/ kənˈsɜːvənsi; NAmE -ˈsɜːrv-/ noun
1.
Conservancy [ sing.+ sing./pl. v . ] a group of officials who control the use of a port, a river, an area of land, etc. :
the Thames Conservancy
Texas Nature Conservancy
2.
[ U ] ( formal ) the protection of the natural environment
SYN conservation :
nature conservancy
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 18th cent.: alteration of obsolete conservacy , from Anglo-Norman French conservacie , via Anglo-Latin from Latin conservatio , from the verb conservare to preserve, from con- together + servare to keep.