Block Island Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy and the Block Island Conservancy co-sponsor free, guided nature programs on Block Island throughout the year. Together, we offer many different ways to connect to the fields, marshes, and beaches that make the island so exceptional.

A Last Great Place

In 1991, The Nature Conservancy named Block Island one of 12 “Last Great Places” in the western hemisphere. This special designation highlights the island’s abundance of rare plants and animals and the community’s unique support for conservation. The Conservancy set up a permanent field office on the island soon after, affirming our long-term commitment to protecting the nature of Block Island.

Today, nearly half the island is permanently protected for people and nature. It remains a wildlife hotspot, providing habitat for many plants and animals that disappeared from the rest of southern New England decades ago. The Conservancy’s Block Island Program maintains over 2,000 acres of habitat, offers hands-on discovery programs, and supports groundbreaking scientific research in the Great Salt Pond.

For all of this, we thank our supporters and partners -- many of whom have been with us since the very beginning -- for their generosity, trust, and vision for Block Island.

Provided By: Block Island Tourism Council