The Santa Lucia Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust established in 1995 to protect and enhance the ecological integrity of over 18,000 acres of protected lands within the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, CA. In partnership with the Preserve Community, the Conservancy actively manages these lands for their wild natural beauty, extraordinary biodiversity, and other valuable benefits such as clean air and water. In addition, the Conservancy works with a variety of academic and environmental partners to conduct and promote ecological research that increases our understanding of the interactions between human communities and the natural environment. Each year, the Conservancy provides free environmental educational programs to over 3,000 participants from public and private schools and homeschooling families.