But the backs were covered with brown paper," said Barbara Buckley, the foundation's senior director of conservation and chief painting conservator, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"While the size and scope of the deal are unusual, it's a pretty conventional land transaction," says Eric Love, senior director of conservation transactions at the conservancy.
The writer is director of Conservation Advocacy for American Bird Conservancy.
"It's imprudent to think it's not going to happen," said Scott Morrison, director of conservation science for the Nature Conservancy in California.
The former RSPB director of conservation Mark Avery.
Ken Rosenberg is director of Conservation Science at the Lab.
Martin Harper is Director of Conservation for The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
"There's so much dust that's evolved," said Judith Levinson, the museum's director of conservation.
Bill Neil, the director of conservation for the New Jersey Audubon Society, does not disagree.
"I think he's talking nonsense," says former director of conservation at the RSPB Mark Avery.
Jonathan Baillie is director of conservation programmes at Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
