Who We Are
Founded in 2003 by a small group of dedicated conservation professionals, Commonweal Conservancy set out to challenge conventional practices of land preservation and community development in the American Southwest.
Drawing inspiration from environmental writers and activists, Commonweal’s founders sought to pioneer an integrated approach to landscape-scale conservation and environmentally responsible development.
“Since its founding, Commonweal Conservancy has been an innovator. It’s an organization that’s embraced community-building as integral to its land conservation mission. Whereas, traditionally, proponents of conservation and environmental protection have viewed people as threats to nature, Commonweal creates opportunities for people to become engaged stewards and partners to its protection.”
Breece R.
In north-central New Mexico’s Galisteo Basin, a historic ranch of significance and scale that served as a buffer against Santa Fe’s burgeoning suburban development offered a proving ground for Commonweal’s vision and aspirations.
Commonweal’s approach to conservation is deeply anchored in community building. From its founding, Commonweal has prioritized community interests: actively engaging volunteers, donors, property owners, and community members in planning and protection efforts.
Over the past 22 years, the organization has aspired to cultivate a stewardship ethic among local community members as well as property owners who’ve made the preserve their home: an ethic that has its roots in the writings of a renowned 20th century conservationist, Aldo Leopold. By Leopold’s account, a land ethic extends beyond human relationships to include the entire community of life, recognizing our interconnectedness with the natural environment and the crucial role of ecological systems in sustaining us.
Commonweal fosters relationships and invites beneficiaries to promote and implement initiatives that support the land's health and vitality. By creating an environment where these connections can flourish, the organization has prepped the soil for a Galisteo Basin land ethic to thrive.
Commonweal's first two decades have been an experiment in private nonprofit land acquisition and stewardship, serving community needs and ensuring public access. Throughout its history, the organization has demonstrated an unflagging commitment to its conservation mission and a capacity for resilience in the face of exceptionally challenging economic conditions. The personal sacrifice of its staff, the faith of its board, and the dedication of its volunteer partners have sustained the organization and ensured the preserve’s permanent protection against all odds.
Today the Galisteo Basin Preserve serves as a beacon of hope and promise for the region’s land protection needs and opportunities. Commonweal’s work has demonstrated the power of community engagement as a critical component of sustainable land stewardship. The preserve offers a model of private nonprofit land conservation that its leaders believe is replicable and scalable.
Commonweal pursues its work with the belief that people support what they love and that — welcomed and supported as partners — community members are often eager to contribute to causes and ideas that bring meaning to their lives.