有鑑於保育團體間難以避免的溝通衝突，維吉尼亞理工學院的吉維奇（Curt Gervich）以協助環保團體建立共識作為研究主題，獲選為40名第一屆「一起綠化研究學者 」（TogetherGreen Fellows）之一，將有1萬美金經費支援他成立保育團體網絡的衝突管理工作坊與製作管理參考手冊。
2008年初，知名保育團體奧杜邦協會（Audubon Society）和豐田汽車（Toyota）合作展開這個為期5年的計畫，名為「一起綠化」（TogetherGreen），目標是資助保育相關提案、訓練環境領域領袖、和提供志工及個人參與環保活動的機會。
吉維奇已為企業領袖、民選官員和保育團體間在阿帕拉契的棘手問題上，建立了共識。
吉維奇表示：「倘若不了解人類社群和自然環境的互動，保育人士為保護自然資源所作的努力，在最好的情況下是效率低落，在最壞的情況下則是不負責任。 」
每一位「一起綠化學者」除獲得1萬美金補助，還會得到提案和執行保育計畫的相關訓練，並有機會和環境專業人士共事、以及拓展和評量計畫的協助。
半數獲選學者來自將近500個奧杜邦相關單位，包括各地分會、中心和州立機構，其餘學者在各保育團體中所作的努力，也都符合「一起綠化」的保育目標。
受獎者包括來自全國各地的教授、博士候選人、生態學者、專業保育人士、社區組織代表和一位藝術家。
包括：緬因奧杜邦學會的生物學家雀利（Barbara Charry），他發現公路只佔全國2%地景，卻在野生生物和棲地的負面影響中佔有20%。
雀利將協助社區和當地政府在擬定土地利用的保育政策過程注意這個現象，從而避免動物和鳥在公路身亡；她將透過緬因奧杜邦學會在全國性組織「從棲地開始」（Beginning With Habitat）的聯合領導地位，推動她的「一起綠化」行動。
來自奧瑞岡州波特蘭的德法科（Tony DeFalco），目前擔任有色青年環境專業人士（Young Environmental Professionals of Color）的管理師，和公有地信託基金會(TPL)部落和自然土地部門的永續管理經理，協助保育土地和振興美國原住民社區。
獲選之後，德法科將成立一個非營利社會企業機構，聘用並訓練居住在波特蘭的低收入拉丁裔和美國原住民投入綠色能源業，以解決貧窮和氣候變遷問題。
「一起綠化」和豐田汽車的企業理念不謀而合，雙方對環境保育的重要性皆有根深蒂固的堅持。
北美豐田汽車副總裁品達（Patricia Salas Pineda）表示：「豐田汽車相信集結草根力量便能塑造明日的環境保育界領袖。」
Conflicts between conservationists and others in their communities inevitably arise - Curt Gervich of Viginia Tech has developed ways to help conflicting parties reach agreement. As one of the first 40 TogetherGreen Fellows, Gervich will receive $10,000 to create a conflict management workshop and guidebook for conservation networks.
The National Audubon Society and Toyota launched the five-year TogetherGreen initiative earlier this year to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer volunteer and individual action opportunities that benefit the environment.
Gervich is already building consensus between industry leaders, elected officials, and conservationists around solutions for the knotty problems of Appalachia.
"I think that without an understanding of the ways that human communities interact with the natural world, the efforts of conservationists to protect natural resources will be, at their best, inefficient, and at their worst, irresponsible," he said.
Each of the new Fellows will receive $10,000 as well as specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work with experienced environmental professionals, and assistance with project outreach and evaluation.
Half of the Fellows were selected from within Audubon's network of nearly 500 local chapters, centers and state organizations. The rest earned their credentials with other groups that help to broaden the reach of TogetherGreen conservation efforts.
Recipients include professors and Ph.D. candidates, an artist, ecologists, professional conservation practitioners and representatives of community organizations in all part of the country.
Biologist Barbara Charry of the Maine Audubon Society realizes that while roads account for only two percent of the national landscape, they account for 20 percent of the negative impact to wildlife and habitat.
As a TogetherGreen Fellow, Charry will help communities and local governments include conservation decisions in the land-use planning process to keep animals and birds from dying on the road. She will be able to utilize Maine Audubon's involvement as co-leader of the state-wide Beginning With Habitat program.
Tony DeFalco of Portland, Oregon works as coordinator for the Young Environmental Professionals of Color and as Sustainability Manager for the Trust for Public Land's Tribal and Native Lands Program, helping to conserve land and revitalize Native American communities.
Selected as one of the 40 new TogetherGreen Fellows, DeFalco will address both poverty and climate change by creating a non-profit social enterprise organization that hires, trains and employs low-income Latinos and Native Americans in Portland in an area of the green energy sector.
The TogetherGreen Fellows program is rooted in the Toyota corporation's emphasis on the importance of environmental conservation.
"Toyota believes in the power of grassroots efforts to develop the environmental leaders of tomorrow," declared Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president, Toyota Motor North America.
