Podcast: How the Nature Conservancy Practices Pragmatic Preservation

In a political season in which ach side appears to be more resolute and certain than ever about the rightness of its cause, finding common ground seems increasingly elusive. But one environmental group regularly navigates the polarized climate to forge pragmatic solutions to protect the planet that work for all parties involved: the Nature Conservancy.

"If you start by trying to identify what you have in common rather than what you disagree about, you will often find you can do really important things together," says Mark Tercek, the $600 million conservation charity’s president and CEO.

In this segment from the Business of Giving, Mr. Tercek talks about the Nature Conservancy’s collaborative, science-grounded approach to land, water, and climate issues — embedded in the nonprofit’s DNA when it was founded 65 years ago to purchase and protect the Mianus River Gorge in upstate New York.

The former Goldman Sachs managing director also gives examples of how the organization has harnessed the forces of finance to scale up and speed up green projects and addresses critics who contend the it has gotten too cozy with big business.

Listen to the full interview below.