The Nature Conservancy and IBM Corp. have entered into an unusual partnership to combine technology and large-scale conservation efforts. The two organizations plan to model and develop visual representations of the Parana-Paraguay river system. This is the second-largest river basin in South America. The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia, started the Great Rivers Partnership in 2005 in order to protect freshwater resources and change preservation methods for larger river systems. The program is also encouraging conservation efforts for the Yangtze River in China, the Zambezi River in Africa, and the Mississippi River in the United States. IBM will donate goods and services valued at approximately $6 million. According to Sharon Nunes, a vice president at IBM, the firm is building an environmental business by selling its analytic methods to corporate customers so they can model their 'carbon footprint,' or evaluate the potential of alternative energy solutions. The president of the Nature Conservancy, Steven McCormick, says that his group has traditionally been involved with acquiring land to promote diversity of species and the preservation of natural landscapes. However, upstream activity has a direct impact on the lower areas of a river. Since it is unrealistic to acquire river basins, the group is now attempting to work with private developers and governments to mitigate impact. Accurate models are critical because even small changes can help or damage local conditions.