CONSERVATREE
Listening Study Project Director

Conservatree is a nonprofit catalyst and advocate for ecologically sustainable paper markets, combining environmental commitment with paper industry and technical knowledge. We provide practical tools and realistic strategies for successful conversion to environmentally sound and sustainable papers.

Conservatree began in 1976 as the privately-owned, for-profit Conservatree Paper Company, specializing in identifying, developing, and supplying commercial quantities and qualities of cutting edge recycled printing and writing papers. The company closed its paper sales division in 1994, having achieved its goal of making recycled paper widely available, and the company closed completely in 1997.

In 1998, Susan Kinsella, who had worked in several environmental paper public policy and advocacy positions both with Conservatree and with environmental organizations, converted the former company's education and advocacy missions to a nonprofit organization. Together with Gerard Gleason, who had paper sales experience through both Conservatree and a print/paper broker, she began developing Conservatree's dedication to creating the tools, tactics, information and networks necessary to spur the continued development and market expansion of ecologically sustainable papers.

Today, Conservatree is an independent 501(c)(3) project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE). It does not sell paper, does not represent any paper company or distributor, and networks with people with all types of perspectives on environmental paper issues.

As Director of the Listening Study, Conservatree creates partnerships, conducts interviews, researches reports and tests, oversees the comprehensiveness of the information, writes the synopses, and compiles the reports.