Snake Mountain

19 May Snake Mountain

19 May 2026

By David Allen, Development for Conservation

My wife and I close on a house today in North Carolina. It’s a big deal worth celebrating. We feel like celebrating. So this is a blog about celebration.

I worked on a capital campaign during COVID – the entire feasibility study was conducted using ZOOM (which I had never used before then). We completed the campaign in October of 2022, having surpassed the fundraising goal.

And the money was spent closing projects almost as fast as we could raise it.

One of the stories I remember from that campaign was that if “Snake Mountain” came available, we were going to need to rethink. The sellers weren’t there yet. The appraisal wasn’t right yet. The stars were not in alignment yet. There was no urgency yet. But it was a dream project. A vision. And if everything came together, we were going to have to figure something out. When it came available …

I remember a project like that on a different scale in northern Wisconsin. I was raising money for TNC at the time and my State Director would make an annual trip up to Vilas County with a six-pack of Miller High Life. I’m not completely sure what they talked about every year, but I know it included a reminder that when the old man decided to sell the property, TNC would be interested in buying it – to preserve it forever. It was a dream project. A vision.

And Peter was the third State Director to make that annual trip. Some projects take time.

The old man did eventually the property to TNC some years after both Peter and I had moved on. A fourth State Director was involved. Some projects take time.

I’m certain that there was some celebrating at the time, engaging the people who were there. But think of how many others had been involved. And over what period of time. How long it had been a dream.

We certainly fret about the ones we lose. The farmland skinned off to make new cul-de-sacs. The warehouses slapped up where there used to be woodlands and wetlands. And the insurance companies buying mature forest to “liquidate” their investment.

But I don’t think we celebrate the wins enough. And I don’t think we celebrate enough with donors. It takes a LOT to bring a project to close. Biologists, mapping specialists, lawyers, accountants, fundraisers, Board members, donors, and the list goes on.

Maybe I feel this more in fundraising than my conservation friends do. We’re not usually there when projects close. Our wins are the checks in the mail, the zeros on the checks, and the news that so-and-so left the land trust in her will. Increasingly, it’s even becoming more and more remote as more people give online. It’s easy to get caught up in the grind and forget about the mission work getting accomplished.

But EVERY closing is a win. And worth celebrating. How do YOU include donors in the celebrating? How do YOU acknowledge the mission wins with your land trust? Do YOU feel it?

There’s a larger context, too. We are part of a community of people – thousands strong – who are productively engaged in permanently protecting conservation land across the country – even across the world. Beating back the FODs (Forces of Darkness). How audacious is that! How optimistic! And there are little wins everywhere. And in some small way, however indirectly, we are all involved in every one.

Snake Mountain closed last week. I wasn’t there, but I felt it in some small way.

It’s a big deal.

A dream project.

A vision.

Another win against the FODs.

They all are.

And worth celebrating.

Bravo!

Cheers, and Have a great week!

-da

PS: Your comments on these posts are welcomed and warmly requested. If you have not posted a comment before, or if you are using a new email address, please know that there may be a delay in seeing your posted comment. That’s my SPAM defense at work. I approve all comments as soon as I am able during the day.

Photo by valentin hintikka courtesy of Pixabay.