Impact Local & Global Communities

Reese Institute for Conservation of Natural Resources


Supporting the adage "think globally, act locally."

At LR, we have always believed in combining conservation with responsible economic development, whether in our own backyard, halfway across the country or all the way around the world.

The Reese Institute for the Conservation of Natural Resources provides our students an unprecedented opportunity to do exactly that — participate in a curriculum that supports the adage "think globally, act locally."

Through service learning, scholarship, fieldwork experience, travel opportunities and internships, you will have the chance to positively impact our immediate community, while setting your sights on the larger conservation issues of the nation and beyond.

The Reese Institute is affiliated with the undergraduate Environmental Science and Policy program and the graduate program in Sustainability Studies.

Through my work at the Reese Institute, I have been able to further my personal and professional skills around advocating for sustainable solutions.

Kaley Cross
Pastor Vern, framed by congregation, reads during chapel service

Interim university pastor Vern Kinard, M.Div. ’18, talks about finding his way back to Lenoir-Rhyne, creating a place of belonging, and the connections between music, faith and community.

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Kevin Miller stands under an LR banner on the quad with his motorcycle

Kevin Miller ’26 turned his love of riding in Western North Carolina into an entrepreneurial venture — with help from LR and a shot at $30,000 in a statewide startup competition.

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