329 PARTICIPANTS FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCES WITH WILD AND WORKING LANDS. PROGRAMS TOPICS INCLUDED POLLINATORS, CREEK STUDIES, WILDLIFE HABITAT, AND LOCAL FARMS AND FOODS. YOUTH FROM THE DANIEL CENTER, DURHAM CHILDREN'S INITIATIVE, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF DURHAM AND ORANGE COUNTIES, BRENTWOOD BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, DURHAM ACADEMY, GIRL SCOUT TROOPS, CAROLINA FRIENDS SCHOOL, HONEY OF THE HIVE AND OTHERS PARTICIPATED. AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO EXPAND OUR AUDIENCE AND CELEBRATE CONSERVATION FOR EVERYONE, WE CONTINUED OUR POPULAR WILD IDEAS PROGRAM IN FY 2020. AFTER MONTHS OF CLOSE COLLABORATION AND PLANNING WITH THE NC MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES, WE WERE FORCED TO CANCEL WILD IDEAS FARMS AND FORESTS ON MARCH 12, 2020 WHEN THE COVID-19 HIT THE US. OVER 200 REGISTERED GUESTS AND 21 EXPO ORGANIZATIONS PLANNED TO GATHER AT THE MUSEUM'S NATURE RESEARCH STATION IN RALEIGH FOR AN EVENT FOCUSED HOW TO ADDRESS GAPS IN THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM USING REGENERATIVE FARMING PRACTICES SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL FOOD SCENE AND INSPIRING A LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS. HOWEVER, IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, OUR TEAM QUICKLY SHIFTED GEARS TO LAUNCH VIRTUAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO BRING CONSERVATION TO LIFE IN THE COMFORT AND SAFETY OF HOME. TLC HOSTED 9 CONSERVATION CONVERSATIONS WITH 400 REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS AND 2 GUEST LECTURES. IN TOTAL, TLC HOSTED 33 EVENTS FOR THE PUBLIC, WHICH 906 PEOPLE ATTENDED, AND ALL BUT NINE OF THESE WERE HELD ON PROPERTIES OWNED OR MANAGED BY TLC TO BEST REPRESENT OUR WORK. THREE PROGRAMS ATTENDED BY 40 PEOPLE WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED AND MARKETED FOR FAMILIES AS PART OF OUR GET WILD! SERIES. DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, TLC SAW A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING OUR PRESERVES--UP TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF LAST YEAR'S USERS AT SOME LOCATIONS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE "DISCOVERED" TLC PRESERVES DURING THIS TIME. UNLIKE STATE AND COUNTY PARKS, TLC DID NOT CLOSE OUR NATURE PRESERVES DURING THE PANDEMIC. WE INSTEAD PUT OUT SIGNS AND SENT MESSAGES VIA EMAIL AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA REMINDING PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE. COMMUNICATIONS: TLC CONTINUES TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT CONSERVATION IN OUR REGION AND THE ORGANIZATION'S WORK IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. OUR WEBSITE RECEIVED MORE THAN 259,000 PAGE VIEWS IN FY 2020, A NEARLY 53% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR, AND IS UPDATED REGULARLY WITH OUR LATEST NEWS, INITIATIVES, AND EVENTS ON OUR BLOG AND CALENDAR. MORE THAN 7,000 SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE TWO MONTHLY EMAIL NEWSLETTERS AND OTHER ALERTS AS NEEDED. TLC ALSO ARRANGED FOR RADIO AND WEB STREAMING ANNOUNCEMENTS TO BE BROADCAST STRATEGICALLY THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR TO PROMOTE OUR WORK. ADDITIONALLY, WE REGULARLY UPDATED A KIOSK AT BRUMLEY SOUTH TO KEEP PEOPLE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST AT TLC AND DESIGNED AND PLANNED KIOSK SIGNAGE FOR THE NEW BAILEY AND SARAH WILLIAMSON PRESERVE. TLC ALSO ENGAGED LANDOWNERS WITH THE STEWARDSHIP JOURNAL, WHICH IS WRITTEN BY THE STEWARDSHIP STAFF AND DISTRIBUTED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH TLC TO PUT CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON THEIR PROPERTY.TLC'S SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS CONTINUED TO GROW, WITH A 28% INCREASE ACROSS PLATFORMS SINCE JULY 2019 FOR ALMOST 13,000 FOLLOWERS ACROSS FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, AND LINKEDIN. TLC ALSO DESIGNED AND DISTRIBUTED SEVERAL THEMATIC FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS, INCLUDING THE GIVING TUESDAY CAMPAIGN AND THE SECOND DAY OF GIVING ON EARTH DAY, BOTH OF WHICH EXCEEDED GOALS. IN FY 2020, TLC ISSUED PRESS RELEASES FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ITS LARGEST CONSERVATION PROJECT EVER, THE 1,120-ACRE BROGDEN BOTTOMLANDS, AND ALSO PLANNED THE PROMOTION OF THE NEW WILLIAMSON PRESERVE. TLC'S 2,500 MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED THE SPRING AND FALL EDITIONS OF CONFLUENCE.

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