Green Goddess: Jenni LeBlanc | Conservationist

Deborah Triplett

Magnify

Jenni loves the outdoors both at work and play: she’s hiked Mount Kilimanjaro, and she works to conserve green space in six North Carolina counties through the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

“It just feels like the right thing to do,” she says. “I’m not someone that hugs trees.”
Jenni spends her time both in the field and in her office, working with landowners to protect land in six counties throughout the state. And she loves it.

“I love working with farmers,” she says. “Talk about people who know the land. They not only make a living working the land, but also appreciate it and want to preserve it for future generations.”

It’s a balancing act, she says—balancing the counties’ growth and development with conservation, to ensure that future generations have access to green space.

“What we do is forever,” says Jenni. “That’s a gift. That’s why we’re in the business we’re in. With the environment, it’s so critical to think about solutions and not just point your finger.”