NEW YORK-MARCH 30: The Nature Conservancy's Young Professionals Group : "Wild At Heart--Cooking Up a Sustainable Life" on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Debrosses Street, New York City, NY. A love of food and conservation go hand in hand at least according to four of New York City’s hottest chefs and nearly 400 guests who attended the benefit, "Wild At Heart--Cooking Up a Sustainable Life" on Tribeca Rooftop, Wednesday, March 30. “Anyone who’s ever gone to an apple orchard and eaten a freshly picked apple knows that fresh food tastes better,” said NBC Universal’s Jason Giagrande, one of the four chefs (Jimmy Bradley, Jonathan Waxman, Joey Campanaro, Jason Giagrande) who designed a menu of sustainable plates for the event. His sentiment was spot on. Whether guests were savoring delectable dishes or discussing the beneficiary of the event, The Nature Conservancy’s Heart of the Adirondacks project, freshness was the evening’s resounding theme. Tasting stations featured local, seasonal and organic ingredients. In Giagrande’s dish, a bevy of local veggies complemented multi-grain pasta. Joey Camapanaro (The Little Owl, Market Table) used pigs raised in Upstate New York for his savory roasted pork with potato, fennel and dandelion salad. New England crabs starred in Jimmy Bradley’s (The Red Cat) Peeky Toe Crab Salad, and Jonathan Waxman (Restaurant) showcased raw, shaved vegetables in his Insalata Crudi. “A lot of people go to the market and say, ‘I want to use [these ingredients],” Waxman said. “But I like to go to the market and let the vegetables talk to me.”

As guests delighted in the dishes, they were treated to music from the Back Porch Society. They were also surrounded by décor that fittingly echoed Adirondack Park. Proceeds from the event will support The Nature Conservancy’s monumental Heart of the Adirondacks project, a globally important forest and freshwater conservation effort that balances ecology and human economy in New York’s Adirondacks. Through this 175,600-acre project, the Conservancy is linking some 860,000 protected acres within a landscape that offers hope for meaningful preservation of a forest type that historically has suffered more abuses than any other on earth. “[To be a conservationist,] you need to get your hands in the soil,” Jason Giagrande said, lamenting that in New York City, it can be hard to feel connected to the conservation movement. Which is why, he said, he was so thrilled to be a part of the Conservancy’s event. “New York is a lot bigger place than just Manhattan.”

Host Committee: Akshay Arora; James A. Attwood, Jr.; Richard S. Berry and Lucy A. Commoner; David Birnbaum & Jennifer Dunkl; Carol and John Fox; Carson and Joseph Gleberman; Karen K. Hsu; Tom and Valerie Rosenberg; Andrew Rosenthal & Shari Levine; Perry and Stephanie Vais; Anonymous (2) 2011 Benefit Committee: Josh Abdulla - Jacqueline Ahern - Akshay Arora* - Gia Baker - Nate Caress - Serena Chen* - Eugenia Choi* - Erica Chu - Eliza Cooney* - Elizabeth Fastiggi - Eva Hsu - Jin Jin Huang* - Chloe Jones - Jennifer Kellogg - Jared Licina* - Nikole Loayza - Erin McKinnon Stone - David Nicola* - Joel Papo* - Pamela Piccola-Fales - Danielle Polebaum - Matthew Powers - Katelyn Ristau - James Riviezzo* - Thomas Rosenberg* (YP Ambassador) - Gayle Schmidt* - Melinda Seli - Katie Tweed - Scott Unruh - Tom van Arsdall - Mark Woloszyn* - Wendy Yu*

Corporate Sponsors included: Hudson River Sponsor: Time Warner Cable | High Peaks Sponsor: Covanta Energy | Follensby Pond Sponsor: McKinsey & Company; Sullivan & Cromwell LLP | Blue Ledges Sponsor: BlueMountain Capital Management LLP; Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.; Newmark Knight Frank | Cedar River Sponsor: Fox Rothschild LLP, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

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