The Nature Conservancy on Long Island is comprised of three offices: The Center for Conservation in East Hampton, Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island and Uplands Farm Nature Sanctuary in Cold Spring Harbor. The Nature Conservancy has been working on Long Island since the 1950s, but the Center for Conservation celebrated ten years of helping the East End preserve its natural beauty in 2010.
In 1999, the conservancy received the donation of a nineteenth century farmhouse on the former Hardscrabble Farm. The renovated 7,800-square-foot house is located on about five acres of agricultural land. The Center for Conservation is open to the public for lectures and events in its library. The native garden has trees, shrubs and perennials indigeneous to Long Island. The conservancy also has several "green" building initiatives, including a geothermal heating and cooling system and a solar garage.