Tanka Fund’s Post

The end of November marked the final Buffalo release of our 2024 season when three calves returned to their homeland on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Our preliminary count shows a total of 246 Buffalo were returned this fall. Final numbers will be announced in our 2024 impact report after the new year when all counts are confirmed. Many thanks to The Nature Conservancy, the Minnesota Zoo, and private donors for helping us continue to increase the numbers of Buffalo who are returning to Native caretakers. Tanka Fund’s mission is to return Buffalo to Native lands, lives, and economies. Through partnerships like these, we’re helping bring back a vital cultural and economic resource to communities across the country. To support The Return, visit tankafund.org/donate 🦬 #TankaFund #BuffaloConservation #SupportNativeRanchers #WildlifePreservation #ProtectTheBuffalo #SustainableRanching #NativeAmericanHeritage #EcoFriendlyFarming #BuffaloFencingProject #ConservationEfforts #WildlifeProtection #SupportIndigenousCommunities #BuffaloRestoration #WildlifeSupport #CulturalPreservation #IndigenousLandManagement #HelpSaveTheBuffalo #BuffaloHeritage #SustainableAgriculture #LandsLivesEconomies #Buffalo #Bison #TheReturn #NativeAmerican #ClimateRestoration #CommunityEmpowerment #EnvironmentalSustainability #BuffaloRanching #ClimateSmart

Poll Shows Strong Support for Strengthening Sage-Grouse Habitat Protections Hunters and anglers have long known that sage grouse conservation benefits many species in the sagebrush steppe. It turns out the majority of Western voters also want to strengthen sage grouse conservation! A recent poll conducted by The Pew Charitable Trusts shows overwhelming support for bolstering Bureau of Land Management safeguards for greater sage-grouse habitat. The BLM is amending its sage-grouse plans to consider new science in determining how to best conserve sage-grouse habitat on public lands across 10 Western states. The survey found robust support for BLM’s planning effort in rural counties where the iconic bird is found. Read more about the report at https://lnkd.in/gWB3qJRP

"In 2021, the Queensland Government released its Protected Area Strategy 2020–2030, providing an overarching policy to effectively double the state’s protected areas. This was followed by one of the single largest budget allocations for the acquisition of land for new national parks—a commitment of AUD$301 million to expand protected areas on Cape York (AUD$38.5m) and the rest of Queensland (AUD$262.5m). Since 2021, nearly 2.5 million acres have either been formally protected or acquired and set aside as future national parks," writes Andrew Piccone from Pew Charitable Trusts at https://buff.ly/3KSSPXr "The formal transfer of land from government back to local First Nations people, combined with programs designed to support and bolster cultural practices, is critically important today. The landmark Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program in far northern Queensland exemplifies a pioneering approach to creating Indigenous owned and jointly managed national parks, promoting a model of consent-based negotiation and co-management that has led to significant conservation achievements and socio-economic benefits."

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, part of one of the county's largest wildlife charities, is tackling rising energy costs while continuing their vital conservation work. In June 2024, Solarsense installed solar panels at their Head Office and Visitor Centre in Robinswood Hill Country Park. As a result, their summer energy bill was halved, and it is estimated their annual bill will reduce to just a quarter of its previous amount. Here’s what Lenka Cmelakova, the Trust's Facilities Manager, had to say about the installation: https://lnkd.in/e_eeSnXE The Wildlife Trusts #wildlifetrust #solar #cleanenergy #sustainability

Did you know conservation easements can be donated, purchased, or both? 🤓 🌱 “Qualified Conservation Contributions” are donated easements that meet IRS standards and allow Donors to claim significant income and estate tax benefits. 💵 Purchased easements generate income for Landowners and involve a competitive funding process based on a program’s specific criteria. For example, if a property is located in a priory watershed or provides habitat for an endangered species, it’s likely to score higher and win grant awards. 💼 Funded easements often involve what’s called a Bargain Sale – part donation and part sale. If a landowner knowingly accepts less than the Fair Market Value of a conservation easement, they can claim a deduction for the portion of CE value that was donated or not included in the purchase price. Landowners donating conservation easements need legal counsel to ensure their contribution complies with IRS rules, regulations, and case law before closing. 📚🗃️👩⚖️ We also secure funding for clients in partnership with land trust organizations like @texaslandconservancy or @nature_tx. 🌎🌿🤝 📸: @jvailphotography

It's great to look back on the accomplishments of the 23/24 financial year which saw 3 #SANG transfer to The Land Trust in 3 different counties, bringing the Trust’s SANG portfolio to 14, spanning nearly 400 hectares. The pipeline for new SANG is growing every month and subject to the usual caveats, we expect to acquire over 100 hectares by March 2026. With the introduction of mandatory #BNG and the nascent offsite BU market, most new SANG on LT's pipeline have stacked BNG with a view of selling the BU alongside the SANG capacity. It's made for some interesting debate and adds a new layer of complexity to the legal negotiation, but overall it's positive to quantify and deliver multiple benefits from green infrastructure in perpetuity. There's a lot of discussion around the nascent BU market and supply and demand at the moment. One anecdotal observation from me is that it is reasonable to assume that the BU market will be more buoyant in LPAs where SANG are required. This could impact pricing of BU in these areas due to greater supply and 'SANG BU' potentially able to be sold for less than 'Habitat Bank BU'.  

What do the Euros ⚽ and the Elections ❌ have in common? They are both doing absolutely nothing to stop us sleep walking into a #globalenvironmentalcrisis. It's not some far off forest fire, drought, or hurricane battered country on the other side of the world where this is happening... it's happening here in the UK... and it's happening in your life time. 💀 Almost 1,500 native species are now threatened with #extinction. 🦋 Worst still, just 11 per cent of UK land is within protected areas, some of which are not adequately managed for #wildlife. 🐑 Research revealed that #sheepgrazing reduces the number of plant species considerably, with such grasslands taking up to 60 years to recover! 📉 More than half of #plantspecies have decreased in their distribution (54%) as have 59% of bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). 🐝 The distributions of #pollinatorspecies, including bees, hoverflies and moths, have decreased by 18% on average 🐞 Species providing #pestcontrol, such as the 2-spot ladybird have declined by more than a third (34%). Rewilding Britain are doing something about it - and like them... we at Gartner Consulting are also going to "Think Big. Act Wild" by completing a super tough 37km walk through the Lake District to raise #awareness and #funding to help them continue the amazing work they are doing. There a million and one excuses this morning you won't click on the link below and offer any contribution you can - but don't make apathy one of them. Please help us raise money for this amazing cause. 💚 Sumit Thakur Monica Sulé (she/her/hers) Simon Greener Saptarshi Routh Jonathan Avery Jay Shepherd Rishabh Sareen Aman Vijh Kate Walker Teri Downes Lucy Elizabeth Jones John Sisley Sas Saadat 💚 *photo Scafell Pike this weekend close to where we will be walking #rewildingbritain #gartnerconsulting #lakedistrict https://lnkd.in/gQXFa2jb

As Tanka Fund COO Arnell Abold Abold explains in this video, the more land caretakers have, the larger and healthier the herds can be. Buffalo thrive with room to roam — each one needs several acres to live naturally and freely, not permanently confined to a corral. That’s why managing Buffalo means ensuring there’s enough land for every animal. Tanka Fund works to make this possible by providing resources for appropriate fencing and land maintenance. Your support makes this vision possible — reconnecting Buffalo to their rightful place on the land with Native caretakers. 🌿 Join the movement at tankafund.org/donate 🦬 #TankaFund #BuffaloConservation #SupportNativeRanchers #WildlifePreservation #ProtectTheBuffalo #SustainableRanching #NativeAmericanHeritage #EcoFriendlyFarming #BuffaloFencingProject #ConservationEfforts #WildlifeProtection #SupportIndigenousCommunities #BuffaloRestoration #WildlifeSupport #CulturalPreservation #IndigenousLandManagement #HelpSaveTheBuffalo #BuffaloHeritage #SustainableAgriculture #LandsLivesEconomies #Buffalo #Bison #TheReturn #NativeAmerican #ClimateRestoration #CommunityEmpowerment #EnvironmentalSustainability #BuffaloRanching #ClimateSmart

Securing farmland can be an uphill battle for aspiring farmers. Thanks to the GoATL Community Capacity Fund and The Conservation Fund's Working Farms Fund, two Georgia farms are thriving and providing fresh, local food: https://lnkd.in/eBHSbvby

A patient pathway to affordable farmland ownership is a win-win for the Atlanta community. Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has been a critical partner in planting roots of The Conservation Fund's Farms Fund in Georgia. #farmsfund #impactinvesting