The Nature Conservancy helps the National Park Service grow and maintain some of the country’s most iconic natural places.
#10: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
With more than 800 square miles of Appalachian mountains, hundreds of miles of backcountry hiking, mature hardwood forests that turn fiery shades in autumn and amazing biological diversity, it’s no wonder this is one of the most visited national park sites. But along with the more than 10 million people who come here each year, a few unwelcome guests sneak in. The Conservancy recently partnered with the park on a public awareness campaign to prevent the introduction of invasive insects on firewood, and it is now helping conduct prescribed burns to clear the buildup of leaf litter on the forest floors and restore plant diversity in fire-dependent ecosystems.
