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NatureServe

NatureServe is an international non-profit that puts scientific information and resources on biodiversity into the hands of conservation professionals.

We are the hub of a network with more than 100 programs spanning the Western Hemisphere that collect, manage, and share real-time data on 100,000+ species and ecosystems.

10/07/2026

✨SPOTLIGHT: TEDx Logan Circle✨

CEO Anne Bowser presented on "Rethinking Power," championing overlooked species like freshwater mussels and native pollinators. She highlighted how nonprofits and communities can unite to protect these vital biodiversity builders, not just the familiar wildlife that typically garners public attention.

Learn more here. ⬇️
https://tedxlogancircle.com/anne-bowser/?utm_source=Personal&utm_campaign=8532c307d1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_03_20_07_08_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-e9acbf6386-507011780

📸 Anne Bowser, Ph.D. presenting at TEDx Logan

10/05/2026

🐦 Why Do Birds Migrate?

Every year, millions of birds make incredible journeys across continents, but why?

Migration is all about survival. As seasons change, birds may travel to find more abundant food, better nesting conditions, or safer places to raise their young. Some species migrate just a few hundred miles, while others travel thousands, crossing mountains, deserts, and even oceans.

And here’s the amazing part: many birds navigate these journeys using a combination of environmental cues, including the sun, stars, Earth’s magnetic field, landmarks, and even familiar sounds and smells.

Migration is a complex behavior shaped by millions of years of adaptation.

📸 Photo credits:
Juan Miguel Artigas Azas (iNaturalist)
Carter Dorscht (iNaturalist)
Kyle (iNaturalist)

10/02/2026

How can biodiversity data help turn science into action?

NatureServe’s Director of Conservation Science Applications, Christopher Tracey, recently joined Nic Frederick and Laura Thorne on the National Association of Environmental Professionals’ Environmental Professionals RADIO podcast to chat about mapping biodiversity, turning data into action, and building boats.

Chris discussed his journey to NatureServe, using GIS to support conservation and land-use planning, applying AI to make biodiversity assessments more efficient, and why getting data into the hands of decision-makers is so important.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation on your favorite podcast platform, watch on YouTube, or click the link below.
https://www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com

National Association of Environmental Professionals

09/30/2026

🐢 Species Spotlight: Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)

This small but remarkably resilient turtle is found across much of the eastern United States.

Unlike many turtles, box turtles have a hinged lower shell, or plastron, that allows them to pull their head, legs, and tail inside and close up tightly when threatened. It’s essentially their own built-in suit of armor.

Their domed shells are often marked with striking patterns of yellow, orange, or brown, making each individual uniquely recognizable.

Eastern Box Turtles spend much of their lives on land, where they forage for a varied diet that can include insects, fruits, fungi, and plants. They can also live for several decades, making them a long-term part of the ecosystems they inhabit.

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina). NatureServe Global Status: Secure (G5). Photo by Matt Jones.

09/28/2026

🔬SCIENTIFIC NAME BREAKDOWN 👀

❤️North American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
What does Tamiasciurus hudsonicus actually mean?

🐿️ Tamiasciurus combines Greek roots associated with a food-storing animal and a tail. What a fitting name for a squirrel known for caching food.

📍 hudsonicus means “of Hudson” and refers to the Hudson Bay region, where the species was first documented.

So behind Tamiasciurus hudsonicus is a little story about a food-caching, bushy-tailed squirrel from the Hudson region.

Suddenly, scientific names feel a little less intimidating. 😉

Photo credit: USDA - Forest Service

09/25/2026

🐍 Global Reptile Assessment 🐊

💙About the Project
The assessment is a collaboration between the IUCN, NatureServe, and other organizations. NatureServe is playing a critical role in conducting assessment workshops for species occurring in the Western Hemisphere. Workshops with reptile experts to assign Red List status of snakes and lizards covered Middle America (2012); Colombia (2013); Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia (2014); the Amazon Basin (2014); Argentina (2014); Chile (2015); Venezuela (2015) and the Caribbean (2015).

💚Goal
This project is an ongoing assessment of the conservation status of all the world’s nearly 10,000 reptile (lizard, snake, turtle, crocodile, tuatara) species, involving hundreds of scientists from around the globe. The goal of this project is to summarize information on the distribution, abundance, trend, threats, and conservation needs for all of the world’s reptile species. It is the first comprehensive assessment of global reptile conservation status.

💙Significance
Reptiles are the only remaining group of tetrapods for which a comprehensive, global assessment of species conservation status has not been completed. The Global Reptile Assessment will help the conservation community to identify species and areas most in need of protection, management, or further research.

💚A recent preliminary assessment of 1,500 randomly-selected reptile species found that about one in five species is threatened with extinction, and another one in five is too poorly known for a conservation assessment to be made. Human-induced habitat loss and harvesting emerged as the predominant threats, and lack of adequate information about many reptile species may be causing an underestimation of extinction risk.

Photo credit: Western Milksnake (Lampropeltis gentilis). NatureServe Global Status: Secure (G5). Photo by Geoff Hammerson.

09/23/2026

Adopt the bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)

The bog turtle is one of North America's smallest and rarest turtle species, growing up to only 4.5 inches in length. It can be distinguished by the bright orange or yellow markings on its head. These turtles are semi-aquatic, spending much of their time in or near shallow, marshy areas in the eastern United States. The species has distinct northern and southern populations, which are separated by a gap of approximately 250 miles. Unfortunately, due to habitat loss and illegal collection for the pet trade, the bog turtle is classified as Imperiled (G2) and is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Some more fun facts! 🤩
Habitat: Wetland habitats with an abundance of sedge or mossy cover
Diet: Insects, worms, slugs, and other small invertebrates
Behavior: Active on cloudy days, foraging on land and in water for food

Adopt the Bog Turtle today: https://www.natureserve.org/adopt/bog-turtle
OR
Learn more about the Bog Turtle at NatureServe Explorer: https://explorer.natureserve.org

📸 Photo by Nathanael Stanek, Turtle Conservancy.

09/21/2026

Recognizing the need to discover, document, and understand biological diversity in order to protect and conserve it, scientists at The Nature Conservancy, led by Dr. Robert E. Jenkins, conceive a network of state natural heritage programs. The network programs answer fundamental questions about what exists, where it is found, and how it is doing.

The first programs are established in South Carolina and Mississippi in 1974. They are dedicated to systematically inventorying native species and identifying where they are imperiled and need help.

The programs collect data using a standardized methodology. They are some of the first to use early computing technology to manage biodiversity data.

09/17/2026

Check this out for a Throwback Thursday! 🕑⏳

This photo is of the 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.

09/16/2026

🌎 Discovering the diversity of life

For decades, the NatureServe Network has been driving discovery and innovation in conservation science, helping us better understand the incredible diversity of life across North America.

From species and ecosystems to the data that help inform conservation decisions, our work turns knowledge into action. 🌿🔬

Address

2550 South Clark Street, Suite 930A
Arlington, VA
22203

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17039081800

Website

https://www.NatureServe.org/

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