Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world’s largest black bears . They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife .
    The streams , lakes , meadows (草地) , mountain  ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region . Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats (栖息地) are endangered by highway construction . To protect the Poconos’ natural beauty from irresponsible development. The Nature Conservancy (大自然保护协会)  named the area one of America’ s “Last Great Places”
    Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy’s bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
    Altemose’s family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure  financial future for their 7-year-old grandson .
    Cook attributes the Conservancy’s success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents
    “The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community,” Cook  said. “The people who live there respect the land. They value quite forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.
    For more information on how you can help The Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world’s other “Last Great Places,” please call 1-888-564 6864.  or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org.