Mother Nature Network

{{Short description|News and information website}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Infobox website

| name = Mother Nature Network

| logo = MNN logo 4.jpg

| logo_size = 200px

| caption =

| industry = Media

| url = [http://www.mnn.com/ mnn.com]

| commercial =

| type = News and information related to sustainability and responsible living

| language = English

| author = Joel Babbit & Chuck Leavell

| launch_date = 2009

| location_city = Atlanta

| current_status = Active

| revenue =

}}

Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) was a news and information website focused on sustainability and ranked by Alexa Internet as the most visited for-profit website in the world in its environmental category.{{cite web |title=Portfolio: Mother Nature Network |website=Narrative Content Group |date=28 April 2021 |url=https://narrativecontentgroup.com/2021/04/28/mother-nature-network/ |access-date=March 24, 2023}} It was labeled "the green CNN" by Time magazine,{{cite magazine |title=Introducing MNN, the New 'Green CNN' |last1=Walsh |first1=Bryan |magazine=Time |date=8 January 2009 |url=https://time.com/archive/6933086/introducing-mnn-the-new-green-cnn/ |access-date=October 8, 2024}} "green machine" by the Associated Press,{{cite web |title=New Mother Nature Network aims to be green machine |website=Associated Press |date=21 January 2009 |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2009/01/21/new-mother-nature-network-aims-to-be-green-machine/ |access-date=October 8, 2024}} and "best of the breed" by Fast Company.{{cite web |title=Mother Nature Network: Online Media Finally Catches up to Sustainability Needs |website=Fast Company |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1150636/mother-nature-network-online-media-finally-catches-sustainability-needs |access-date=March 24, 2023}} Founded in 2009 by former marketing executive Joel Babbit and Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, it was the flagship property of Narrative Content Group, whose equity partners included CNN and Discovery Inc.[http://www.similarweb.com/website/mnn.com "MNN.com Analytics"] SimilarWeb. Retrieved 2015-08-02.

MNN generated revenue via exclusive content category sponsorships versus the traditional advertising model utilized by most websites.{{cite web |title=This Company Broke the Online Ad Model for Fun and Profit |website=inc |url=https://www.inc.com/erik-sherman/how-mother-nature-network-broke-the-online-ad-model-for-fun-and-profit.html |access-date=March 24, 2023}} Brand partners included Walmart, Mercedes-Benz, AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, UPS, Allstate, Dell, Subway, MillerCoors, Bayer, Dunkin' Brands, and many other leading corporations.{{cite web |title=Portfolio: Mother Nature Network |website=Narrative Content Group |date=28 April 2021 |url=https://narrativecontentgroup.com/2021/04/28/mother-nature-network/ |access-date=March 24, 2023}} In February of 2020, Narrative sold Mother Nature Network and TreeHugger, another of its sustainability focused websites acquired from Discovery, to digital media company Dotdash, an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IAC).{{cite web |title=Exclusive: Dotdash acquires another 2 publishers |website=Axios |url=https://www.axios.com/2020/02/04/dotdash-treehugger-mother-nature-network |access-date=March 24, 2023}} The two sites were then merged and operate under the Treehugger name.{{cite web |title=About Us: Our History |website=Treehugger |url=https://www.treehugger.com/about-us-5024862#toc-our-history |access-date=March 24, 2023}}