A Minecraft National Park

Objective

The Nature Conservancy, a global nonprofit focused on land and water conservation, partnered with Minecraft to educate players about wildlife protection and habitat connectivity. The campaign aimed to introduce environmental conservation concepts to the gaming community while generating direct funding for on-the-ground conservation projects addressing habitat fragmentation.

Solution

Minecraft released a paid Marketplace map (830 Minecoins) launching in October 2024, built by Mojang Studios together with over 50 creators to mark Minecraft's 15-year anniversary — the first map of this size created to benefit a charity. It features nine distinct biomes (grasslands, taiga, tundra, cloud forest, jungle, savannah, dry forest, ocean, and wetlands), each with a ranger station, a monument serving as the region's focal point, and educational content on wildlife corridors, plus a giant central visitors center. Prior to launch, a community build challenge in May 2024 invited creators to design the park's central monument for the Visiting Center, won by builder GuilleAnimations with an axolotl design. Revenue came from Marketplace map sales combined with a fundraising livestream event in December 2024, supplemented by a $100,000 direct donation from Mojang Studios.

Results

The campaign raised a total of $287,000 for The Nature Conservancy, combining net proceeds from map sales, the December fundraising stream, and Mojang Studios' $100,000 donation. Minecraft partnerships supported The Nature Conservancy's wildlife corridor projects in Massachusetts, Vermont, Wyoming, and Florida, including protecting wildlife on 48,000 acres in the Central Cascades by reconnecting parcels of land and installing critter crossings to help animal migrations and prevent vehicle-wildlife collisions.